28 search results for "nick lowe"

Review: Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets

 in Americana Music, Nashville music, Reviews

By Ken Paulson

Nick Lowe and his Quality Holiday Revue rolled into Nashville tonight at the City Winery. It’s an entertaining hybrid of slightly warped Christmas songs and Lowe’s rich catalog, abetted by Los Straitjackets.

Nick Lowe in Nashville

Nick Lowe in Nashville

For a long-time Lowe fan, the show offers a chance to hear energetic (if slightly slower) takes on “Raging Eyes,” “Half A Boy and Half A Man” and “Without Love.” For those who just wandered in off the street, it’s a warm and often funny holiday show, fueled in large part by Los Straitjackets and unexpected and unconventional songs like a revved-up “Linus and Lucy.”

Highlights abounded, including Lowe’s plaintive rendition of (“What’s So Funny About) Peace Love and Understanding,” famously performed by Elvis Costello and included in the mega-selling Bodyguard soundtrack.

Los Straitjackets are given their own mini-set during the show, and oddly enough, play the first two songs of the encore.

The rich and rewarding evening closed with Lowe’s quiet acoustic performance of Costello’s “Alison,” a song he produced on the groundbreaking My Aim is True.

We’ve seen Lowe’s solo shows in recent years and have always come away impressed.  But this one was special — fast-paced, fun and vibrant.

 

 

Nick Lowe: Tour dates and new video

 in Americana Music

In keeping with our policy of devoting a disproportionate amount of space to Nick Lowe, here are his upcoming tour dates and his new video.

9/29 — L2 Arts + Culture Center – Denver, CO
10/01 — Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix, AZ
10/02 — Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach, CA
10/03 – Troubadour, Los Angeles
10/04 — 24th Street Theater, Sacramento, CA
10/09 — McGlohon Theater, Charlotte, NC
10/10 — The Grey Eagle, Asheville, NC
10/11 — Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
10/13 — Westhampton Beach PAC, Westhampton Beach, NY
10/14 — Landmark on Main, Port Washington, NY

Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @Sun209com.

Concert review: Nick Lowe both classic and current

 in Nashville music, Reviews

Nick Lowe at Country Music Hall of Fame

By Ken Paulson
—Nick Lowe has been a regular in Music City in the last year or so, opening for Wilco at the Ryman Auditorium and being feted at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Still, it was a real treat to see him deliver a decades-spanning acoustic set at the Mercy Lounge Saturday night.
The 64-year-old Lowe has aged gracefully, with wry observational songs replacing the buoyant rock songs of his early years. His intimate performance meant every lyric resonated, particularly those of “I Read A Lot” and “House for Sale,” heart-rending tales of lost love.
The most surprising audience reaction came during “I Trained Her to Love Me,” a dark and chilling song about a manipulative man who seduces and then abandons. The audience found this hilarious, and a bemused Nick played to it.
Lowe didn’t neglect his catalog. ” Old favorites included “Without Love,” “When I Write the Book,” “Heart,” “Raining” and his sole hit “Cruel to Be Kind.”
“What’s So Funny (about Peace, Love and Understanding?” is his best copyright and though his current rendition isn’t the full throttle rocker recorded by Elvis Costello, the spirit is intact. “I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll)” was a particular treat.

Nick Lowe remains an extraordinary songwriter and a compelling performer. He’s not to be missed.

Follow Sun209: Americana Music News at @sun209com.

Nick Lowe’s “The Old Magic”

 in Reviews

Someone somewhere once told Nick Lowe to act his age and he took the advice seriously.
His new “The Old Magic” is a masterful album, impeccably performed and produced, but it’s also sad and subdued, a quiet declaration that “the Basher” has abandoned any thought of actually rocking ever again.
You can’t knock that. Lowe has decided to croon through the rest of his career, and the album’s subjects are fitting for a 62-year-old. Maybe too fitting.
“Checkout Time” is representative, a song about Lowe’s reputation after death: “Though I know this road is still some way to go, I can’t help thinking on will I be beloved and celebrated for my masterly climb, or just another bum when it comes to checkout time?”
Then there’s “I Read a Lot,” a devasting ballad about a lost romance. It’s a riveting story, and more MOR than Chuck Berry. The slightly more uptempo “House for Sale” is more of the same, with a little edge: “Take a look inside/this is where love once did reside.”
It’s an impeccable album. Lowe’s voice is still in great shape and his songwriting may be at an emotional high point.
Still, I’ll have to admit I miss the Nick Lowe of “Raging Eyes” and “Half A Boy and Half a Man.” At his peak, Lowe played full-throttle, melodic and irreverent songs that no one could match. Surely there’s still a “So It Goes” in there somewhere.

“The Old Magic:” Free streaming of new Nick Lowe album

 in Americana Music

Nick Lowe’s new album “The Old Magic”  is due out on Sept. 13, which means heightened visibility and promotion. Lowe appeared at both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Grammy Museum, and has done quite a few media appearances, including a guest DJ role on “All Songs Considered.”
Now Yep Roc is offering the chance to stream the new album before it’s released. The catch – and it’s not a big one – is that you have to “like” “The Old Magic” on Facebook. You’ll find the details here.

Nick Lowe at Country Music Hall of Fame

 in Reviews

Nick Lowe at the Country Music Hall of Fame Copyright 2011

Nick Lowe is no longer the “Jesus of Cool” his first album touted, but he still strives to be all things to all people.
In an interview with Michael McCall at the Country Music Hall of Fame this morning, Lowe said his goal as a performer is to be cool enough to attract both young and old.
“You get different generations coming to see you, none of whom are under duress,” Lowe said, noting that the older attendees at Justin Bieber shows aren’t there voluntarily.
Lowe said he’s pleased when people cover his songs (“Nice work if you can get it”), but is disappointed when artists play his songs too faithfully.
He said he was told that George Gershwin hated it when others recast his songs. “He wasn’t really a rock ‘n’ roll guy,” Lowe said.
“I like it when people take liberties,” he told the audience.
Lowe also reminisced about his relationship with Johnny Cash, his father-in-law while married to Carlene Carter. He said he spent an entire drunken eveing writing a song to pitch to Cash.
“At about 4 that morning, I thought I was the great man,” he said.
Carlene was inspired enough by the song to call Johnny to come and hear the song the next morning. Cash did show up, with full entourage in tow.
Lowe recalls that he performed “The Beast in Me” with an awful hangover and a performance to match.
At the end of the song, there was silence. Johnny Cash then said “Play it again.”
“It was even worse the second time,” Lowe recalls.
But something in the song resonated with Cash, who later recorded it to critical acclaim.
Now Lowe performs the song with Cash in mind.
I do it like him,” Lowe said. “I don’t do it like me anymore.”
At the close of his interview, Lowe performed a seven-song set:
1. Stoplight Roses (from the forthcoming “The Old Magic”)
2.Ragin’ Eyes
3.Sensitive Man (also from “The Old Magic”
4.Raining, Raining
5.When I Write the Book
6.What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?
7. The Beast in Me

Nick Lowe at the Country Music Hall of Fame

 in Americana Music

Nick Lowe, a remarkable songwriter and performer who rose to fame as a member of Brinsley Schwarz and as a New Wave artist and producer, will appear at the Country Music Hall of Fame at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20, in an interview setting. It’s a treat to see him in any format, but the Country Music Hall of Fame goes to some lengths to explain why he’s a welcome guest in a country music setting:

British pop legend Nick Lowe could claim legitimate country credentials on the strength of having written “The Beast in Me,” recorded by Johnny Cash for 1994’s American Recordings, and having married Carlene Carter, daughter of Country Music Hall of Fame member Carl Smith and June Carter. That would be enough. But there’s a whole lot more that points to Lowe’s affinity for hillbilly fare: Cash also recorded his “Without Love,” and Lowe’s own recording of “Man That I’ve Become” bows deeply to Cash (and Luther Perkins). Over the years, Lowe’s repertoire has included covers of country pearls from Faron Young, Ray Price, and Charlie Feathers, among others. On The Old Magic, due Sept. 13, Lowe picks off another gem with a cover of Tom T. Hall’s “Shame on the Rain.” Lowe has graciously agreed to visit the museum to talk about his work in a special Songwriters Session that will combine interview and performance.
Lowe’s work spans almost four decades and the quality remains high. His new album “The Old Magic” will be released Sept. 13 and Lowe will be back in Nashville to open for Wilco at the Ryman Auditorium on Oct. 1 and 2.

Reset to Pop: Bill Lloyd’s classic revisited

 in Nashville music, New releases, Reviews

By Ken Paulson

Bill Lloyd’s Set to Pop was a revelation upon its release in 1994, a buoyant and inventive slice of pop in a league with Emitt Rhodes and Nick Lowe’s Jesus of Cool. So it’s great news that Lloyd has chosen to revisit his classic album 20 years on.

Reset 2014 replicates the track list of the original with remakes, live versions and alternate mixes. The album contains some of Lloyd’s best songwriting, particularly the euphoric opener “I Went Electric,” “the mood swing anthem “Trampoline” (written with Greg Trooper) and the yearning “Forget About Us.”

There’s also a new recording of “Channeling the King,” maybe the smartest Elvis tribute ever recorded, and two live versions of “Niagara Falls,” with contributions by Rusty Young, Billy Block, Byron House, Pat Buchanan, Jason White and Jonell Mosser.

If you’re new to Bill Lloyd’s work, Set to Pop is still the place to start, but Lloyd is offering the original in a bundle with the new release on his website. Highly recommended.

Follow Sun209 on Twitter at @Sun209com.

Top singles of 2018 from Americana Music Association

 in Americana Music

 

The annual list of top Americana singles from the Americana Music Association is always revelatory. While the top 10 is populated by a number of usual suspects – John Prine, Brandi Carlile and Chris Stapleton – we wouldn’t have guessed that Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats would have the 2 most-played songs of the year. Rounding out the top 4 were the Record Company and Lake Street Dive.

And no one could have guessed in 1977 that Elvis Costello and his ” My Aim is True” producer would both show up in 2018 on the charts of a not-yet-established genre. Costello is at number 8 with “Unwanted Number” and Lowe is at number 77.

The full chart from the Americana Music Association:

 
Year-End Position Artist Song
1 Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats “You Worry Me”
2 Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats “A Little Honey”
3 The Record Company “Life to Fix”
4 Lake Street Dive “Good Kisser”
5 John Prine “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door”
6 Brandi Carlile “The Joke”
7 Chris Stapleton “Midnight Train to Memphis”
8 Elvis Costello & The Imposters “Unwanted Number”
9 Jade Bird “Lottery”
10 Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real “Fool Me Once”
11 The Wood Brothers “Happiness Jones”
12 Trampled By Turtles “The Middle”
13 Kacey Musgraves “Slow Burn”
14 Margo Price “A Little Pain”
15 Glen Hansard “Roll On Slow”
16 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit “If We Were Vampires”
17 Ashley Monroe “Hands On You”
18 Parker Millsap “Fine Line”
19 First Aid Kit “It’s a Shame”
20 Kelly Willis “Back Being Blue”
21 The Wood Brothers “River Takes the Town”
22 Ry Cooder “Shrinking Man”
23 The Devil Makes Three “Bad Idea”
24 American Aquarium “Tough Folks”
25 Lori McKenna “People Get Old”
26 Rayland Baxter “Casanova”
27 Amanda Shires “Leave It Alone”
28 The War and Treaty “Healing Tide”
29 Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore “Downey to Lubbock”
30 Anderson East “Girlfriend”
31 Willie Nelson “Last Man Standing”
32 Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats “Hey Mama”
33 John Prine “Summer’s End”
34 I’m With Her “I-89”
35 John Hiatt “Cry to Me”
36 Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real “Find Yourself”
37 Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite “Found the One”
38 Jade Bird “Uh Huh”
39 The Revivalists “All My Friends”
40 Shemekia Copeland “Ain’t Got Time for Hate”
41 Blackberry Smoke (feat. Amanda Shires) “Let Me Down Easy”
42 Ryan Adams “Baby I Love You”
43 Lake Street Dive “Shame, Shame, Shame”
44 The Marcus King Band “Homesick”
45 Boz Scaggs “Radiator 110”
46 Chris Stapleton “Millionaire”
47 Rodney Crowell “Shake Your Money Maker”
48 Hiss Golden Messenger “Domino (Time Will Tell)”
49 Paul Cauthen “Resignation”
50 Israel Nash “Rolling On”
51 Willie Nelson “Me and You”
52 Sam Morrow “Quick Fix”
53 Old Crow Medicine Show “Flicker & Shine”
54 Jason Boland & The Stragglers (feat. Sunny Sweeney) “I Don’t Deserve You”
55 Josh Ritter “Feels Like Lightning”
56 Calexico “Under the Wheels”
57 Courtney Marie Andrews “Kindness of Strangers”
58 Mark Knopfler “Good On You Son”
59 Joshua Hedley “Mr. Jukebox”
60 Chris Stapleton “Broken Halos”
61 Leftover Salmon “Show Me Something Higher”
62 Ruston Kelly “Mockingbird”
63 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit “Hope the High Road”
64 Nicki Bluhm “To Rise You Gotta Fall”
65 Jackie Greene “Crazy Comes Easy”
66 I’m With Her “Game to Lose”
67 Cody Jinks “Must Be the Whiskey”
68 Grace Potter “I’d Rather Go Blind”
69 Carolina Story “Lay Your Head Down”
70 Kacey Musgraves “Butterflies”
71 Blackberry Smoke “Best Seat in the House”
72 JD McPherson “On the Lips”
73 The Record Company “Make It Happen”
74 JD McPherson “Lucky Penny”
75 The Jayhawks “Everybody Knows”
76 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings “Matter of Time”
77 Nick Lowe “Tokyo Bay”
78 Birds of Chicago “Roll Away”
79 First Aid Kit “Fireworks”
80 Mike Farris “Snap Your Fingers”
81 Paul Thorn “Love Train”
82 Rosanne Cash “The Walking Wounded”
83 The Band of Heathens “Heaven Help Us All”
84 Brandi Carlile “Hold Out Your Hand”
85 Tommy Emmanuel (feat. Rodney Crowell) “Looking Forward to the Past”
86 Calexico “End of the World with You”
87 Phil Cook “Miles Away”
88 Van William “Revolution”
89 Turnpike Troubadours “Something to Hold On To”
90 The Milk Carton Kids “Big Time”
91 Brent Cobb “King of Alabama”
92 Charley Crockett “Lil’ Girl’s Name”
93 Wade Bowen “So Long 6th Street”
94 Margo Price “Weakness”
95 Kacey Musgraves “Space Cowboy”
96 Steep Canyon Rangers “Out in the Open”
97 JD McPherson “Crying’s Just a Thing You Do”
98 The Black Lillies “Midnight Stranger”
99 Brandi Carlile “The Mother”
100 Dead Horses “On and On”

 

New stuff we like: Twitter edition

 in Americana Music, New releases

Notable new releases:

Delbert McClinton’s 2017 Sandy Beaches Cruise

 in Americana Music, Music Cruise News

By Ken Paulson

Delbert McClinton is the host and ringleader of the Sandy Beaches cruise, opening and closing the week, and playing all over the ship throughout the week.

Delbert McClinton is the host and ringleader of the Sandy Beaches cruise.

We’re looking forward to Delbert McClinton’s 2017 Sandy Beaches Cruise, which begins Jan. 6 in Tampa. There’s a relaxed vibe throughout the week, in contrast to other music cruises that include assigned seats and lines to get into shows.

It’s a great line-up, with Marcia Ball, the Mavericks, Marc Broussard, Fred Eaglesmith, Clay McClinton, the Quebe Sisters, Wayne Toups, Red Young, World Famous Headliners, Teresa James, Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real, Etta Britt, the McCrary Sisters, Big Joe Maher, Lari White, Bob DiPiero, Anson Funderburgh, Bluz House Rockers, Bruce Channel, Danny Flowers, Doyle and Debbie, Gary Nicholson, Jimmy Hall, Kimmie Rhodes, Kree Harrison, Lee Roy Parnell, Mike Zito, Mingo Fishtrap, Sharon Vaughn, Shelley King, the Band of Heathens, Spooner Oldham, the Howlin’ Brothers and Tom  Hambridge .

We’ll have full coverage of the 2017 Sandy Beaches cruise, but here’s our report from 2016.

As Marcia Ball wrapped up her first song to polite applause, she seemed a little nonplussed.

“I thought there was a dance floor here,” she said, as she kicked off Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016. The crowd took the hint, and the rest of the evening – and the week – was one non-stop dance floor.

That sets this music cruise apart from others, where headliners and reserved seats are the norm. The Sandy Beaches crowd listens respectfully, but they move to the music.

That’s probably the influence of McClinton himself, who is a low-key and welcoming presence thoughout the cruise. It’s as though you were invited to Delbert’s house – one with a very large pool – with his musical friends on a Saturday night.

And if this is your first visit to Delbert’s, you won’t feel like a newcomer for long.

“This is your cherry and we’re here to bust it, “ Ball declared, launching into a high-velocity set of rhythm and blues, including the week’s first performance of “Sea Cruise.’ “A lot of nerve, “ she laughed.

“All Night Long” with the Mavericks

Raul Malo of the Mavericks

Raul Malo of the Mavericks

The Mavericks headlined the pool deck stage three times and the energy never flagged. Since reuniting in 2012, the band has been on a roll, culminating in their Grammy nominations for the song “All Night Long” and their Mono album, and being named group of the year in the Americana Music Association awards. When a band with more than two decades of experience hits a new career high, it shows on stage. In their final set of the week, they even played a danceable “Okie from Muskogee.”

 

 The McCrary Sisters Let It Go

The McCrary Sisters delivered their first set on Sunday, appropriately so for this hard-rocking gospel quartet. Regina McCrary spoke of God’s capacity for healing and offered to pray for anyone in need. If you have a burden, you should “Let It Go,” they sang. No, not the song from “Frozen.”

Later in the day, Roger Blevins Jr. and Mingo Fishtrap announced they were going to echo the McCrarys’ advice to “let it go, “though their version would be “more profane.”

It wasn’t all church for the McCrarys . The sisters did the Family Stone proud with an inspired version of “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin.)”

Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016 songwriters

The songwriter sessions were uniformly impressive, giving artists the chance to showcase their writing in an acoustic performance. Sharon Vaughn told the story of how she pitched her classic My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” to Waylon Jennings, who refused to believe she wrote it. Spooner Oldham played songs he co-wrote with Dan Penn, including James and Bobby Purify’s hit “I’m Your Puppet.”

Delbert McClinton joined the songwriters mid-week to showcase songs from a new album due this spring.

The World Famous Headliners

Former NRBQ member Al Anderson has been on the last 18 cruises, but this time he brought his bandmates from the World Famous Headliners . It’s a tongue-in-cheek name, but Anderson, Shawn Camp and Pat McLaughlin make up a potent front three, with stellar guitar work and tight harmonies. The band – deep in writing talent – showcased songs from their new album, including “Hitchike Home,” “The Whoa Whoa Song” and “Fried Chicken,” a song that mashes up Memphis music and the Bee Gees.

The Headliners know no barriers. “We’d like to apologize for these songs,’ McLaughlin told the audience, shortly before Anderson sang “Stick It Where the Sun Don’t Ever Shine.”

The band brings Little Village to mind. That was the storied band featuring Nick Lowe, Ry Cooder, John Hiatt and Jim Keltner, an amazing line-up of players and songwriters that never seemed to gel as a group.

The Headliners gel. They even have their own theme song, which they played at both the beginning and close of their set. “We’re the World Famous Headliners…”

Keb’ Mo’ and the return of Lee Roy Parnell

Among other highlights of  Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016:

Keb’ Mo’ drew big and appreciative crowds poolside with impeccable sets of blues and soul, including his fresh take on the O’Jays’ “Love Train.”

Mingo Fishtrap rallied the audience on the final day, with Blevins Jr. saying that although everyone would have to disembark the next morning, now was the time to “self-lobotomize.” The band then launched into a blistering medley of classic James Brown songs.

Lee Roy Parnell, on the Sandy Beaches Cruise since its inception 22 years ago, was back after a year away. He saluted the late Allen Toussaint with a spirited take on his “Holy Cow.” Lari White joined him for a duet of a song she and Parnell had written, and Etta Britt delivered a powerful “People Get Ready.”

The annual “Pianorama,” with Marcia Ball as ringleader, convened virtually every keyboardist on the cruise for a piano jam. Five players at a time took the stage, trading off parts on songs like “Iko Iko,” “Nothing from Nothing” and Drinkin’ Wine Spo-de-o-dee.”

The Quobe Sisters Band

The Quobe Sisters Band

The Quebe Sisters were a revelation. Their harmonies were gorgeous – in 1940 they would have been the Andrews Sisters –and all three play fiddle beautifully. They draw on a big songbook, but Western Swing is a specialty.

Doyle and Debbie, the lampooning country music revue, doesn’t change and doesn’t need to. It remains fresh and funny.

Alyssa Bonagura was joined onstage by her parents Kathie Baillie and Michael Bonagura, aka “Baillie and the Boys ,” who revisited their musical past, including an impressive “Blue Bayou.” It’s that rare family where the daughter can plug her parents’ CDs at the merch table.

Bruce Channel joined Delbert to perform his big 1962 hit “Hey Baby,” a record on which McClinton played harmonica. I’m sure they’ve performed it together dozens of times, but it’s still a joyous performance.

The Howlin’ Brothers – Ian Craft, JT Huskey and Jared Green impressed audiences with both a reverence for folk, blues and bluegrass classics and their ability to craft new songs that continue the tradition.

Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016

 in Americana Music, Music Cruise News, Nashville music

By Ken Paulson

Marcia Ball

Marcia Ball

As Marcia Ball wrapped up her first song to polite applause, she seemed a little nonplussed.

“I thought there was a dance floor here,” she said, as she kicked off Delbert McClinton’s Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016. The crowd took the hint, and the rest of the evening – and the week – was one non-stop dance floor.

That sets this music cruise apart from others, where headliners and reserved seats are the norm. The Sandy Beaches crowd listens respectfully, but they move to the music.

That’s probably the influence of McClinton himself, who is a low-key and welcoming presence thoughout the cruise. It’s as though you were invited to Delbert’s house – one with a very large pool – with his musical friends on a Saturday night.

And if this is your first visit to Delbert’s, you won’t feel like a newcomer for long.

“This is your cherry and we’re here to bust it, “ Ball declared, launching into a high-velocity set of rhythm and blues, including the week’s first performance of “Sea Cruise.’ “A lot of nerve, “ she laughed.

“All Night Long” with the Mavericks

Raul Malo of the Mavericks

Raul Malo and Jerry Dale McFadden of the Mavericks

The Mavericks headlined the pool deck stage three times and the energy never flagged. Since reuniting in 2012, the band has been on a roll, culminating in their Grammy nominations for the song “All Night Long” and their Mono album, and being named group of the year in the Americana Music Association awards. When a band with more than two decades of experience hits a new career high, it shows on stage. In their final set of the week, they even played a danceable “Okie from Muskogee.”

 

 The McCrary Sisters Let It Go

The McCrary Sisters delivered their first set on Sunday, appropriately so for this hard-rocking gospel quartet. Regina McCrary spoke of God’s capacity for healing and offered to pray for anyone in need. If you have a burden, you should “Let It Go,” they sang. No, not the song from “Frozen.”

Regina McCrary of the McCrary Sisters

Regina McCrary of the McCrary Sisters on Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016

Later in the day, Roger Blevins Jr. and Mingo Fishtrap announced they were going to echo the McCrarys’ advice to “let it go, “though their version would be “more profane.”

It wasn’t all church for the McCrarys . The sisters did the Family Stone proud with an inspired version of “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin.)”

Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016 songwriters

The songwriter sessions were uniformly impressive, giving artists the chance to showcase their writing in an acoustic performance. Sharon Vaughn told the story of how she pitched her classic My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” to Waylon Jennings, who refused to believe she wrote it. Spooner Oldham played songs he co-wrote with Dan Penn, including James and Bobby Purify’s hit “I’m Your Puppet.”

Delbert McClinton joined the songwriters mid-week to showcase songs from a new album due this spring.

The World Famous Headliners

Al Anderson, Shawn Camp and Pat McLaughlin of the World Famous Headliners

Al Anderson, Shawn Camp and Pat McLaughlin of the World Famous Headliners

Former NRBQ member Al Anderson has been on the last 18 cruises, but this time he brought his bandmates from the World Famous Headliners . It’s a tongue-in-cheek name, but Anderson, Shawn Camp and Pat McLaughlin make up a potent front three, with stellar guitar work and tight harmonies. The band – deep in writing talent – showcased songs from their new album, including “Hitchike Home,” “The Whoa Whoa Song” and “Fried Chicken,” a song that mashes up Memphis music and the Bee Gees.

The Headliners know no barriers. “We’d like to apologize for these songs,’ McLaughlin told the audience, shortly before Anderson sang “Stick It Where the Sun Don’t Ever Shine.”

The band brings Little Village to mind. That was the storied band featuring Nick Lowe, Ry Cooder, John Hiatt and Jim Keltner, an amazing line-up of players and songwriters that never seemed to gel as a group.

The Headliners gel. They even have their own theme song, which they played at both the beginning and close of their set. “We’re the World Famous Headliners…”

Keb’ Mo’ and the return of Lee Roy Parnell

Among other highlights of  Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016:

Keb’ Mo’ drew big and appreciative crowds poolside with impeccable sets of blues and soul, including his fresh take on the O’Jays’ “Love Train.”

LeeRoy Parnell

Lee Roy Parnell on Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016

Mingo Fishtrap rallied the audience on the final day, with Blevins Jr. saying that although everyone would have to disembark the next morning, now was the time to “self-lobotomize.” The band then launched into a blistering medley of classic James Brown songs.

Lee Roy Parnell, on the Sandy Beaches Cruise since its inception 22 years ago, was back after a year away. He saluted the late Allen Toussaint with a spirited take on his “Holy Cow.” Lari White joined him for a duet of a song she and Parnell had written, and Etta Britt delivered a powerful “People Get Ready.”

 

The annual “Pianorama,” with Marcia Ball as ringleader, convened virtually every keyboardist on the cruise for a piano jam. Five players at a time took the stage, trading off parts on songs like “Iko Iko,” “Nothing from Nothing” and Drinkin’ Wine Spo-de-o-dee.”

The Quobe Sisters Band

The Quebe Sisters Band

The Quebe Sisters were a revelation. Their harmonies were gorgeous – in 1940 they would have been the Andrews Sisters –and all three play fiddle beautifully. They draw on a big songbook, but Western Swing is a specialty.

Doyle and Debbie, the lampooning country music revue, doesn’t change and doesn’t need to. It remains fresh and funny.

Alyssa Bonagura was joined onstage by her parents Kathie Baillie and Michael Bonagura, aka “Baillie and the Boys ,” who revisited their musical past, including an impressive “Blue Bayou.” It’s that rare family where the daughter can plug her parents’ CDs at the merch table.

Bruce Channel and Delbert McClinton perform "Hey Baby"

Bruce Channel and Delbert McClinton perform “Hey Baby” on Sandy Beaches Cruise 2016.

Bruce Channel joined Delbert to perform his big 1962 hit “Hey Baby,” a record on which McClinton played harmonica. I’m sure they’ve performed it together dozens of times, but it’s still a joyous performance.

The Howlin’ Brothers – Ian Craft, JT Huskey and Jared Green impressed audiences with both a reverence for folk, blues and bluegrass classics and their ability to craft new songs that continue the tradition.

 

(More Sandy Beaches coverage can be found here.)

New releases: Willie Nile, Randall Bramblett, Go Jane Go

 in Americana Music, Reviews

nile2By Ken Paulson

We’ll have what Willie Nile is having.

35 years on, Nile is making some of the most ambitious and rewarding music of his career.

American Ride builds on the spirit of his fine 2011 album The Innocent Ones and its anthemic  “One Guitar.” This time around, the rousing  “This is Our Time” is the opening call-to-arms.

There’s a duality evident throughout the album. Tracks like “Sunrise in New York City” and “There’s No Place Like Home” couple reassuring sentiments to sing-along arrangements. But then there’s “God Laughs,” a striking and irreverent song that will provoke reflection, indignation and laughter, but not from the same people. And in the middle of all this is a sterling cover of Jim Carroll’s “People Who Died.”

American Ride is all over the road, but in a very good way.

hot club

Rendezvous in Rhythm –Hot Club of Cowtown – Gold Strike Records

The Hot Club of Cowtown – Elana James, White Smith and Jake Erwin – has delivered a thoroughly charming collection of jazz standards, with a nod to Left Bank influences. It’s just fiddle, bass, guitar and vocals, intimate and energetic at the same time. Favorite tracks: “Avalon” and “The Continental.”

 Go Jane Go – Dead Reckoning Records

Fans of Kieran Kane, the Dead Recknoers and David Francey are in for a treat with the release of Go Jane Go. This collaboration teaming of Kane, Francey and Lucas Kane grew out a tour of Australia. It’s stripped down and as basic as Americana music comes, delivering strong songs in an intimate setting.

bramblettThe Bright Spots – Randall Bramblett  – New West Records

 Here’s an impeccably soulful album by Randall Bramblett, a storied session musician and former member of Sea Level. He’s also a fine writer and vocalist, bringing to mind Bonnie Raitt and late-period Nick Lowe.  Favorite tracks: “Til the Party’s Gone” and “My Darling One.”

 A Date with the Everly Brothers – The Chapin Sisters – Lake Bottom Records

Cribbing the title of this collection from a classic Everly Brothers LP, the Chapin Sisters deliver faithful covers of some of Don and Phil’s best work.  It’s a fun listen that includes some surprising song selections.

More new releases:

Rule the World – Max Gomez – New West Records

Todd May – Rickenbacker Girls – Peloton Records

Jerry Miller – New Road Under My Wheels – Signature Sounds

Bovine Social Club – Eclipso Records

Steven Casper and Cowboy Angst – Trouble – Silent City Records

Sweeter Songs – Craig Jackson Band – Green Records

No Regrets – Juliet and the Lonesome Romeos – Tree O Records

Gold Boots Glitter – Wheeler Brothers – Bismeaux Records

Blanket of Stars – Glen Eric – Dodu Records

 

Sun209: The week in Tweets

 in Americana Music

Review: World Famous Headliners

 in Americana Music, Americana Music Festival, Reviews

By Ken Paulson
–(The World Famous Headliners will perform at the Americana Music Festival on Sept. 14 at 10 p.m. at the Rutledge in Nashville.)
The World Famous Headliners’ name is tongue-in-cheek, but at the band’s core are some world-class songwriters.
Al Anderson (ex-NRBQ), Shawn Camp, Pat McLaughlin have teamed with the expert rhythm section of Michael Rhodes on bass and Greg Morrow on drums on a debut album that’s all over the map musically and fun throughout.
I suppose the closest parallel was the union of Ry Cooder, John Hiatt and Nick Lowe in Little Village, but these guys are enjoying themselves a lot more.
“Give Your Love to Me” sounds like a lost Dave Edmunds track, “Mamarita” smacks of Little Feat and Levon Helm would have nailed “Ball and Chain.” There’s also some era-hopping here, with the classic country sound of “Heart of Gold” and “Take Me Back” and “Can I,” a bit of garage rock that could have charted in 1967.
The debut album – derivative and original at the same time – will be released on Aug. 21.

Follow Sun209: Americana Music News on Twitter at @sun209com.

Americana music 2011: No Depression’s 50 favorites

 in Americana Music, Reviews

No Depression has released its list of the Top 50 favorite albums of 2011, as voted by its fan community. It’s an interesting mix, with Gillian Welch’s The Harrow and the Harvest at the top, followed by a remarkable range of artists, genres, styles and ages.

Some have complained that it’s a surprisingingly mainstream list for an alt-country site, but that’s the nature of a “favorites” list. Name recognition goes a long way, although we don’t see any names on the list that you can’t make a case for.

Here are the top 25. You’ll find the full list here.

Gillian Welch – The Harrow & the Harvest

The Decemberists – The King Is dead

Wilco – The Whole Love

Lucinda Williams – Blessed

Steve Cropper – Dedicated

Tom Waits – Bad as Me

Dave Alvin – Eleven Eleven

Zoe Muth & The Lost High Rollers – Starlight Hotel

Jason Isbell – Here We Rest

Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire

Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO

Eilen Jewell – Queen of the Minor Key

Drive By Truckers – Go-Go Boots

The Deep Dark Woods – The Place I Left Behind

Jayhawks – Mockingbird

Tedeschi Trucks Band – Revelator

Civil Wars – Barton Hollow

Gregg Allman – Low Country Blues

Buddy Miller – Majestic Silver Strings

Paul Simon – So Beautiful or So What

Sarah Jarosz – Follow Me Down

Nick Lowe – The Old Magic

Ry Cooder – Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down

Blackie & The Rodeo Kings – Kings & Queens

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

Concert review: Elvis Costello at the Ryman Auditorium

 in Reviews

Roy Acuff wouldn’t have approved.

There on the stage of the legendary Ryman Auditorium tonight was a go-go dancer moving to the music of Elvis Costello and the Imposters. The dancer’s cage – and the multi-colored “Spectacular Spinning Songbook” that drove the setlist- contributed to a carnival-like atmosphere and an entertaining and outlandish show.

This was in sharp contrast to Costello’s performance on the same stage in 2008. That was a lethargic show, top-heavy with tracks from the then-current “Momofoku” album.

Tonight the Ryman’s karma must have taken over. Every time the wheel was spun, it turned to classics like “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea,” “Everyday I Write the Book” and “Clubland.”

Audience members were invited onstage to spin the wheel, dance and lounge. One woman bent the rules and requested a song that wasn’t on the wheel. She was rewarded with a striking version of “Almost Blue.”

The show began and ended with high points, book-ended by Nick Lowe songs. Costello opened with two songs from “Get Happy” – “I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down” and “High Fidelity, and then played a driving cover of Lowe’s “Heart of the City.”

The show closed with Lowe’s “What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding” and a cover of the Who’s “Substitute.”

Indoor fireworks indeed.

Buddy Holly at 75

 in Reviews

This day in Americana music: Buddy Holly would have been 75 years old today, and it’s a measure of his impact that there are two new star-filled tribute CDs celebrating his work. “Rave On Buddy Holly,” currently number 23 on the Americana Music Association chart, veers younger with bands like the Black Keys and Florence and the Machine, though Paul McCartney and Nick Lowe contribute as well. As with all tributes, “Rave On” is uneven, with a number of artists losing the spirit of the original as they strive for something transformative.
The new “Listen to Me” is more old-school, with Peter Asher (of Peter and Gordon, who recorded “True Love Ways”) producing and a more senior line-up, including Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne and Ringo Starr, who sounds like he’s having a particularly good time. There’s something to be said for picking performers who thrilled to 100-proof Holly when he was alive and changing the face of American music.

Jonell Mosser: Great Fortune

 in Reviews

Jonell Mosser is one of Nashville’s best vocalists and most vibrant performers – and maybe the most under-recognized.
She’s well-known and loved in Nashville, but has never caught the national break she deserved.
When Ringo Starr, Don Was and Benmont Tench formed a new band in the ’90s called the New Maroons, Jonell was their choice for lead singer. When that band foundered after a Farm Aid show, Jonell’s big break was gone.
Yet she has persevered, delivering soul and rock with passion and purpose. Her live dates are electric, and her albums – particularly “Enough Rope, “Trust Yourself” and the sadly unreleased “Time Will Do the Talkin'” – are thoroughly engaging and powerful.
The new “Fortunes Lost, Fortunes Told” ranks with her best work.
Backed by a terrific band that includes Kevin McKendree, Tom Britt and Craig Krampf, the new album is full of love songs for adults, with all that implies.
“Nicer to Me” is a standout, a gently rocking, confident song that asks for a little more respect: “I know sometimes it’s tough baby, but you could be a litle bit nicer to me.”
“Ordinary Splendor,” is a ballad with a classic sound, written with John and Johnna Hall. It first appeared on her “So Like Joy” and is well worth revisiting.
While most of the tracks were written by Jonell and Tom Britt,the handful of covers are impeccable.
The album’s “single” is “I Can Give You Everything, a hard-charging, riff-laden song written by Al Anderson and Terry Anderson. Mosser has covered Al Anderson before; her “Bang Bang Bang” was wall-rattling rock ‘n’ roll.
Jonell clearly has an affinity for Nick Lowe. Her take on “When I Write the Book” was a highlight of her “Enough Rope” album (and her live show) and here she does a compelling cover of his “Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day.”
Nashville has the good fortune to have Jonell Mosser as an artist in residence, but her talent – and “Fortunes Lost, Fortunes Told” – deserve a much wider audience.

Triumphant “Tomorrow:” Foster and Lloyd Reunite

 in Reviews

I first saw Bill Lloyd on stage at a club in downtown Nashville in 1997. I was impressed with his power pop-flavored set and cover of the Kinks’ “This is Where I Belong.” I figured he was an up-and-comer with impeccable taste in covers.
It wasn’t until later that I learned that he was the Lloyd of Foster and Lloyd, a country duo, once up-and-comers with impeccable taste in everything. Over a four-year run, Foster and Lloyd released three well-received albums with reviews that brought comparisons to the Everly Brothers, Byrds and Rockpile. They were that good.
By 1991, Foster and Lloyd were no more, and Radney Foster and Bill Lloyd embarked on solo careers as performers and songwriters. Since then, there have been occasional one-off reunions. There were two successive New Year’s Eve dates at the Bluebird Café in Nashville, a track on a Nick Lowe tribute CD and a performance of “In the Ghetto” at our annual Freedom Sings salute to free expression.
Then came a benefit for the Americana Music Association, with new material and a delighted audience. That set the stage for “It’s Already Tomorrow,” the first new Foster and Lloyd album in 20 years. It was worth the wait.
Reflecting their individual music growth over the years, the new album is both the most musically adventurous and cohesive of their career. Most likely it’s the liberation of no longer worrying about the country radio market and just letting the music flow. It rocks and charms in equal measure.
The additional years also bring a different perspective to the songwriting. The buoyant title song marvels at the passage of years and celebrates a long relationship: “Two young lovers across the aisle, they make me think of us and I smile.”
Closing out the album is “When I Finally Let You Go,” an acoustic number destined to be the bride’s father’s dance at hip wedding receptions. These and songs like “If It hadn’t Been For You” and “Watch Your Movie” couldn’t have been written or performed by a young Foster and Lloyd.
Not that the sly wordplay of earlier records is gone. “Let Me Help You Out of that Freudian slip” they sing in “Can’t Make Love Make Sense”, while the joking boyfriend in That’s What She said” protests that “I can’t stop my innuendo, that’s one thing she can’t comprendo.”
Tom Petersson of Cheap Trick plays bass and electric guitar on “Hold That Thought,” and is a co-writer of “Lucky Number,” a melodic and rocking song about a confident young woman, with back-up vocals by Beth Nielsen Chapman.
Foster and Lloyd revisit their own “Picasso’s Mandolin,” a co-write with Guy Clark, freshening it with a new verse and a guest turn on mandolin by Sam Bush.
In a bit of whimsy, the CD cover is designed to look like a worn and discolored album jacket. The packaging may be weathered, but the music certainly isn’t. Foster and Lloyd are as fresh and vibrant as ever.

Ken Paulson