Music for the Unwashed and Well-Read…
Every so often a band comes around that really grabs your attention. One that knocks you off your feet. One that captivates you in ways that no others have done. The Gourds, from Austin Texas will do that to you. If the stage is right, things will get rockin’ at a Gourds live show. The band has been bringin the ruckus since the mid 90’s and they always seem to leave you satisfied. I’ve seen them a good 6 times and they never seem to show a lack of energy. I’ve said for years, throughout the hundreds of shows that I have seen live that it is the enthusiasm, not talent, that creates a great live show. Not to say that the Gourds are not talented. They are professional musicians. But it is the energy that gets you hooked. On top of that the Gourds have a huge, growing catalog of great tunes.
It’s funny to me that they are so relatively unknown. The reason for that is probably because they don’t care for the media or landing a big label or selling out Madison Square Garden. If you think you’ve never heard of them, you have. They play the bluegrass cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Gin n Juice” that was conveniently misslabeled by Napster and all other download affiliates as Phish. Those of you that went to college anywhere between 1999 and 2006 know what I’m talking about. Its on every mix tape and had been requested by every frat boy in the nation at every party. But alas, Gourds music runs much deeper than that indeed.
Their musical blend of honky tonk, 70’s country, tex-mex, early rock, soul wrenching party music is definitely some of the finest roots music out there right now. They are the quintissential house party band. They are the band that I would love to play at my wedding. And the people that frequent their events always feel so real, so down to earth, flesh and blood real, that you just want to buy them a drink. I know that anyone that loves the Gourds and attends a gourds show I will like.
They think of their talent as “music for the unwashed and well-read”. A statement that only deepens my love for the band. There is something so unforced about their music. It might seem sloppy at first, but listen further, listen deeper, and you will find wonderful interpretations of the english language, and you’ll see that every pause, every note, every yodel, every distinct harmonic pleasure is there for a reason. Listen and you’ll find that these guys are really, really good. The lineup of Kevin “Shinyribs” Russell (vocals, mandolin, guitars, harmonica), Jimmy Smith (vocals, bass, percussion, guitars, sound effects), Claude Bernard (accordion, keys, backing vocals:, Max Johnston (fiddle, lap steel, banjo, acoustic guitar, resonator slide, mandolin, vocals), and Keith Langford (drums, harmonica, vocals) will never disappoint. Kevin and Jimmy trade lyrical and vocal duties on stage and on every album, with rarely a bias toward either. The question is are you a Kevin or Jimmy fan. Every Gourds fan, whether they like it or not, leans one way or the other. Even if it is ever so slightly.
Its hard to put a label on Gourds music. It all feels so vibrant and flowing. No single review can put a label on it. Kevin had this to say about it:
“I am always making up strange, poetical strains to foster contemplation and understanding of what we are and what we do – Rag and Bone Pawn Shop Jalopy, Well Read Neck Rock, Surreal Stomp and Soul, Texas Song Ghetto Tonk. Alas, it is a fool’s gambit. The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principal comes into play here, where reality changes as we observe it closer. If one focuses on one aspect of what we do that aspect begins to turn into another layer that may or may not fit neatly next to it. We are full of contradictions and superstitions and conflicts of culture and time. We love to mix all of the music, literature, pop culture and history we love into this bedlam’s junk drawer. Maybe that is a term we could use right now for us – “Junk Drawer Sound.”
Its not hard to tell why Kevin is the poetical genius that he is.
“We have always explored the English language and taken chances with it. Why play it safe? We did not dream of being Hallmark card writers or journalists or copy editors for owner’s manuals. We are not interested in sophomoric confessionals. We avoid Sylvia Plath like the plague. Understand? We are ashamed of Nashville, embarrassed for Billboard Top 40 – so much crap churned out by the money creeps. A wall of mediocrity and emotional shallowness is washed down on the heads of people who just want a song to listen or dance to. But, it could be done so much better, more thoughtful and intelligent. Of course we indulge in the hedonistic pulse on occasion. We are not tea sippers or prudish tight asses. That is not what I am saying here; I am saying very much the opposite. Beyoncé may seem provocative in her image. Musically and lyrically though she is highly conservative and safe. She takes no chances; she does not look even once for a second into her shadow. She is all well lit, sparkly, pretty, sex without the animal instincts, music with no place for the new brain, eh? She is fake and we all know it, but damn, she is so beautiful and shaking that ass, who cares, right? That is where the mainstream has gone. We work to present some alternative to that for some who appreciate it, and as much for ourselves as anyone, really.”
I will see the Gourds anytime they come my way. I own all their albums and plan on traveling to see them in Austin sometime soon. The Gourds have ensured that their witty and reference laden country rock will turn legend as they grow old. So buy their albums, go see a show, and find out what real, broadminded, American rock sounds like.
Rock Lives
I am so grateful that there are still bands like The Black Crowes. I love the fact that they stay true to their devotion to rock and roll roots. Seasoned vets to the rock stage that they are, the Crowes have taken revitalizing reunions to the next level.
Following the release of a year ago, Warpaint, which welcomed the addition of North Mississippi Allstars founder Luther Dickinson on guitar, the Black Crowes hit us again with a killer new record. What makes the raw, gritty, energetic, earthy album great is the recording process. The band chose to record before a live audience in Levon Helm’s barn in upstate new york. What this album does is rejuvinate and recreate 60’s and 70’s style rock and roll….while at the same time growing into this generations’ musical renaissance.
The new album is called Before the Frost…Until the Freeze, and was fittingly released on Sept 1. It is so cool, it even goes so far to recreate the album covers and inserts as its vinyl predecessors. Even the CD itself looks like a vinyl 45. Though these days most get off on the ease of buying mp3’s off itunes and other various medias, there’s something to be said about a CD and its album artwork.
I love it. My hats off to the Black Crowes and this spectacular new album. Well played.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals @ the Higher Ground, Burlington VT 12.27.09
She is: Part show dancer, part soul-rocker, part rock diva, part badass blues godess. Countless times from the raucous Vermont crowd excited young men gleamed, “You’re hot!” And for good reason. She’s pretty easy on the eyes, lets put it that way. “Sexy” was probably the word being repeated by men and women alike on this cold, wintery Sunday evening in Vermont’s Northwest corner. At first glance, its not hard to see why she’s been on my mind since sunday. She has become an infatuation (This is evident by the pics i have included below).
She’s also been every Vermonter’s golden girl for over 5 years now and for this homecoming, there was something special in the air. On the second of a 4 day extravaganza at Burlington’s famous Higher Ground, with the last show culminating at a highly anticipated New Years Eve show, the signs were evident. The sexy, sultry, 24 year old native of Waitsfield, Vermont was most definately having a ball. And so were the Nocturnals.
Its clear that they feed off of each other. At one point all 5 band members were headbanging simultaneously, which was a sight to behold. The set flowed through with some old and of course some new tunes. “Stop the bus and turn the radio up high….grab the first guitar you see”, roll the lyrics of one of the new rockin numbers, “Stop the Bus”. And that’s just what you’ll want to do when you hear it. The band definately turned out some rockin grooves. And Grace loves to manifest her diversity as a musician. She plays equal parts lead singer, rhythm acoustic and electric guitar, and hammond B3 organ. And she plays them well…..At least the keys. As for the guitar she really just plays a lot of open tunings and a couple of chords. But who really cares. They rock. And its not hard to see why.
She and the Nocturnals have been turning out thier whisky and cigarettes-style rock and roll and are catapulting to national fame. Thier most recent album, “This is Somewhere”, a title that most likely alludes to Neil Youngs first album, “Everyone Knows This is Nowhere”, is thier first on a major label. (They signed with Hollywood Records and released This is Somewhere in August). Neil Young is just one of the many influences of the band that you can gather by simply tuning in to thier most recent or previous two albums. The band has also been known to play a righteous cover of Young’s “Cortez the Killer”. (You can find it at a great website www.thisissomewhere.com). Those influences are deeply rooted, but close to the surface. Grace states “Inspiration comes from different places… I listen to the way Aretha played the piano, and it’s almost like I never try to play like anybody but [rather] I try to play as if I was on stage playing with them.”
That’s just straight cool.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals stay true to thier down home roots. She sings and carries herself with a character and, shall I say, grace, that is infectious and inspiring. If you ask me, there is nothing cooler than a sexy, rockin woman, that can hit the organ like no other and sing like a blues godess. Rock on.
Mix Tapes Revisited
Its been a long time my friends. Good to be back and in The Groove! It seems to be time to pop back in and post something. Thought I’d start on the subject of mix tapes (that’s right, i said mixed tapes). You know what i mean; although these days mix cd’s are more the outfit of choice . I guess you could give an Ipod playlist to someone but it really doesnt have that same type of homegrown, grassroots, earthy feel to it. The act of giving or recieving a hard copy compact disc or tape in your hand, one that has actually been intensely thought about, (not just a random assortment of click and select songs A through F) is one of my favorite pasttimes. Giving one is truly an art form.
I just gave a mix cd to a friend of mine and i have to say, the time i spent mixing, preparing, searching, and digging deep into my collection for the right songs was a truly invigorating process.
Music, to me has always been a revitalizer of sorts. Whenever I need a change or just rejuvenation, I can always search out some new or old songs or albums to ignite my interest and stimulate my imagination. And creating a mix tape, CD, whatever, always seems to compell one to revisit some great old gems.
So I urge everyone to take a look back through your cd’s, tapes, records, music files, whatever you have and dive in. there are some great old, new, revisited albums out there. Dust off the one that you haven’t played in years. You might even find some old mix tapes. Its amazing that a single song, album, band, even a few short notes can send you to a different time or place all together. Consider this post your time machine. You can call me Doc Brown.
“They found me. I don’t know how but they found me…….Who do you think? The Libyans! Run for it Marty!”
They’re Back
I gotta say, I’m impressed. The good old boys from Vermont just completed thier monstrous 3 night reunion in Hampton, Va. The event , 3 sold out shows left many fans more than elated. After proclaiming “We’re done” in 2004 after a farewell festival in Coventry, VT for 65,000, they were back. And back with a vengance. We all knew they would be. I think its great that now they are looking for a 2 phase to thier career as the pioneering jam band with Trey even proclaiming backstage that “they are trying to create a formula to keep playing for a long time.” They also have studio time booked to begin working on a new album.
In addition, for the Allman’s 40th anniversary run at the Beacon last night, Page and Trey appeared to lend their musical sound to the classics Southbound, I Know You Rider, and Elizabeth Reed.
So here’s a little taste of what went down this past weekend, and probably a taste of whats to come on this tour. Light one up, sit back, and enjoy. They are definitely back.
Check it:
2001
Moma Dance