Country music or what young people know as Alternative Country or Alt country

[keyse1]

[keyse1]

Rank and file

My first experience with Alejandro Escovedo although I don't think he sings

Another decade or more before a friend of mine started giving me copies of his records

[keyse1]

When is too much country music too much

Never

Not when you are crying into your beer to Loretta Lynn George Jones Merle Johnny and June Hank Emmylou gram Parsons Halway The Stones Steve and Justin Earle Chris Hillman Lucinda Williams Hurray For the Riff Raff The Deslondes Louvin Brothers Kris Kristoferson Bob

But starting with Loretta

[keyse1]

One of the many reasons for loving country music

2 serious songwriters and great singers

An 8 piece band complete with banjo and slide

Americans can sing like this

Australians rare as hens teeth

[keyse1]

The perfect name for a country music record

Cheaters Game

[keyse1]

This is a band that could be in the underated artist thread

Not strictly country music band but this is a cover of a Hank Williams song Lost Highway

It is possible that I like this more than Hank's

Which could be the most flattering thing I have ever said about any band ever

The Blackeyed Susan's singing Lost Highway

[k-k-k-kenny]

Dunno whether they've been mentioned, but the Dandenongs' own Downhills Home produced some VERY fine alt-country music albums 2007-2010 or thereabouts.  I gather that the band is now defunct, and it's a pity.

Shades of Wilco, but finer melodies.

Can be found on Bandcamp, so here's a place to start:

http://seannicholasmcmahon.bandcamp.com/album/downhills-home-the-wolves-in-the-woods

I think Sean McMahon is a mighty good songwriter - and I'm not given to great praise.

 

[keyse1]

Bangalow

Blue sky

Bluegrass

Bar b Que.

Not even old age can ruin a day like this

Can't load pictures

[keyse1]

Got the photos to work

Great day

Probably the best day of the year for me

That band bit hard to see is the Wilson Pickers that includes members of the Gin Club ie Ben Salter playing banjo

Perfect weather under the gumtrees

[Ancientflatulence]

Bloody 'ell, real live moosick .......................... loooxury!!!! .................. you are spoilt .........

[keyse1]

When is too much bluegrass too much

After 5 hours of it live on Saturday?

Listening for a few hours on a Sunday?

None of the above

It takes a live Rolling Stones concert in about 71 to break the spell

[keyse1]

Anybody know any bars or cafes in Melbourne that play country music or what young people call Alt Country

Not live music I know them and will be visiting a couple this week

[Ancientflatulence]

[Ancientflatulence]

Listening to the sublime Gillian Welch

[keyse1]

listening to Charlie Louvin

Steps to Heaven

The right day of the week for it

[keyse1]

Precious Lord, take my hand / lead me on… lead me home†

Charlie Louvin heads home in more than one way on Steps to Heaven.  The Country Hall of Famer returns to his gospel roots while also performing songs that embrace meeting his maker.  The Louvin Brothers, the 1950s-1960s Grand Ole Opry duo, developed a vocal harmony style based on shape note singing learned in church, and made a beautiful mixture of country, gospel, and popular music.  Alt-country fans consider their early-‘60s releases like Satan is Real and A Tribute to the Delmore Brothers cult classics, and Johnny Cash and Gram Parsons placed them on a revered pedestal.  While Ira died in a tragic car accident in 1965, his brother Charlie continued to make records in the late ‘60s, plus last year’s self-titled album.  Steps to Heaven is the first of two albums released this year on Tompkins Square and recorded, mixed, and produced by Mark Nevers (Bonnie “Prince†Billy, Andrew Bird).  The second, Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs, comes out December 9.  Louvin, 80, chose to embrace new musical challenges rather than bask in the success of his glory years. 

Steps to Heaven includes ten traditional gospel pieces, two of which are Louvin Brothers songs.  “I did things on the gospel record I had no idea I could do.  I’d be thinking along the way, ‘How can I do things I’ve never done before?’ And I did it,†Louvin says of recording with the black gospel choir.  The three sisters sing in call-and-response fashion, provide background vocals in harmony intervals like 3rds and 5ths, and borrow the lead from Louvin occasionally.  Journeyman gospel pianist Derrick Lee accompanies the voices in a magnificent minimalist manner, opening the space between singers and instrumentation and lifting the soul of the song to something bigger.  The songs speak of praise (“There’s a Higher Powerâ€), acceptance of life after death (“Where We’ll Never Grow Oldâ€), and the grandfatherly image of God extending his arms to embrace all (“Precious Lord, Take My Handâ€).  All the songs denote ending one chapter of life, and the readiness to move on to the promised land of heaven. 

Lee’s piano accompaniment helps create an ambience of a worship service at the local Baptist church, while the several-part vocal harmonies sound centuries old.  One can almost smell the must from opening a moldy hymnal and see the outlines of a choir in floating robes.  Selections range from hand-clapping, toe-stomping spirituals (“When the Roll is Called Up Yonderâ€) to the Vaudeville-esque “I Feel Like Traveling Onâ€, with its stride piano-playing and Louvin’s relaxed, improvised delivery.  The swinging rhythm of “Traveling On†lends itself to the loose swagger of a normally contained and composed Louvin, perhaps best exemplifying Louvin’s change and challenge.  Whatever part of Louvin that does not sound relaxed and carefree adds to the frailty and vulnerability of his voice.  His slightly wavering vocal cords project his acceptance of death, while his very apparent comfort in the new gospel format implicates his readiness and lack of fear.  He still attempts upper vocal harmonies moving from dissonance to consonance (“Where We’ll Never Grow Oldâ€), recalling his Louvin Brothers Close Harmony days.  

Chris Scruggs contributes upright bass and electric guitar tracks to fill out the sometimes stark sound of the piano.  The toe-tapping “There’s a Higher Powerâ€, for instance, profits from the well-rounded sound of a low-end instrument and crisp, syncopated guitar work.  Sometimes, however, songs achieve a grandiosity with just a fortissimo set of vocals and pounding piano chords.  The closing piece, “I Am Bound for the Promised Landâ€, achieves a humble early-20th century gospel appeal with stripped-down accompaniment and Louvin’s Old One-Hundredth embrace of the next step in life.

[keyse1]

one of my favourite songs 

a recent discovery that has been covered by dozens of people and was played at Jeff Buckley's funeralA satisfied mind

A Satisfied Mind" is a song written by Joe "Red" Hayes and Jack Rhodes. Hayes explained the origin of the song in an interview: "The song came from my mother. Everything in the song are things I heard her say over the years. I put a lot of thought into the song before I came up with the title. One day my father-in-law asked me who I thought the richest man in the world was, and I mentioned some names. He said, 'You're wrong, it is the man with a satisfied mind.'"^[1] The song has been covered by a variety of well-known artists.^[2]

^{this is Eilen Jewell one of the true glories of new country music}

https://youtu.be/dJMZ1bi5g8c

[Ancientflatulence]

Damn .................. I love this album .........................

[keyse1]

As do I

Something to make you green with envy I saw them play in Mullumbimby last year

I'm sure you would like The Deslondes they are also from New Orleans and the same music scene there

And Eilen Jewlell

Neither of whom sound anything like Hurray For The Riff Raff but are of the same quality

So much truly great country music now that I struggle to keep up with

Has to be really special for me to pick up on it

Probably an age thing

[Ancientflatulence]

I have got everything I could find from Eilen, saw her at Bluesfest a couple of years ago, she had the crowd eating out of her hand.

 

I have seen quite a few Deslondes Youtubes and they are on the shopping list for my next spending spree. Strangely after listening to Small Town Heroes, the next album I started playing was Eilen's - Sundown Over Ghost Town.

 

Have you come across Iris Dement - she was most active about 8 years ago, very plaintive & old timey but wrote some beautiful songs, My Town & Easy's Gettin' Harder Every Day being a couple of the best, if you're a bit of a sook like me they'll bring tears to your eyes .................

[metal beat]

Almost Alt country - Lower Plenty - Hard Rubbish. Vinyl.  Just the laid back trick on a lazy Sunday morning with the Melbourne lads

 

 

[keyse1]

This is really really good

Old time country music being recreated for new time country music lovers

Although they probably prefer the term Americana or Alt country

I saw Gillian Welch years ago now in Byron

Could have heard a pin drop while they played

Not an easy atmosphere to create in a pub

Went to see Gillian Welch walked out realising it was Gillian Welch and David Rawlings a serious guitar player a real musical partnership of equals

A serious guitar player that gave new meaning to the phrase string bender

Surprised the strings didn't break

[keyse1]

I have got everything I could find from Eilen, saw her at Bluesfest a couple of years ago, she had the crowd eating out of her hand.

 

I have seen quite a few Deslondes Youtubes and they are on the shopping list for my next spending spree. Strangely after listening to Small Town Heroes, the next album I started playing was Eilen's - Sundown Over Ghost Town.

 

Have you come across Iris Dement - she was most active about 8 years ago, very plaintive & old timey but wrote some beautiful songs, My Town & Easy's Gettin' Harder Every Day being a couple of the best, if you're a bit of a sook like me they'll bring tears to your eyes .................

I was at that Eilen Jewell show at the Blues Fest

Also saw Iris Dement at the Blue Fest years ago when it still had an accent on lesser known bands

She played in Brisbane a few months ago at the Old Museum

There is a great John Prine DVD which feature Iris Dement

[Ancientflatulence]

@@keyse1 Guess who else was in the audience to see Iris at Bluesfest that year ............... I had never heard of her before then ............. :)

 

 

Edit :- Am I just living up to my alias or was Bluesfest a better experience back then, not the artists, just the vibe????

Edited October 13, 2015 by Ancientflatulence

[keyse1]

They always have good to great players

I liked it before when it was at the football field and not as crowded

So a lot of extremely good bands but unfamous so to speak

But they need to make money not a criticism so they have headline artists now

Still a great festival but has changed from fanatics to general music lovers

Next year is the best for ages with The National The Decemberists Steve Earle Sturgill Simpson St Paul and the Broken Bones Jason Isbell and Rhiannon Giddens