2010 – A Great Year for Music

I was talking to one of my friends down at Looney Tunes the other day and I was saying what a good year it was for music, maybe not the popular hit crap, but music in general.  John went so far as to say that the past few years have made the past decade one of the best ever.  Being an Oldrockr from back in the day I don’t know if I can go that far, but these past years have seen some great music being released, predominantly by independent labels and artists.

I love putting together these year end lists.  Like any true music geek I am constantly arranging lists in my mind.  Those characters in Hi Fidelity are just composites of all of us and our idiosyncrasies.  We organize and we make lists.  So here goes my year end Best of 2010 list.  These are in no particular order but all have become staples on the turntable or in my iPod.  Sorry record labels I don’t even want CD’s anymore.  So for better or worse  here we go….

Joe Pug – Messenger
A great album of modern folk by one of the up and coming young singer songwriters.  He reminds me a bit of Bob Dylan in the vocal department but there are worse comparisons that one can make. I’ve been playing this quite often lately   Not So Sure, The Sharpest Crown and Bury Me Far (From My Uniform) are several standouts among many.

Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Young English guys pick up assorted Americana instruments and make a great big wonderful sound. The album sounds so familiar and at the same time fresh and exciting.  Little Lion Man may be the “hit” but the rest of the album, especially Caves, is just as good.  Banjos, mandolins, and acoustic guitars haven’t sounded this good in years.

The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
The older I get the more bored I am by the Rock & Roll that is being released.  These boys from Jersey have made a classic.  A great album to crank up in the car from start to finish.  I hear the Springsteen influences (a good thing) but this is so much more.  I can’t recommend it enough.

Mat D. – Plank Road Drag
The internet has become the place for me to find new music.  I saw a video of Mat D singing Forty Watt Moon (one of favorite songs of the year) on another blog and immediately tracked down this album.  I think it was $1.88 on Aimie Street (I miss this site) and I would easily pay 10 times that.  A great, great record.

The SteelDrivers – Reckless

This is not only the best bluegrass release of 2010, it might be the best album of the year.  You can check my review out here.

The Fox Hunt – Long Way To Go
The Infamous Stringdusters – Things That Fly
Modern bluegrass has stretched the genre far beyond the traditional sounds.  This may piss off the traditionalists but it works so well for me.  I hope to see both of these acts at Grey Fox in July!

Otis Gibbs – Joe Hill’s Ashes
For the second year in a row Otis Gibbs lands on my year end best of list.  Think Billy Bragg if he came from the midwest.

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – I Learned The Hard Way
Real soul music that sounds just like it should.  A fine update for a genre that doesn’t often fire me up.  This one does.

Randy Rogers Band – Burning the Day
The best country music isn’t coming out of Nashville folks.  Texas is a might fine place to start looking for some quality country and the Randy Rogers Band delivers the goods once again.

Peter Wolf – Midnight Souvenirs
If this was only a 45 with the excellent Tragedy (featuring Shelby Lynne) it would be on this list.  Lucky for you and me it is so much more than that.  An excellent album by an oft overlooked talent.

Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
Working with alt-country pioneer and Wilco front man Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples makes on of the best recordings of her career.  A unique voice and true talent.

Black Country Communion – Black Country Communion
All the excess of the 70′s hard rock scene which in this case is a good thing.  Killer guitars, pounding drums and some great vocals.  I hate me for liking it but I can’t help myself.

Kid Rock – Born Free
Kid Rock finally ditches his old persona and releases his inner Bob Seger.  Pure 70′s retro good time music.  I love it.  Hipsters need not apply.  As for me I’ll be playing this one all summer long…

Bruce Springsteen – The Promise
Bruce released the right album in 1978.  Darkness on the Edge of Town is his best work.  Period.  That said most artists would kill to release this much good music in the career.  And these are leftovers!  Buy the box set, it’s worth it.

Best release of new versions of old songs:  The Black Crowes – Croweology
Best Concert: Sam Bush (BB Kings) and The Subdudes (BB Kings) a tie!
Best Box Set:  Bruce Springsteen – The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story
Best Reissue:  The Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street

Here’s to a Happy and Healthy 2011 that brings us all more great music!

Poor Man’s Poison

Originally published on Too Old To Rock & Roll…Too Young To Die back in September. This one gets better with each and every listen. Tell Karl Jr. or Jamie to get you one of these if you are a fan of any type of Americana music…

Poor Man’s Poison are a group of musical friends from California.  They play acoustic music on traditional bluegrass instruments but this is far from traditional sounding.  You get all kinds of influences from folk to reggae in their style.  Think of perhaps Jack Johnson having grown up in Appalachia instead of Hawaii.  I mean this in a really good way.  There is a sweet, laid-back vibe to this record.  Tight harmonies and great playing infuse the songs with such a good feeling.

You can hear their influences throughout the album, proudly worn on their sleeves.  Walkin’ owes more than a small debt to Bob Marley, go figure that reggae-bluegrass works and works well.  The lead track At The Winds Will is a standout that pretty much sums up the many talents of this band:  good songs with great harmonies played extremely well.  Slow Down is another track I really liked.  The advice of the band to stop and smell the roses is driven home by a tune that just gets you to downshift a little and catch your breath.  Greedy Man switches things up and is an indictment of our less than charitable sides.  The only miss for me was Christmas Beers which must come off great live but sees to me to be a bit of a throw away.

As the summer ends and we all head back to work or school you would do yourself a solid if you grab this one.  I have a feeling I will be playing it quite a bit.   I suggest that you do.

Mat D.

Just found this over at TwangNation. Talk about right in my wheelhouse. All kinds of good.

I am gonna grab the new CD “Plank Road Drag” and give it a few spins. I’ll let you know.

Willie Nelson and Levon Helm at Radio City Music Hall (July 28, 2010)

Two albums that were big influences on how I looked at and appreciated different music were The Band’s “The Last Waltz” and Willie Nelson & Family “Live”. Way back in the mid 70′s I was the typical 14 year old…a card carrying member of the KISS Army. Then around 1977 at the ripe old age of 15 things changed. Bye-bye theatrics, hello music.

I’ve seen Willie a bunch of times over the years (more on him in a bit) but I was too young to ever see the Band. The Last Waltz was my entry into something more varied, more mature, more…special. I remember watching it over and over on HBO at one point. I bought the triple album set and played it incessantly. Then I began to branch out. First with Music from Big Pink and The Band, then Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, Paul Butterfield, and Van Morrison. Off I went and I have never looked back. The music of the Band will always hold a special place in my heart.

I have loved Levon’s two most recent albums. In fact my son went nuts for Electric Dirt. When the needle drops on his version of Tennessee Jed the whole house seems to smile at once. It was so great to hear that voice, older and more rough as a result of his bout with throat cancer, but no less engaging. You can almost feel the south pouring out of him as he sings. Levon has had a rough time with his throat of late (no cancer thank God) and he doesn’t get to sing as much but when he does it is no less wonderful. Rough, scratchy, but pure Levon. The rest of the band is excellent including his daughter Amy (from Ollabelle) and Larry Campbell. Last night we also got Donald Fagen who took lead on King Harvest. Great set, great songs. I am looking forward to a Midnight Ramble in the near future. Oh yeah, Levon and Larry on Tennessee Jed was a hoot.

Willie Nelson is a national treasure in the vein of Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley at this point. At once instantly recognizable and familiar. At the same time he takes those songs and always slightly re-works them in the Willie Way. A short set but hey he is pushing 80! The band is small now just sister Bobbi on piano, Mickey Raphael on harp, Bee Spears on Base and the brothers English switching off on drums (Paul recently had a stroke). It’s calmer than back in the 70′s but no less engaging. Willie sounds great and can still play that old beat up Martin.

All told, a great night of music. It’s a sad commentary on much of today’s music that the old guard still can teach the new kids a thing or two. Thanks Willie & Levon, for everything.

Lucero – 1372 Overton Park

Band: Lucero

Album: 1372 Overton Park
Label: Republic Records
Release Date: 10/06/2009
By OldRockr

$9.99

I know I am getting old.  I am the OldRockr afterall but I am not the DeadRockr.  I still wanna rock sometimes.  The problem is finding great new rock bands.  There are lots of newer Warp Tour bands but they hold no appeal for me.  I need a little rougher.  There really is nothing pretty about Rock & Roll, at least to me.

There is great new rock music out there, you just have to look for it.  Places like Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Indiana, Ohio and even NYC are homes to some great rock & roll.  And not just the whiny my girlfriend broke up with me 18 is so hard bullshit.  I am talking beer drinking, sleazy, no chance you will ever find me on American Idol Rock & Roll.

One band you need to check out is Lucero.  These guys have been around a while and are the band you have been missing.  Think Springseen if he grew up in Memphis drinking too much and listening to the Clash instead of Roy Orbison.  Their newest release is their first on a major, but don’t let that fool you.  This record reeks of good old fashioned rock & roll.  It’s right up there with my other favorite from 2009 (the totally different but truly amazing Electric Dirt by Levon Helm).  And if you want wide appeal it is my 15 year old son’s favorite from last year as well.

I wanna be clear, Ben Nichols is not the world’s greatest vocalist.  His voice is too scratchy and real to be classified as that.  He is however one great Rock & Roll voice.  If you like the Lucero LP check out his solo album “The Last Pale Light In The West”.  it doesn’t rock like Lucero but it is full of really great songs.

1372 Overton Park has it all.  It’s got those great Memphis sounding horns, rockers like Sounds of the City and Smoke, and some great tracks that are a bit more introspective.  Check out Can’t Feel a Thing, Goodbye Again and Hey Darlin’ Do You Gamble.  This is some serious songwriting here.  Listen, just head on down to Looney Tunes and pick this bad boy up.  In fact get it on vinyl (it’s blue too).  You will not be disappointed.

For fans of the Replacements, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, The Hold Steady, Springsteen, etc.

Lucero will be at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 30th.

Rockin’ A Snow Day

Can you believe it?  Two snow days!!!  I have been listening to a lot the past few days and I keep wanting to come back to two albums.  Two releases from 2009 that have recently piqued my curiosity are Cosmic Egg by Wolfmother & And You Were a Crow by The Parlor Mob.  On first listen they seem quite similar and they are to a certain extent, but each provides the listener with both some new RAWK and an updated version of the sound we all love.

The Parlor Mob starts out with a huge blast of Zep influenced high energy Rock & Roll!  Hard Times & Dead Wrong let you know exactly where this band is coming from.  Flip over to side 2 and the lead off track The Kids really gets you thinking that this band may be the real deal.  This is just track after track of great rock music.  When I Was An Orphan is another standout.

The new Wolfmother was recommended to my by my son, YoungRockr.  I didn’t much care for the first Wolfmother.  It was just “OK”.  Cosmic Egg is another story.  This is much tighter and focused and has a bit more of a doomy Sabbath vibe to it.  Do yourself a favor and grab the vinyl, the sonic upgrade is worth it and you get a free mp3 download of the full album anyhow.

So there you have it.  Two for a snow day from and OldRockr and former Looney Tunes legend.  Well at least in my own mind!  More to come soon.