TWO New Lucero Videos: "Can't You Hear Them Howl" and "The Man I Was"

These two new videos complete the trilogy begun with "Baby Don't You Want Me." From the album All a Man Should Do (only $6.99 on Amazon right now).

FTM's Top Songs of 2015: 21-40

I'll post my Top 20 songs of 2015 tomorrow, but here are 20 more songs that moved me in 2015. The depth of talent (mostly, but not entirely outside the mainstream) is staggering in recent years, so it's always difficult to narrow songs and albums down to a ranking at the end of the year, but I felt like these all needed some recognition.

In no particular order, though my favorites are generally towards the top of the list.

Jason Isbell - 24 Frames

American Aquarium - End Over End

Courtney Patton - So This Is Life

The Lone Bellow - Diners

Faith No More - Matador

Clutch - X-Ray Visions

Sam Outlaw - Ghost Town

Houndmouth - Sedona

Kacey Musgraves - Late to the Party

Lucero - Went Looking for Warren Zevon's Los Angeles

Alan Jackson - The One You're Waiting On

Kurt Vile - Pretty Pimpin'

Red Shahan - Black Veins Pt. 1

Adele - Hello

High on Fire - The Cave

The Yawpers - 3 A.M.

Gretchen Peters - The Cure for the Pain

Vince Staples - Norf Norf

Eric Church - Knives of New Orleans

Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands

New Video: Lucero - Baby Don't You Want Me

Saturday Night Music: Ben Nichols of Lucero

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

Lucero's Ben Nichols Covers John Moreland

Album Review: Matt Woods - With Love From Brushy Mountain

The first thing you'll notice is the voice. Matt Woods has a robust, vibrato-heavy baritone that is unmistakably country. His drawl is neither muted nor faked, and it's twangy as hell. He sounds good singing smooth and steady or letting it rip, his timbre becoming ragged and strained. His is an unforgettable set of pipes.

The next thing that sticks out is the songwriting. Or maybe that's the first thing. They are both more than notable, so you're right either way.

Matt's writing is truth. Period. Exclamation point. "It ain't no living, it's my life" he sings on With Love from Brushy Mountain's opener, a treatise on the road life of a singer. "I'll trade you a song for a beer" and there's no doubt some nights that's all he got paid and in the grand scheme of things, he didn't mind too much.

"Tiny Anchors" is a showcase of Woods' songwriting abilities. It's a subtle, insightful look into what are possibly last days of a relationship. But there's still some hope. "Hang on with me" he pleads.

Then there's "Deadman's Blues," which was FTM's 2013 song of the year. It's still as striking and raw as ever and it's the apologetic heart of this record.

"Lucero Song" speaks to all of us fans of the little band from Tennessee. Woods gets meta, describing his own drunken loneliness inside the frame of this being  something Ben Nichols and the boys might sing to some rowdy crowd. Now, if Lucero ever covers this song, the universe might implode. 

Matt Woods has released his strongest album to date with With Love from Brushy Mountain. He's shaken off some of the "spot the influence" unsureness I heard in his earlier works and found his own voice and sound. This is country music filtered through rock, folk, punk, red-dirt and bar room soul and it doesn't sound like anybody else. For me it falls into the realm of what mainstream country should have evolved into, rather than the Fords and fornication free-for-all that it is. Highly recommended for fans of Lucero, Fifth on the Floor, Shooter Jennings, John Moreland, etc.

-------

With Love From Brushy Mountain is available at Matt's site and Bandcamp.

New Country eCards

Live Review: Lucero and Shovels & Rope, D.C.

Lucero and Shovels & Rope - 9:30 Club - 3/20/2013

By Matthew Martin

(Written before Matthew's Ronnie Fauss show review)
It's been a while since I've written about a show, but the pickins have been pretty slim up here in the nation's capitol.  Luckily, that drought ended on March 20th when Lucero came to 9:30 Club bringing Shovels & Rope in tow.

First, Shovels & Rope was up to get the crowd revved up for Lucero.  The past few months have been great for Shovels & Rope.  I have seen Shovels & Rope a few times in the past year and each time the amount of people that are showing up to hear them is larger and larger.  This time was no exception.

I read not too long ago (on NPR maybe?) that you should always try and make it to the opener because in a lot of cases the headliner has hand picked them.  Assuming this is, in fact, the case, Lucero picked a great opener and the crowd definitely showed up.

Playing their particular brand of folk/country music, Shovels & Rope got the crowd moving early on and really never let up.  They played a few songs I hadn't heard them play before such as "Who's Gonna Raise These Babies?"  They also played the standards that have made people fall in love with them so easily- i.e., my personal favorite "Birmingham."  The energy exhibited by Shovels & Rope is transferred to the crowd with ease.

By the end of their set, the crowd was buzzing about how incredible they thought Shovels & Rope were.  There were lots of looks of pure astonishment going around.  It was great seeing so many people appreciate what it is Shovels & Rope are doing.

Next up was the incomparable Lucero.  Seeing a Lucero show is always very interesting- you never know what the crowd is going to be like.  The crowd for this particular show was an excited, but not too rowdy, bunch.  

Lucero has continued to grow into their own on each passing album.  Starting off as  a bit of a rough edged country rock/punk band, they have added horns to their sound to build a sound that is distinctly their own.  A brand of Memphis country-soul-rock they wear with outright pride.

They started off with a strong set of old and new songs all backed by the very talented horn section.  It was worth noting that Todd Beene did not make the show here in Washington, D.C. because his other band, Glossary, had a string of dates they were playing.  So, while his very talented steel pedal playing was missed, everyone else picked up the slack.

Halfway through the set, the band decided to play a set of new songs that will be coming out on an EP soon (maybe Record Store Day- 4/20/2013?).  One of the strongest songs to come out of these songs was "Texas and Tennessee."  Another great lost love song that we have all come to know and love from Lucero.

As is typical for a Lucero show, the pace got a bit more rowdy as the night went on.  More whiskey was consumed than was probably necessary.  Even more beer was passed around.  Songs like "All Sewn Up" and "Tears Don't Matter Much" sent everyone into a whirlwind of elation and energy.

By the end of the show, all of the crowd's energy was spent, but seemed like we could have continued on for a few more songs.  Unfortunately, every thing must come to an end and this show was no exception.  Either way, Thursday was not a pleasant day for me, but any opportunity to see Shovels & Rope and Lucero in one evening is worth every bit of the pain endured!

I say it all the time, but go see either of these bands.  If you're coming to this site, you already know them.  So, go out and see them live to get the full experience.  Until then, pick up every album they own here and here.

FTM Top Albums of '12: Matthew's Top 10

-By Matthew Martin

1- Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, "There is a Bomb in Gilead"- My God!  No band surprised me more this year than Birmingham's own Lee Bains III.  I witnessed them open up for Alabama Shakes in Baltimore and was just floored by these guys.  Evoking that Southern, soulful voice akin to fellow Alabama native Jason Isbell, Bains and his incredibly gifted band-mates have created an album that continues to grow stronger and stronger with each listen. 

2- American Aquarium, "Burn. Flicker. Die"- We've all heard it before, right?  Band hits road.  Band tries to make it.  Band gets weary.  Band breaks up.  This is where we meet BJ Barham and his band American Aquarium on their latest release: between weary and callin it quits.  What makes an album great is taking a subject we've heard and making it sound new and fresh.  Barham has done this to perfection with his road weary songs.  American Aquarium has had some really good albums, but this album achieves far beyond good- it is truly great.

3- The Pollies, "Where the Lies Begin"- Another great band from Alabama- there must be something in the water down there.  Listening to this album for the first time was such an awesome experience that I wish I could listen for the first time again.  I'm not sure you can get much better for a debut album.  Everything on this album works perfectly- from the interplay of instruments to the Jim James-esque echo vocal effects.  Just try to listen to this album and not be taken aback.  

4- Titus Andronicus, "Local Business"- Everyone's favorite Nihilistic band came back from their massively heavy and successful 2010 album "The Monitor" to record a more basic rock and roll record.  Recorded with the same 4 folks who had been touring for the last few months as Titus Andronicus, this album hits the ground running and really never lets up.  This album has less of the bombast than the previous 2 albums (i.e., no spoken intros, no droning noise, etc.), but Patrick Sickles and crew still run through 7+ minute songs at break-neck speed.  

5- Lucero, "Women & Work"- I don't know how Lucero continue to get better, but they do.  Taking the Memphis soul sound they incorporated on "1372 Overton Park," they honed their sound in to make this incredible album.  The songs on this album are your typical Lucero songs, but then you add in songs such as "Sometimes" and "Go Easy" and you have possibly their best album since "That Much Further West."  Some folks don't like the horn section Lucero have taken up, but I couldn't be more on board.  It works incredibly well for their sound and Nichols' gruff voice.  (Also, anyone else notice "Like Lightning" being played during some college and pro football games this year?)

6- Shovels & Rope, "O Be Joyful"- To truly appreciate Shovels & Rope, you should see them live, immediately.  Until then, this album serves as a great snapshot of their energy, harmony, and chemistry.  There have been a ton of "husband/wife" duos lately, it seems, but Shovels & Rope are doing everything right.  Some songs may initially seem sappy, but they play them with such sincerity and gusto that any sap is quickly overshadowed by their keen emotion.  There is no better song from 2012 than "Bimingham," which alone makes the album worth purchasing.

7- Arliss Nancy, "Simple Machines"- "I don't believe that we've been properly introduced.." So begins the newest album from Arliss Nancy.  I'd say that is a fair statement from the Denver rock band.  Their first album ("Dance to Forget") was a good album but this album shines much brighter due to upped production values, added instruments here and there, and a damn near perfect set of songs.  I'd say if you were just now hearing of Arliss Nancy this album would no doubt be the place to start and if you've been hesitating on listening, stop.  It's a great, catchy rock and roll album.

8- Natural Child, "For the Love of the Game"/"Hard in Heaven"- After seeing Natural Child open up for The Hold Steady this year, I went crazy for these guys.  The 3-man band from Nashville, TN were busy in 2012 releasing both "For the Love of the Game" and "Hard in Heaven."  I know it's probably cheating to include both albums here at #8, but when I was thinking about this list I couldn't pick a clear favorite.  Sounding like a combination of the Stones and the Ramones, Natural Child rock and roll through sleazy guitar licks and songs about women, partying, and drugs.  Just try to listen to these guys without moving.  I think it's impossible.

9- Alabama Shakes, "Boys and Girls"- I fell for this album and band hook, line, and sinker.  Talk about a powerful voice!  I think this is a fun, well-played, and well-written record.  While Alabama Shakes aren't really breaking new ground lyrically, they are laying down really great music and the songs are perfect vehicles for Brittany Howard to showcase her incredible vocals.  Also, it's really amazing how fast Alabama Shakes rose to stardom.  I'm sure it happens all the time, but it had never happened to a band I was on board with when they were just Alabama's best kept secret. 

10- Justin Townes Earle, "Nothing's Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now"- Lots of folks aren't crazy about JTE's new album due to its subdued nature.  I, on the other hand, think it is the perfect Sunday morning album.  Once again, an artist added a horns section to an album and it worked perfectly.  The contemplative mood of the album works for Earle and the band he gathered to record with. This is a fine album that I believe will get much stronger with time.

Other albums just missing the top 10 include: The Bohanons- "Unaka Rising," The Gaslight Anthem- "Handwritten," Cory Branan- "Mutt," Shooter Jennings- "Family Man," and Patterson Hood- "Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance."

FTM Top 75 Albums of 2012: 1-20

1. Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires - There is a Bomb in Gilead

A first-half-of-the-year release unfairly hurts some albums on these year-end lists. That wasn't the case for this year's #1 album, There is a Bomb in Gilead. From my May review:

"The forthright Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires emerges onto the scene already

a full-fledged force to be reckoned with on this fantastic debut.

Mixing garage rock, country soul and southern swagger into an effortlessly authentic blend, Lee and the boys give a spirited go at every style across 11 spotless tracks. From the driving exploration of faith on album opener "Ain't No Stranger," through the sin, searching and nostalgia of the middle to the hymn-inspired closing title track, there isn't a weak point on the album."

2. Marty Stuart - Nashville, Vol. 1 Tear The Woodpile Down

Standout tracks: Sundown in Nashville, Picture From Life's Other Side (with Hank III)

3. Chris Knight - Little Victories

See review here.

4. The Pollies - Where the Lies Begin

See review here.

RIYL: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Lucero, Two Cow Garage

5. Turnpike Troubadours - Goodbye Normal Street

Does this band have a signature sound, or what? Turnpike Troubadours are (is?) distinctive, vibrant and unique (so unique in fact, that I used two synonyms for that word in the same description). Disregard my haphazard writing and just know that they've come into their own on Goodbye Normal Street. 

Songwriting doesn't get much better in this day and age.

Standout tracks: Good Lord Lorrie, Empty as a Drum, Gin, Smoke, Lies

6. The Departed - Adventus

From Kelcy's November review (note - we'll also post Kelcy's favorite albums of '12 later on, 

so I should probably do my own write-up here, but I'm lazy)

"In summary, if you're a fan of anything that Cody Canada, Seth James, Jeremy Plato, Steve Littleton or have done in the past you will love this album.  If you're a fan of good bluesy rock n roll you will love this album.  Shoot, if you're just a fan of good music with some substance, you need to pick up a copy.  So get Adventus & celebrate the true Arrival of The Departed on the scene."

Standout tracks: Prayer for the Lonely, Set It Free, Sweet Lord

7. Dwight Yoakam - 3 Pears

A true comeback album, 3 Pears finds the country legend mixing rock, soul, country and his undying swagger into a welcome set of memorable songs that will never get played on Clearchannel radio.

Standout tracks: It's Never Alright, A Heart Like Mine, Rock It All Away

8. Uncle Lucius - And You Are Me

Standout tracks: Pocket Full of Misery, Rosalia

9. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, M.A.A.D. City

(Condescending Wonka says) Oh you thought West Coast rap was dead? 

Have you heard Kendrick Lamar?

Standout tracks: B*tch Don't Kill My Vibe, Backseat Freestyle

10. The Trishas - High, Wide and Handsome

Real country is alive and well. The Trishas are proof. The vocals and harmonies are beyond reproach. The songwriting is the thing for me though. High, Wide and Handsome shows Nashville how to write a hooky, lyrically clever song without leaning on cliches and marketing. The Trishas are no one-note act - they give us a portrait of strength on the album, but they also give us vulnerability. In other words, reality.

Standout tracks: Over Forgiving You, Mother of Invention, The Fool

11. John D. Hale Band - More Than I Can Handle

Standout tracks: More Than I Can Handle, Harold Wilson, Desperate People

12. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music

I want to personally thank Killer Mike for relighting my fire for hip-hop. Obviously, I focus mostly on alt-country and rock, but I've been a rap fan since the late 80's. I just thought intelligent, fiery, well-crafted hip-hop was a thing of the past. (Obviously there's a whole rap underground that I'm discounting with that statement, but there are only so many hours in the day for listening to music.) R.A.P. Music is a bold statement, both lyrically and sonically. Producer EL-P (whose own album is further down this list) provides a brutal, old-school-leaning bed for the rhymes. Mike flows like he actually cares about what he's saying. He's clearly a real person - in one verse he's cursing the political system; in the next he's praising his family. There's little talk of bling and booty on this record....because real people don't have to dwell on generalities and boasts when they discuss life. Killer Mike is as real as it gets.

Standout tracks: Big Beast, Reagan, Butane

13. Lindi Ortega - Cigarettes & Truckstops

14. Shooter Jennings - Family Man

The indie-country Svengali delivers his most consistent album to date with Family Man. 

It's a cohesive, passionate look at (mostly) the everyman side of country music royalty. 

On these very pages, I once dismissed Shooter's music, voice and image but no longer... 

so long as he continues to deliver music this engaging and tuneful. 

Standout tracks: The Long Road Ahead, Daddy's Hands

15. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

The indie world buzzed and bowed for this band from ...duh, Alabama, as soon as their EP hit the scene in 2011. That hype turned a lot of people off or built up their expectations far too high, but for me, Boys & Girls was a delivery on the promise of that Extended Play. Throw some Muscle Shoals soul, New York garage rock and folk sensibility into a blender and the Shakes are what results. It's more than that, though. Their songwriting is strong, their musical chops are exciting and Britanny Howard's voice is a thing of beauty.

I can't wait to see where they go from here.

Standout tracks: Hold On, Heartbreaker, I Ain't the Same

16. Arliss Nancy - Simple Machines

17. Darrell Scott - Long Ride Home

18. Jason Eady - AM Country Heaven

19. Matt King - Apples and Orphans

Like Shooter Jennings, Matt King was an artist I once didn't "get." Given time with his music however, I've changed my tune. Matt is a country singer with a very distinct vision. He also has a signature sound. That's rare in this day and age. Apples and Orphans is full of wit and anger in equal amounts. While politics and the environment are common themes, Matt explores these themes with an old-timey aesthetic and warm approach that never seems preachy, even when it is. His music is at times experimental, steampunk (whatever that means), ragtime or pure country. It's always passionate.

Standout tracks: Back to Baltimore, Jasmine and Gypsies

20. Lucero - Women and Work

Top Songs of 2012 - (Very!) Honorable Mentions

These are the songs released in 2012 that fell outside my top 10, but I felt were worthy of mention... 

not only mention, but excited proclamation actually. 2012 was a banner year for music - 

mostly outside of the mainstream, though there were some true mainstream gems. 

Here are FTM's honorable mentions for top songs of 2012, in no particular order.

Kacey Musgraves - Merry Go 'Round (Mainstream Country Song of the Year)

Fistful of Beard - White Bluff

Dwight Yoakam - It's Never Alright

The Departed - Prayer for the Lonely

Shooter Jennings - The Long Road Ahead

The Pollies - Ashes of Burned Out Stars

Horsehead - God Damned the Rain to Fall

Brent Cobb - Diggin' Holes

Ronnie Fauss - This Year

Corb Lund - One Left in the Chamber

Uncle Lucius - Pocket Full of Misery

Kendrick Lamar - B*tch, Don't Kill My Vibe

Ryan Bingham - Western Shore

Kathleen Edwards - A Soft Place to Land

fun. - Some Nights

Zac Brown Band - The Wind

Bonnie Raitt - You Can't Fail Me Now

Alabama Shakes - Heartbreaker

Gretchen Peters - The Matador

ZZ Top - I Gotsta Get Paid

EL-P - The Full Retard

Darrell Scott - Dance in the Darkness
Alan Jackson - So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore

The Deadfields - Carolina Backroads

Kellie Pickler - Long As I Never See You Again

Smashing Pumpkins - Pinwheels

Blackberry Smoke - Crimson Moon

Lucero - Like Lightning

Marty Stuart - Sundown in Nashville

Kasey Anderson and the Honkies - Some Depression

Roger Creager - Bad Friend to a Good Man

Soundgarden - Blood on the Valley Floor

Josh Abbott Band - Flatland Farmer

Bruce Springsteen - Land of Hope and Dreams

Japandroids - The House that Heaven Built

Old Crow Medicine Show - Ain't It Enough

Lindi Ortega - Use Me

Frank Ocean - Thinkin' About You

Gary Clark Jr. - You Saved Me

Top 10 Played Most Songs 2012

Photo from Pavement PR

1. Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires - Ain't No Stranger

2. Chris Knight - Little Victories

3. Shooter Jennings - The Long Road Ahead

4. Killer Mike - Big Beast (explicit + R-rated zombie stripper laden video)

5. Marty Stuart - Sundown in Nashville

6. The Pollies - Joe

7. EL-P - The Full Retard (explicit)

8. The Dirty Guv'nahs - 3000 Miles

9. The Gaslight Anthem - Here Comes My Man

10. Lucero - On My Way Downtown

(1 song per artist)

*Based on iTunes plays count, not favorite songs