Went to see the San Francisco Band Eight Belles in May at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. On the bill was Rin Tin Tiger.
Hadn't seen either band, but have admired Jessie Phillips' music and voice for some time now.
RTT was a fusion of punk and country/folk. Maybe you'd call it cowpunk, I don't know. But it was a great set. The bassist is killer; songs all have great hooks, so kudos to Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan was singing one song and a drunk fan stumbled toward the mic and knocked it into his face and he bled a little. He commented from the stage that "you know its a real show when you bleed." I talked to him for a second off stage and he said that he felt lucky the mic didn't hit him in the mouth and knock out his teeth. I said the Plough should put up chicken wire.
As for Eight Belles...well, that's a band that appears casual but is well rehearsed and tight as hell. As the set wore on, Ms. Phillips' voice got better and better. I also personally really like the guitar playing of Henry Nagle, whose use of voicings, choice licks and fills and melodic leads perfectly accentuate EBs melodic focus.
EBs rhythym section was also amazing. The bassist was another creative and skilled sideman. His singing was stellar and complimented Ms. Phillips' voice perfectly.
Ms. Phillips' is obviously hypercreative, appears moody at times, but also very much appreciates her audience and expresses that on stage. Her latest record -- Girls Underground -- is one of my favorites of late. I love the song Nolchi, which she chose not to include in her set at Starry, but it didn't matter. Her talent is radiant, glorious, entertaining, and most of all (most of all), my ear never got tired or bored.
I'd see Eight Belles anywhere anytime. And if RTT was with them...I wouldn't complain!
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When it comes to mid-west rock with a white-trash / trucker twist, these guys still make me damn happy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqHYylnwd8Y
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I've never done a review of another band; well, I've made recommendations, but not ever taken the time to write a word -- until now. But today I found a band that I'm smitten by. It's Sarah Shook & The Devil from North Carolina. This woman produces dark little song-stories (and covers) with polished and believable lyrics told against a backdrop of the most noir-ish and authentic Appalachian/country sound I've ever heard. On the recorded songs, man, all those minor chords (check out "Outlaw") with really tasteful lapsteel and Gretsch guitars layered over deceptively casual acoustic strumming and anchored by a perfect bass/drum pulse...the tone, my friends, the tone is like a rich dessert! This band's music makes me daydream of smoky mountains inhabited by pretty barefoot girls in overalls, cutoffs or gingham dresses on Sundays. Give 'em a listen y'all. You'll be glad you did.
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Been listening to a lot of Canadian alt.country and indie rock. I'd forgotten about the Saddletramps, The Tragically Hip, Sarah Harmer, etc. "Locked in the Trunk of a Car" is a great song by The Hip. Just great, hard-driving rock n' roll with amazing tone and texture. Saddle Tramps have the sleeze and bathroom humor with songs titled: "Bulge in Satan's Pants" and "Fortune Cookie Nookie" "Cotton Pony Express" - you get the picture. You gotta love Canada. The Guess Who, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Kathleen Edwards, Freddie Neil, Randy and Tal Bachman, Buddy Cage, Bruce Cockburn, Rick Danko, Luke friggin' Doucet, Ofra Hornoy...I could go on and on. I'd love to just cross the border into Vancouver and play a club or two...the nation is a musical treasure chest.
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Oildale is located on the northern side of Bakersfield, CA estimated 6 sq miles. Roughly East of Airport Drive, West of Manor Street, South of James Road, and North of Columbus.
Shopping is limited to a strip mall on Airport Drive, and a Vons shopping center on China Grade Loop.
School districts include Beardsley and Standard school districts, both of whom have sub-par, underpaid staff who actually care about elevating the intelligence of humanity - otherwise they'd go somewhere else.
Typical ethnicity make-up is about 90% white trash, 5% hispanic, & 5% other random minorities, most of whom work in the oilfields, hence the name "Oildale".
Beardsley Street was the criminal heart of Oildale - drug dealers, arms traffickers, racist gangs such as the "Beardsley Street Krew" BSK and the "Nazi LowRidaz" NLR, and plenty of sex offenders to boot.
Due to increased Kern County Sheriff activity in Oildale, crime rates have dropped significantly, but is still considered the 2nd highest crime rate in all of Bakersfield, second only to the Cottonwood area on the East side of town. This is partially due to the fact that the cost of housing is roughly 60% of the median housing cost in Bakersfield - as such, many low income (criminally prone) individuals are forced to live in the communit...
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There's a great new scene happening in Los Angeles. It was started by a band called Mariachi El Bronx. This band used to be a PUNK outfit called simply The Bronx. They still thrash about under that name, but they developed this great alter ego band called Mariachi El Bronx and my friends, it's THE most creative thing I've seen in a long time. These punks obviously went to Olvera Street on field trips as kids and ate in the great Mexican restaurants of LA like I did. There is another, slightly more traditional Mexican band from Los Angeles that also caught my eye called La Santa Cecilia. This one is female fronted. They are creating what they call a "Pan-Latin aesthetic" that I think is just brilliant. I urge everyone to check this music out...you will NOT be disappointed. You can find them at www.mariachielbronx.com and www.lasantacecelia.com. I'm smitten!
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Just a quick comment on the death of Doc Watson. The first travis pic song I learned was his version of Deep River Blues and I still play it to warm up if I'm doing finger picking songs. I saw Doc on TV a few weeks ago and he was definitely not up to snuff anymore. I felt for him, struggling to play the licks that used to come second nature. I'll miss Doc. He was the epitome of Americana and mountain music.
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Hey all...I've almost got a band/collective together and it's looking really good and sounding even better. Besides yours truly, we have Chuck Guest on guitar and vox; Jody Clarke on pedal steel and other instruments; Noah Solomon on bass and vox; and, with a little luck, Chelsea Coleman (a great songwriter - we love "Let there be Dark."). We're auditioning a drummer or two and we'll be practicing weekly for a couple of months. Then, it's up to me to get us gigs which won't be difficult (at least in some of the sticker dives of the Bay Area).
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Hey all...Oildale is gearing up to become a real band. If anyone who shares our bad habit of playing urban twang is out there in ReverbNationLand this is your invitation to look into our collective. We need a rhythm section and embellishers...lap, pedal, fiddle, etc. If you have talent and a love for low brow Americana, we're interested in you!
Reply
So, last week I went to Slim's in San Francisco to see First Aid Kit. The show was great. The two young Soderberg sisters sing and perform like old pros. Their between song banter left much to be desired, but hey, they are like 19 or 20 years old, so the bar is low. But there are a few other things about their marketing that bother me: for instance, they say they are from Sweden but have NO accents. When my buddy and I approached the merch table to get a closer look and ask a couple of questions, they were greeting everyone with really blank stares, (except when a photo was taken for which they quickly posed like supermodels). Next, when I asked them about the American country music and folk scene in Skandinavia, they didn't know if there were any. I know there is by the number of blogs and sites I have found in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. This all leads me to believe that as far as marketing goes, they are possible frauds. They probably were born and raised in Orange County. Whatever, I enjoyed the music so who cares if they have any integrity, right?
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Oildale / Blog
Review of Eight Belles and Rin Tin Tiger at Starry Plough
Went to see the San Francisco Band Eight Belles in May at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. On the bill was Rin Tin Tiger. Hadn't seen either band, but have admired Jessie Phillips' music and voice for some time now. RTT was a fusion of punk and country/folk. Maybe you'd call it cowpunk, I don't know. But it was a great set. The bassist is killer; songs all have great hooks, so kudos to Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan was singing one song and a drunk fan stumbled toward the mic and knocked it into his face and he bled a little. He commented from the stage that "you know its a real show when you bleed." I talked to him for a second off stage and he said that he felt lucky the mic didn't hit him in the mouth and knock out his teeth. I said the Plough should put up chicken wire. As for Eight Belles...well, that's a band that appears casual but is well rehearsed and tight as hell. As the set wore on, Ms. Phillips' voice got better and better. I also personally really like the guitar playing of Henry Nagle, whose use of voicings, choice licks and fills and melodic leads perfectly accentuate EBs melodic focus. EBs rhythym section was also amazing. The bassist was another creative and skilled sideman. His singing was stellar and complimented Ms. Phillips' voice perfectly. Ms. Phillips' is obviously hypercreative, appears moody at times, but also very much appreciates her audience and expresses that on stage. Her latest record -- Girls Underground -- is one of my favorites of late. I love the song Nolchi, which she chose not to include in her set at Starry, but it didn't matter. Her talent is radiant, glorious, entertaining, and most of all (most of all), my ear never got tired or bored. I'd see Eight Belles anywhere anytime. And if RTT was with them...I wouldn't complain!
Reply
Still love Slobberbone
When it comes to mid-west rock with a white-trash / trucker twist, these guys still make me damn happy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqHYylnwd8Y
Reply
Sarah Shook & The Devil
I've never done a review of another band; well, I've made recommendations, but not ever taken the time to write a word -- until now. But today I found a band that I'm smitten by. It's Sarah Shook & The Devil from North Carolina. This woman produces dark little song-stories (and covers) with polished and believable lyrics told against a backdrop of the most noir-ish and authentic Appalachian/country sound I've ever heard. On the recorded songs, man, all those minor chords (check out "Outlaw") with really tasteful lapsteel and Gretsch guitars layered over deceptively casual acoustic strumming and anchored by a perfect bass/drum pulse...the tone, my friends, the tone is like a rich dessert! This band's music makes me daydream of smoky mountains inhabited by pretty barefoot girls in overalls, cutoffs or gingham dresses on Sundays. Give 'em a listen y'all. You'll be glad you did.
Reply
Oh Canada!
Been listening to a lot of Canadian alt.country and indie rock. I'd forgotten about the Saddletramps, The Tragically Hip, Sarah Harmer, etc. "Locked in the Trunk of a Car" is a great song by The Hip. Just great, hard-driving rock n' roll with amazing tone and texture. Saddle Tramps have the sleeze and bathroom humor with songs titled: "Bulge in Satan's Pants" and "Fortune Cookie Nookie" "Cotton Pony Express" - you get the picture. You gotta love Canada. The Guess Who, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Kathleen Edwards, Freddie Neil, Randy and Tal Bachman, Buddy Cage, Bruce Cockburn, Rick Danko, Luke friggin' Doucet, Ofra Hornoy...I could go on and on. I'd love to just cross the border into Vancouver and play a club or two...the nation is a musical treasure chest.
Reply
More about Oildale from the Urban Dictionary
Oildale is located on the northern side of Bakersfield, CA estimated 6 sq miles. Roughly East of Airport Drive, West of Manor Street, South of James Road, and North of Columbus. Shopping is limited to a strip mall on Airport Drive, and a Vons shopping center on China Grade Loop. School districts include Beardsley and Standard school districts, both of whom have sub-par, underpaid staff who actually care about elevating the intelligence of humanity - otherwise they'd go somewhere else. Typical ethnicity make-up is about 90% white trash, 5% hispanic, & 5% other random minorities, most of whom work in the oilfields, hence the name "Oildale". Beardsley Street was the criminal heart of Oildale - drug dealers, arms traffickers, racist gangs such as the "Beardsley Street Krew" BSK and the "Nazi LowRidaz" NLR, and plenty of sex offenders to boot. Due to increased Kern County Sheriff activity in Oildale, crime rates have dropped significantly, but is still considered the 2nd highest crime rate in all of Bakersfield, second only to the Cottonwood area on the East side of town. This is partially due to the fact that the cost of housing is roughly 60% of the median housing cost in Bakersfield - as such, many low income (criminally prone) individuals are forced to live in the communit...
Reply
Mariachi El Bronx
There's a great new scene happening in Los Angeles. It was started by a band called Mariachi El Bronx. This band used to be a PUNK outfit called simply The Bronx. They still thrash about under that name, but they developed this great alter ego band called Mariachi El Bronx and my friends, it's THE most creative thing I've seen in a long time. These punks obviously went to Olvera Street on field trips as kids and ate in the great Mexican restaurants of LA like I did. There is another, slightly more traditional Mexican band from Los Angeles that also caught my eye called La Santa Cecilia. This one is female fronted. They are creating what they call a "Pan-Latin aesthetic" that I think is just brilliant. I urge everyone to check this music out...you will NOT be disappointed. You can find them at www.mariachielbronx.com and www.lasantacecelia.com. I'm smitten!
Reply
Doc Watson
Just a quick comment on the death of Doc Watson. The first travis pic song I learned was his version of Deep River Blues and I still play it to warm up if I'm doing finger picking songs. I saw Doc on TV a few weeks ago and he was definitely not up to snuff anymore. I felt for him, struggling to play the licks that used to come second nature. I'll miss Doc. He was the epitome of Americana and mountain music.
Reply
Oildale builds a band
Hey all...I've almost got a band/collective together and it's looking really good and sounding even better. Besides yours truly, we have Chuck Guest on guitar and vox; Jody Clarke on pedal steel and other instruments; Noah Solomon on bass and vox; and, with a little luck, Chelsea Coleman (a great songwriter - we love "Let there be Dark."). We're auditioning a drummer or two and we'll be practicing weekly for a couple of months. Then, it's up to me to get us gigs which won't be difficult (at least in some of the sticker dives of the Bay Area).
Reply
Twangers, come forth!
Hey all...Oildale is gearing up to become a real band. If anyone who shares our bad habit of playing urban twang is out there in ReverbNationLand this is your invitation to look into our collective. We need a rhythm section and embellishers...lap, pedal, fiddle, etc. If you have talent and a love for low brow Americana, we're interested in you!
Reply
Review of First Aid Kit - Slim's San Francisco, April 18, 2012
So, last week I went to Slim's in San Francisco to see First Aid Kit. The show was great. The two young Soderberg sisters sing and perform like old pros. Their between song banter left much to be desired, but hey, they are like 19 or 20 years old, so the bar is low. But there are a few other things about their marketing that bother me: for instance, they say they are from Sweden but have NO accents. When my buddy and I approached the merch table to get a closer look and ask a couple of questions, they were greeting everyone with really blank stares, (except when a photo was taken for which they quickly posed like supermodels). Next, when I asked them about the American country music and folk scene in Skandinavia, they didn't know if there were any. I know there is by the number of blogs and sites I have found in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. This all leads me to believe that as far as marketing goes, they are possible frauds. They probably were born and raised in Orange County. Whatever, I enjoyed the music so who cares if they have any integrity, right?
Reply