Showing posts with label Kelcy Salisbury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kelcy Salisbury. Show all posts

Apr 16, 2012

Sounds Painful

by Kelcy Salisbury

After a few poorly written meanderings on the relative merits of various recently released albums, I felt like it was a good time to take a step back and provide a poorly written, rambling review of a couple of albums that were formative in my musical journey.  So without further ado here is the first of however many of these Trailer will let me write.

In the early to mid 1990's alternative music was exploding worldwide.  Of course the Seattle scene was huge with bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains making music that seismically altered the landscape of rock radio.  Austin, TX, long a hotbed for the "weird" was also playing a major role in the alternative rock scene, along with such locations as San Francisco and New York.  Along about 1994 someone (I'm not sure who and am a bit too lazy to do the research to find out) had the brilliant idea to combine some of the brightest lights of the alternative rock scene with a handful of Willie Nelson tunes for a project that would become Twisted Willie.  This album was a seminal point in my discovery of music.  I discovered The Presidents Of The United States and the Supersuckers through this album, along with rediscovering just how cool Willie's music was and heard what I believe to be the beginning of the third act of Johnny Cash's career.  It's not a perfect album, every song doesn't work, but the overall product is well worth hearing (or rediscovering if you haven't heard it in a while.)

The album opens with Johnny Cash (backed by Alice in Chains in one of their last recordings before Layne Stayley's death) covering Time of the Preacher.  The song gives a glance at what Cash would later create with Rick Rubin. Another highlight is Jerry Cantrell's haunting solo performance of I've Seen All Of This World I Care To See. Supersuckers' cover of Bloody Mary Morning is another great entry on the album.  This song seems to have been written for a more punk styled interpretation, and that's exactly what it gets.

Jello Biafra covers Still Is Still Moving To Me, and knocks it out of the park.

My personal favorite on the album is The Presidents Of The United States hyper, desperate sounding cover of Devil In A Sleeping Bag.  To this day I often find myself playing this cut on repeat.

Jesse Dayton absolutely kills Sad Songs And Waltzes, before Waylon adds his inimitable stylings  to I Never Cared For You.

The album closes with a haunting version of Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground by Kelly Deal.

While there are some tracks that don't hold up to the overall standard, particularly X on Home Motel, overall it's an older album well worth a listen that has held up well over the nearly 20 years since it's release and is well worth the purchase price on iTunes.  So give it a listen whether you're a fan of old school alt-rock or Willie Nelson.  If nothing else it proves what an incredibly strong song writer Willie Nelson is, a fact that occasionally gets lost in Beer For My Horses type dreck.

Purchase Twisted Willie here or here.

Feb 21, 2012

Kelcy Reviews: Fred Andrews and Honeybrowne - This Side of Crazy

by Kelcy Salisbury


Of Throatpunches, Reactions & The Lack Thereof

Fred Andrews & Honeybrowne (Aka Honeybrowne) have been around for a few years. They had a pretty big regional hit with Texas Angel a little while back and while I'd heard of them I'd never really listened to them until I was asked to review their latest offering, This Side of Crazy.

Let me set the stage by saying a couple of things about my musical tastes. First I have very eclectic tastes. I had James Blake, Jason Boland & The Stragglers and Adele all in my top albums list last year. I tell people who ask what kind of music I listen to that I like good music, genre doesn't matter. I also am not a musician or a music expert, just a fan. Finally I like music that hits you like a punch to the throat. Stuff with the kind of grit and realness to it that you know the artist HAD to make it. Now with that out of the way, on to the This Side Of Crazy.

This isn't a bad album. In fact it's pretty good. Fred Andrews has a pleasant enough voice, the band is musically competent and the songwriting is decent if unexceptional. I listened to the album a few times through looking for something to grab me, something that got my attention, something with some urgency to it. Other than the title track and "When Good Love Dies" I just didn't hear it. The whole album is decent enough in its own way but I couldn't find anything that sets it aside from the rest of the pack of mid-tempo Texas Country bands and albums. I couldn't help but feel that the overall low standard of current country music makes this offering seem better than it is. I certainly don't hate the album and if you're looking for a fairly safe offering of almost mainstream country with above average vocals and a pleasant sound it might be the album for you, it just won't find a permanent place in my rotation simply because its a bit too safe and predictable to hold my attention. Nothing is really wrong with this album it just doesn't have the "it" factor to set it apart. 



Jan 1, 2012

FTM Best Albums of 2011: Kelcy's Ten


by Kelcy Salisbury

Well, it's that time of year.  Time to look back at what happened, what we wish had happened, what didn't happen and most importantly, who released the best music.  So here, just in time for your Christmas shopping, are the best albums that I heard amongst the many that were released this year.  Keep in mind, that these will lean toward my favorite types of music (although my taste is fairly eclectic) and as a "real" person with a full time job and a life that doesn't involve occupying things, I didn't get to listen to every new album that came out, let alone all the ones I wanted to hear.  So if your favorite new album isn't on here it doesn't mean I hate it (although I probably do, especially if you're a Deer Tick fan), I may just have been busy trying to keep my lights on.
Without further ado: The list, first the honorable mentions, followed by my personal top ten.
Honorable Mention:
This album will top many lists, and while I liked it and found it compelling in places it just didn't grab my attention and hold it throughout the way some of his earlier work (Sirens Of The Ditch) did.  Still a worthy effort.  Don't miss these tracks: Codeine, Passing Through, Alabama Pines and Go It Alone.
Could have easily made the top ten, but something had to get cut, and unfortunately for Mike, this album was one of the cuts.  It's a solid country album with some incredibly clever songwriting.  Don't miss Oldsmobile, Fools of Us All, Walking Into Walls and Nothing Left To Lose.
Much like Isbell's offering, I loved parts of this album but it didn't grab me as a body of work the way some of his earlier albums did.  Can't miss songs are I Gotta Go, The Road Goes On and On, and Play A Train Song.
If I'd found this album a little earlier in the year it probably would have made the top ten.  I find something more to like on every listen.  The thing that makes this album stand out from the rest of the "honorable mentions" is that I felt like it needed and deserved to be heard as a whole.  Perfectly laid out and beautifully arranged.
And now the top ten.  The order of these (especially the top 5) could change depending on the day and my mood but each and every one of these albums can stand on it's own merits and would be a worthy addition to any collection.



This one may come as a surprise to some, but as I said before, my taste is fairly eclectic.  I never expected to like this album and didn't even give it a thought until it was suggested to me by a friend whose taste I trust (you know who you are, I hope you're not upset it didn't get a higher position).  James brings a ton of vocal ability to the table, pair that with solid songwriting and great instrumental work and you have one fine album.
I already reviewed this album in an earlier piece and I won't rehash that.  I'll simply say that this album does a great job of combining working class concerns and social consciousness with hip hop beats with blues and country elements.

Anyone that has the kind of pipes this girl possesses stands a decent chance of making a good song or two.  This young lady has made an entire album of great songs.  Her vocals are clearly the highlight, but the instrumentation is solid throughout.  The only reason this offering didn't land higher on my list is that the songs are (thematically anyway) somewhat interchangable.  As someone (I don't recall who) stated on Twitter, Adele's ex-boyfriend deserves a Grammy for inspiring this album.
The album that Cody had always wanted to make finally got made, and what an all star cast of musicians made it!  Every song is a cover of a song by an Oklahoma born or based songwriter but The Departed make these songs their own.  If I hadn't known better I'd have been easily convinced that these songs were originals.  From the opening snippet of a voicemail from the legendary Randy Crouch to the rollicking take on Stand Up, this album is a pure slice of heavenly heartland rock n roll.
The lesser known half of the Braun Brothers have been steadily working towards this album and it's been well worth the work and the wait.  The whole thing hangs together thematically from the heartbreaking story of the title track to the rocking Saint Lucy's Eyes.  There is a story here and it takes all 11 tracks to tell. 
Adams finally returns with an album worthy of his prodigous talent and reputation.  Sobriety and a stable personal life have been good to the former Whiskeytown frontman and it shows.  His songwriting is better than ever.  His vocals are a perfect fit for the music and the music is pretty excellent.  I had pretty well written off Adams as a waste of talent over the past few years but he proved me wrong in a big way and I'm glad for it.
The "Red Dirt Chinese Democracy" is here and it was worth the long wait.  Stoney's sound has evolved over the years.  Layers of lush instrumentation wash over his pitch-perfect vocals. Much credit is due to the influence of Mando Saenz who co-wrote the majority of the album but at the end of the day it is Stoney's name on the finished product and what a finished product it is.
Perhaps best known as Jason Isbell's girlfriend, Ms Shires deserves to be known as one of the finest musicians and songwriters on the planet.  Elements of folk and bluegrass permeate this outstanding album.  One listen to When You Need A Train It Never Comes and you'll be hooked.
The only criticism I heard of this album was that it was traditional country that didn't break new ground.  In today's world, truly traditional country music is ground breaking in itself, so I don't see the problem.  What I heard was the best country songwriter on the planet today providing socially conscious, thought provoking lyrics over the best traditional country sounding band you're ever likely to hear.  Roger Ray's steel guitar work has only improved over the years, Brad Rice adds a new dimension to his drumming with heavy use of brushes instead of sticks, while Noah Jefferies and Jeremy Watkins provide outstanding fiddle work and Grant Tracy keeps the whole thing moving along with his bass work.  This is simply the best offering yet from a band that never fails to deliver great country music for people who like country music.
It comes as no surprise to anyone who's read my prior writings that this album tops the list.  There isn't much I can say about it I haven't already, so I'll just say that even after taking the time to seriously think about it and listen to tons of new music there was nothing I heard all year that grabbed and held my attention any more than this album.  If you already own it, congratulations, and if you don't, do yourself a favor and buy it for yourself for a Christmas present.
Well, that's all for this year folks.  I hope you enjoy the article and most of all I hope you enjoy the music.

Dec 14, 2011

5 Albums You Probably Missed But Shouldn't Have

by Kelcy Salisbury

Here's another installment of 5 albums that deserve a listen.

1) Red Dirt Rangers - Ranger Motel

The Red Dirt Rangers are probably at least equally as influential, at least in their individual parts, on the "Red Dirt Scene" as the oft lauded Great Divide. With versatile players like Oklahoma music Kingpin Randy Crouch and Brad Piccolo they should be at the very least the sum of their parts and on this outstanding offering they are. Essential tracks are Stillwater, Under The Radar and Pennies From Heaven.






2) Bob Childers - Circles Toward The Sun

Perhaps no single artist has had a more profound influence on the current crop of Oklahoma singer/songwriters than the late Bon Childers (RIP). I'm usually more a fan of his songs as covered by other artists (most notably Jason Boland & the Stragglers) but if you have an interest in the roots of "rootsy" music should own at least one Childers album and this one is a great starting point for the music of the Woody Guthrie disciple.





3) Cory Morrow - Brand New Me

Cory's first album since his personal & religious rebirth brings a renewed sense of purpose and energy to his music. This is Cory's strongest offering in years and yes, he still plays barefoot.







4) Micky & The Motorcars - Raise My Glass

The younger Braun brothers step out of the shadow of Reckless Kelly with their strongest offering yet. The songs all tell a story, one that is at times both heart wrenching and hopeful. The song sequence is perfect and the production is top notch. There isn't a weak spot in the album, which may well be one of the top 3 offerings in country music for all of 2011.











5) Everlast - Songs For The Ungrateful Living

First of all, Everlast is not and has never claimed to be country rap (a term that simply makes me ill). He is hip hop with strong blues and country type themes. He has one of the strongest blues type voices in the business. This is his best offering since his seminal Whitey Ford Sings The Blues release. Standout tracks are Long At All, The Crown and I Get By but as with all great albums it should be listened to as a whole. Everlast does an incredible job of blending "everyman" themes and lyrics with true hip hop beats and the very best of blues and country instrumentals.

Nov 28, 2011

5 Albums You Probably Missed But Shouldn't Have

by Kelcy Salisbury

I'm sure everyone has at least one favorite "obscure" album, whether it's a little known effort by a well-known artist or the masterpiece album of their favorite underground band. Here are five relatively unknown albums that should be in your collection, in no particular order.


1) Billy Joe Shaver - Tramp On Your Street
Billy Joe's songwriting is in fine form here with versions of Georgia On a Fast Train & Live Forever included along with When The Fallen Angels Fly, a hauntingly personal heartbreaking story with a seed of hope included, and the autobiographical title track. What really makes this album the crown jewel of Shaver's discography is the blazing guitar work of his son, Eddy Shaver. Eddy Shaver was one of the great guitar players of his generation, who tragically died much too young. If you want to hear him at the height of his powers take a listen to this one.




2) Corb Lund & The Hurtin' Albertans - Hair In My Eyes Like A Highland Steer
Chris LeDoux's strong western sensibilities and sense of humor meet strong musicianship and perfectly suited vocals to the subject matter. Highlights are Ian Tyson's turn on The Rodeo's Over, and the raucous romp of Good Copenhagen.








3) High On Fire - Surrounded By Thieves
Sludge Metal masters churn out 8 of their heaviest tunes in front of a live crowd (given the title maybe they should have recorded in a prison). The energy of the live performance surpasses their studio efforts, in my opinion. Standout tracks are Hung, Drawn and Quartered along with The Yeti but this is as album that needs to be listened to straight through.







4) Black Lab - Passion Leaves A Trace
90s rock fans may recall Black Lab hitting the charts in the late 90s with Wash It Away & Time Ago from their standout album Your Body Above Me. What you may not realize is that they are still around and making good music. They may have been mislabeled in the 90s post-grunge movement, thus they weren't the easiest band to market, making them another casualty of the downturn of the music business. Regardless, Passion Leaves A Trace features strong lyrics over mostly shimmery Bowie influenced arrangements. Essential tracks are Ghost In Your Mind & Pictures of People.



5) Reckless Kelly - Bulletproof
This may be the most well known album on this list, but it's also such a great album that I felt I HAD to include it. There are a few albums that come out each year (if we're lucky at least) that are so good, regardless of genre, that it should be mandatory that anyone who claims to love good music own them. This is such an album. Again, it should be listened to as a whole, but if you're so broke you can only buy a few songs pick up Ragged As The Road, American Blood, How Was California, Mirage, and Godforsaken Town. If Godforsaken Town doesn't tug at your heartstrings you are not human.


Hopefully you haven't heard of at least one of these albums and you'll find something in here to enjoy. Until next time.



Nov 22, 2011

Review: The Damn Quails - Down the Hatch

First of all, I'd like to welcome Kelcy Salisbury ( @ ) into the fold as an occasional reviewer and possible regular contributor to Farce the Music! His debut piece is a review of my current favorite album of 2011.


The Damn Quails - Down the Hatch

by Kelcy Salisbury


A great man (I’ve heard the quote variously attributed to Kris Kristofferson & Guy Clark) once said that there are two ways to write great lyrics. One is to write about “uncommon things in common words”. The other is to write about “common things in uncommon words”. As a music fan I’ve always leaned strongly on the lyrical quality of the music when choosing between what I consider good or bad. Of course good music requires strong playing and solid arrangements but that’s just the cover charge. To actually get in the club and make an impression, it had better have some serious lyrical weight.


I’m happy to report that the Damn Quails debut album, Down The Hatch, delivers on all counts. Most great songwriters excel at either common themes in uncommon words, or vice versa, to reference the previous quote one last time. The lyrical strength of the one-two punch that is Damn Quails songwriting is that they can pull off either type of writing with equal aplomb.


But there is much more here than just great lyrics and well crafted songs (I may be labeled as a heretic, but I’m looking at you Bob Dylan and you too, Neil Young when I say this). The performances, both vocally and musically more than hold up their end of the bargain and actually enhance the lyrics of each song.


Now, at this point in time the Quails are one of the most buzzed about bands in this region of the country and possibly in all of independent/Americana/Red Dirt music, so I’ll spare you the biographical information, but let me just say that I haven’t heard a duo that works this well together since at least Foster & Loyd, again risking being burned at the stake for heresy I actually prefer the Damn Quails to any musical duo I can recall hearing since the height of the Waylon & Willie collaborations and truthfully the Damn Quails are more of an actual duo than those efforts ever were. The third person whose contributions cannot be overstated is producer and Oklahoma music kingpin Mike McClure. The production is spot-on throughout the album. After about two dozen spins I can’t hear a single spot where I felt like the production was flawed or lacking, yet the album never loses it’s organic feel. It’s truly a remarkable achievement.


My personal favorite feature of the Damn Quails music is the interplay in vocal styles as they trade off lead vocals from song to song. Gabriel has a voice that vaguely reminds me of a celtic singer I heard once at a bar in Canada. Random I know, but I could definitely imagine him singing some Chieftains cover songs on a lark. Byron has what feels like a more classic country/folk voice to me. Neither voice is incredible on it’s own, though both are certainly very good. It’s the interplay of the two, and the changing styles from one song to the next that really give the album such a uniquely wonderful vocal quality.


Musically, there is plenty to love. The guitar work on opening track, Better Place To Stop, and Parachute both stand out to me but every song has great instrumentals, even a touch of organ in places. There is not a weak link musically on the entire album.


Lyrically every song is exceptional, I suspect everyone who listens closely will have a different favorite and will possibly change their minds about what that favorite is after each listen. Each song evokes the emotions of the story being told as the lyrics are perfectly blended with the instrumental arrangements to paint a picture that words alone simply cannot do. My personal favorites on the album are Fools Gold, Parachute and California Open Invitation but I don’t skip a single song any time I listen and I doubt I ever will.


If you can buy only one song on this album, save your money until you can buy the whole thing. A true piece of art deserves to be seen/heard the way it was intended to be, as a whole and this is a truly great piece of art. I simply have nothing negative to say about it.


Finally, this is deservedly the most buzzed about band out of the musical hotbed that is central Oklahoma in quite a while and (with all due respect to Jason Boland & The Stragglers whose Rancho Alto is incredible and all the other acts who put out great work this year) I am willing to state that this is the best record of the year, regardless of genre. It’s simply that good.



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