Month: October 2016

Drive-By Truckers, “American Band” album review.

October 23, 2016

imageI’ll start this review off by saying something I’ve never said about any record before in my life. This album is a social masterpiece. The lyrical content and sound are beyond anything I’ve ever listened to before. To say  that this album is powerful is doing it an injustice. Powerful does not even come close to speaking to what these songs are and the feelings they evoke. Anger, sadness, helplessness,  joy and fear. They are all present and accounted for. While listening to this record I realized pretty quickly that it was an emotional rollercoaster. The feelings it stirred literally gave me goosebumps at every turn.

This album takes a sharp turn from the norm even on its album cover. Instead of the usual artwork of Wes Freed , there is a dark and somber photo of an American flag at half-staff. And the first song, Ramon Casiano, jumps right into the theme the rest of the album will follow. The song  recounts the true story of a confrontation between two teenagers  that resulted in the killing of Casiano by fellow teen Harlan Carter. Carter escaped incarceration. He later worked for the U.S. Border Patrol and became a President of the NRA . Harlan has been credited as the man who transformed the organization from a sporting organization into an absolutist gun rights group. “He had the makings of a leader/Of a certain kind of man/Who need to feel the world’s against them/ Out to get ’em if he can. Men whose trigger pull their fingers/ Of men who’d rather fight than win/ united in a revolution/like in mind and like in skin.”. Cooley is pulling no punches. He’s taken the gloves off without apology and without shame.

Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley have always been prolific songwriters. And the content of their songs have always delved deeply into social and political arenas. Sure, there are plenty of songs that are just fun, but the reality of it has always been that these two men write and sing about things that matter. Upon first listen, I knew that the band would face some backlash due to the overtly political nature of these songs. I was correct. Facebook pages and message boards were bombarded by messages from irate fans demanding that the band stop discussing politics and stick to songwriting. Many “fans” said they’d never listen to the band again. Some spewed much uglier rhetoric. The band was accused of hurling a “white guilt” message at its fans for its sympathy towards the “Black Lives” movement. They were berated for “political correctness” and “selling out”. As I sat back and took it all in, it amazed me. This band has always been political. And their politics have quite obviously never tilted towards the right. In the 20 year career of DBT, their songs were always rife with references to social, economic and racial inequality. They have always been quick to derail hypocrisy and southern sterotypes. This album takes these themes to a whole new level. Its songs speak to an urgency, a call to arms about the moral and ethical crisis we are dealing with as a nation. There is no room for subtlety in such tumultuous times, and the band has abandoned all pretense of it. While the large minority of DBT fans may have missed the innuendo of politics on some earlier albums, there is no mistaking it any longer. Cooley and Patterson shoved it right down our throats this time. And the beauty of its brutal truth is astonishing and terrifying at once.

In addition to Ramon Casiano,  some of the other incredibly powerful songs on the album include Guns of Umpqua, about a community college shooting in Oregon as told through the eyes of a combat veteran “And now we’re moving chairs in some panic mode to barricade the doors/ As my heart rate surges on adrenalin and nerves, I feel I’ve been here before/ I made it back from hell’s attack in some distant bloody war/ Only to stare down hell back home.” and the extremely somber yet powerful What It Means,  which tackles everything from gun violence, to police brutality, to racial injustice to the plight of Travon Martin. “And that guy who killed that kid down in Florida standing ground/Is free to beat up on his girlfriend and wave his brand new gun around/ While some kid is dead and buried and laying in the ground/ With a pocket full of skittles” and the even more powerful “And if you say it wasn’t racial/ When they shot him in his tracks/ Well it guess that means that you ain’t black/ It means that you ain’t black/ I mean Barack Obama won/ And you can choose where to eat/ But you don’t see too many white kids lying bleeding on the street.”

Not all of the songs on the album are somber, and Cooley sings some of his hardest hitting rock songs in years, with Filthy and Fried and  Kinky Hypocrite. But even these gems are filled with social and political messages.

The album ends with a beautiful and brave song by Hood that addresses his shock and sadness about the death of Robin Williams. In Baggage, Hood is very upfront about his own daily battle with depression and his heartbreak at the loss of such a wonderful talent because of it.

This album remains true to DBT and its enormous and ever-growing legion of fans. HeAthens, as the most loyal fans call themselves (I’m proud to be among them), are quick to defend this album and its politics. Most of the fans that I’ve spoken to agree with the sentiment of the album and the grave subject matter it faces head on. Most of us understood that these ideals have always been there and is one of the reasons we love them so much. Instead of losing fans, it seems that DBT is expanding its base every day. Even  the fans that I spoke to that didn’t necessarily agree with the political direction the band is taking were quick to defend their right as artists and Americans to do so. If only the rest of the country could follow suite. The ability to agree to disagree and accept that people don’t have to have the same views we do to remain good people. That’s a rare thing these days. Let’s hope the message spreads.

Drive-By Truckers remain one of the most talented and relevant bands around. The fact that 20 years later, their music is even harder-hitting and socially just speaks volumes as to who these men are as artists and human beings. If you haven’t bothered to listen, maybe its time to sit down with a cup of coffee (or better yet, a stiff drink. You may need it!) and really, truly listen. Left leaning, right leaning or somewhere in the center, it speaks to us as human beings. That’s  a rare and beautiful thing.

5 stars.

Jason Isbell, College Street Music Hall, New Haven, CT, 10/8/16

October 23, 2016 — 1 Comment
Photo Jun 03, 7 06 23 PM

Jason Isbell at Mountain Jam 6/16.

What can I possibly say about Jason Isbell that will accurately express what his music means to me? Since his days with Drive-By Truckers, his songs have consistently had the ability to dissolve me into a puddle of tears. Beginning at the tender age of 21, his songwriting abilities were beyond reproach. Jason has been quite open about his alcoholism and struggles with sobriety.While many artists lose the creative edge they once had while  they were on the bottle, Isbell’s lyrics have only grown more gorgeous, inspired and true even as he remains clean and sober.

This show was the third in which I’ve seen Isbell and his incredible band this year. But quite a few things made it different for me. First, this blog is in full swing. Secondly, my son has fallen in love with Jason’s music and was coming along with me to the show, and thirdly, I have experienced some life changing stuff as of late. Things that made me wonder if I could even tolerate listening to some of the songs that have meant so much to me.

Some interesting things happened before the show even started. My son and I were befriended by a homeless woman while we waited in line. She sang to us in a voice that was awe-inspiring, recited some of her hand-written poetry and made us laugh until our sides ached. We gave her money for a nice hot supper (maybe, but no matter where the money went, I don’t regret the human connection we made) and remembered  what it was like to be human beings, all in this world together. This feels so rare these days with so much hate going on in the world.

When we got up to my usual spot right in front of the stage, we began talking to two very nice gentlemen. After about an hour of chit-chat, it was discovered that one of these men had lost a teenaged son to cancer. It made my heart ache to hear him tell his story. But it soon began to dawn on me that his son sounded familiar to me. And when he showed me a picture, I realized that he had been a massage therapy patient of mine at the local children’s hospital. What an incredibly small and connected world we all live in.

After our encounter with the beautiful woman who hadn’t lost the song in her heart, despite wondering where she would sleep or her next meal would come from, or the man who got through the loss of his son by writing and listening to gorgeous music, I sucked it up and decided that tears or no tears, none of my tiny little problems meant anything when compared to those of some. And I resolved that songs I wondered if I could make it through were going to be the songs that made me realize that life and loss are always beautiful if you allow them to be. I was ready for this show.

Josh Ritter was an incredibly good opening act. There is no doubt that his star is rapidly on the rise and that he won’t be opening shows much longer. And when Jason came on, I realized that it wouldn’t be long before venues the size of this one were soon going to be in the past for Isbell and his band. His star is rising so quickly it’s unstoppable at this point. As the first chords of Flying Over Water played I held onto my heart and hitched myself along for the ride.

Jason Isbell is known for his lyrics. At least, he should be. It seems as if every song he writes is more beautifully crafted than the last. The set list included 24 Frames “This is how you talk to her when no-one else is listening and this is how you help her when the muse goes missing you vanish so she can go drowning on her dream again. You thought God was an architect, now you know, he’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow and everything you built that’s all for show goes up in flames, in 24 frames.” , the epically beautiful Elephant, which is about a man who loses his friend to cancer  and Cover Me Up,  which I consider to be the most beautiful love song of all time. It always gets the loudest cheers of any of the songs in the setlist when Isbell sings the line “I sobered up, and swore off that stuff, forever this time”. (Isbell attributes his sobriety to wife, Amanda Shires, whom this song was written for). I can honestly say that there wasn’t a song in the entire setlist that didn’t make my heart swoon in one way or another. This man reads souls. He can delve that deeply into what we feel as human beings.

In addition to the gorgeous lyrics, Jason is a true performer, and his band stands right up behind him with the same star quality.The audience was as enthralled as I was and you could hear a pin drop during the most lovely and reflective of the songs played that night.  It’s not often a musician takes the scenic route in his quest for stardom. Jason has had his ups and his downs and taken his sweet time getting here. But there is absolutely no question in my mind that the next time I see him, it will not be in a cozy little venue, but in a stadium, where thousands of people stand with me to appreciate his genius. And it makes me a little bit sad, but so proud of someone so deserving of the title of star.

Setlist:

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Album review: Dead City, “The Dead Sessions”featuring Cheetah Chrome.

October 21, 2016

I’m a punk girl at heart. And although my music tastes are quite diversified at this point in my life (My playlists might suggest a multiple personality disorder to any casual observer!). I love nothing more than to getting back to the music that started it all for me. Some of The bands that really woke me up and began my life long love affair with music were The NY Dolls, The Damned, The Dead Boys and Iggy and The Stooges. I am a fan of hardcore, but there is something that is perfect to me when it comes to the loud guitar, heavy rhythm section and bluesy and soulful vocals of these bands.

Connecticut Hardcore band, Lost Generation is a band I’ve always greatly appreciated and I got to see them many times in my youth. As I dove head first back into music, I began to research some of my old local favorites. Somehow, until very recently, I missed out on  Dead City. This band  came into fruition after Cheetah Chrome (Dead Boys) played a few ten-year anniversary gigs with Lost Generation in 1991 and the next logical step was to go into the studio and record together. Lost Generation singer, Joe Dias, joined up with Chrome, and guitarist Pugs (, Iron Cross) to go back to the beginning and record an album with a sound that brings punk right back to its earliest roots. Members of Lost Generation, as well as Todd Knapp (76% Uncertain) and John Munera (Seizure) round out the Dead City line-up this album. It was mastered by current Dead City bassist, Sean Sheridan.

At fist listen  I was immediately transported back to being a 13-year-old girl in Fairfield County, Connecticut and hearing the Dead Boys for the first time. I was babysitting and brought the kids over to the local pet store to see the exotic animals. Little did I know that visit would change my entire life.A guy that worked at the shop was playing this music. I had never had music grab me like that before.( But being that I grew up in a family where Kenny Rogers was about as deep as you got, there was never anything to grab before!!) I began going to the shop every day after school just to hear more. Soon I was completely immersed in the punk scene. Stiv Bators and The Dead Boys were at the top of my daily  playlist. There was something raw and real about this music.I could listen to it daily for the rest of my life and it would never sound dated or out of touch. Even upon first listen, Dead City sounded that good to me. It’s classic punk rock in its most basic and beautiful form. There is nothing fancy or over-polished here, and that’s what makes it so good. These guys understand what classic punk is and what its supposed to sound like, and that unlike the really good hardcore out there at the time, they weren’t ashamed to play songs that allowed you to sing and (GASP!!!) maybe even dance around the bedroom a little .

While I am a huge fan of some of the earliest and fastest hardcore, nothing before or since has ever had the effect on me that 70’s punk did. It defied tradition, but burst forth with passion, energy and a guttural sexuality that had never really been heard before.It was tough while still having a groove. It was raw, but not to the point that you could not sing along.

The Dead Sessions album brings punk back. It’s infectious rhythm and loud guitar riffs, coupled with the soulful singing of Dias, is an album I’d been waiting to hear  for a very long time. It’s not aiming to sound LIKE anything in the past, but to take the influences from a time gone by and incorporate them into something that might sound even better. This album is not to be missed by anyone who loves this genre.

Stand-out tracks for me are “Nothing”, which ranks right up there with the best The Dead Boys had to offer, “Memories”, which is reminiscent of the Stooges, and the hilarious “I Walked With A Zombie.” Do yourselves a favor, and listen. Better yet, come see them live.

Dead City will be playing at Cafe Nine in New Haven, CT on 10/26/16 with The Dickies.. Tickets are on sale now.

Stove “Toad in The Rain” review and interview with the band.

October 1, 2016

imagePhoto by Scott Trojan

Stove is a band with a sound that you can’t quite nail down. Their latest release, Toad In The Rain is a big departure from their debut album, Is Stupider. Steve Hartlett, of Ovlov fame, recorded the initial album entirely on his own.  Is Stupider relied heavily on loud guitar riffs, lots of distortion and a loud-quiet-loud dynamic reminiscent of bands like Dinosaur Jr. Initially the project was really a continuation of  Hartlett’s band Ovlov. In fact, the songs on the first album were initially meant to be Ovlov songs. On  this new EP, a clear contrast is felt. Stove is no longer Ovlov with a new moniker. Each band member has now come forward with their own clear sound and musical identity. And with both bands continuing to play, that’s an important distinction.

Toad in the Rain is filled with a lot more melody, less heaviness and many more layers. Not quite pop, but certainly headed in a direction where melody and catchiness are key. This doesn’t mean you won’t hear guitar heavy songs at all, just an evolution of the band as a whole. The complexity of the sound doesn’t really hit you at first, even though the beauty of it most certainly does. The EP is very aesthetically pleasing from first listen, but the layers of the songs and how finely crafted they really are, take a few plays.

Steve Hartlett is no longer crafting these songs alone. The band is clearly a collaboration of all its members. Mike Hammond Jr., Alex Molini and Jordyn Blakely  all bring nuances of sound to the band that make it stronger.While the initial vision and the lyrics are still the work of Hartlett, a truly gifted lyricist,  the difference in this album may be how beautifully this band works together as a cohesive unit. Giving up full control of a band when you are used to calling all of the shots can’t be easy. But Hartlett seems to have found a group of people who not only see his vision , but add to it in ways he probably never imagined before.

On this EP there is a fine tuning of each song that makes them sound more fully developed and more defined. A melding of musical ideas that can only come from maturity and the willingness to work hard until the exact sound you are looking for is captured. While Is Stupider had a story to tell, it got its point across with a wall of sound that washed over you like a tidal wave. On Toad in the Rain, the approach is more subtle, but just as powerful. The range of this band has evolved ten fold over the course of such a short period of time.

Stand outs on this album include the acoustic guitar laden Dumb Phone, in which Hartlett harmonizes beautifully with Jordyn Blakely, and Tiny Gaze, where unexpected blazing guitars  show up after the first verse. While these songs are my favorites, there isn’t a bad song in the bunch. It’s really a great EP, and one that makes you really look forward to what this band will be bringing us in the future. Take a listen. You won’t regret it.

 

STOVE INTERVIEW:

J. Tell me about your influences as a band. I used to hear a lot of Dinosaur Jr. in your older stuff. Are they a big influence on you?

S.H. Yes, certainly they were in the beginning with Ovlov. Definitely melodically, not so much aesthetically.  I was into being as loud as possible at the time. I have a broad spectrum. I really love a band called Disco Doom from Switzerland right now.

J. How about you, Mike? I know your Dad was in the hardcore bands 76% Uncertain and CIA. Did his music have a big influence on you?

M.H. He would take me to whatever shows I wanted to see. Until I was about 14 , he showed me all of the bands that I listened to and then after that we would go back and forth. We’d show each other stuff. But any of the bands who have ever played the Anthrax club ( A punk club that was located in Stamford and then Norwalk, CT in the 80’s) are in my discography. Stuff I listened to. There are a bunch of bands that I liked that I later found out My Dad played shows with. I remember going to see Sebadoh and and they started talking about CIA. I had to go up and talk to Lou Barlow after. It was cool. So yeah, that stuff was an influence.

 

J. Tell me about the writing process for the new EP.

S.H.: I’ve been writing a lot of the new Stove  stuff with Alex on piano. It’s the first time I’ve ever written that way and its kind of changing the aesthetic of it. I wouldn’t even be able to identify what I’m trying to sound like, but Alex is sort of just layering over what I would do. We are working together really well as a unit.

J. Ovlov broke up, but you are back together. Are you planning on keeping both bands together? How is that working?

S.H. Yes, we just got back after an Ovlov tour which was immediately after a Stove tour. I guess for now I’m trying to keep them equal. Work on them equally

J. Steve, your lyrics are really good. Where do you get your inspiration? Do you feel you’re growing as a songwriter?

S.H. I guess from everything bad that’s ever happened to me. Which sounds stupid, because compared to other people they are really just first world problems. I feel like I don’t put a lot of thought into the writing process and then I go back and  re-read them and realize some of them are really nice. I’m in a place where I think my songwriting might have been better in the past. Especially with old Ovlov stuff. I don’t want to let fans down. I want them to be able to hear what they want to hear.Change is inevitable, though. I guess the songwriting will always continue to change.

 

 

J. What are your goals? And when you write a song how do you decide which band it will be for?

S.H. I’ve been writing. I’ll stay at Alex’s place in Brooklyn for  a few days and we try to do at least a song a day. We just keep playing. I don’t even decide which band they are going to go with until they are totally finished. It’s getting easier. Each band has more of a clear identity now. The last batch we wrote, we knew immediately which band each song was for.

There  have been songs that I originally thought would be for one band, but after we begin working on them, so much can change with a guitar line and a vocal melody. Once  you keep working on it you are sometimes surprised that it turns out completely differently than you originally expected.  We really experiment a lot with changing things up. Sometimes we will remove the guitar, or add piano, just continually mixing things up and layering until we get the sound we want. Stove is the first band that we use demos as  a tool.  We usedemos to better things and sometimes change them up completely.

Our music has grown. For a while  I was trying to stick to just 2 guitars and drums because all the band I looked up to were like that, but I don’t know. It’s changing.Realizing how much more you can do. Why would you just limit yourself.

 

Stove will be playing at Shea Stadium on October 27.

Ovlov will be playing on 10/6 at The Space in Hamden, CT and 10/7  at Middle East In Cambridge, MA

Both bands can be found on Soundcloud and Spotify.