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Federale

Any fans of Marc Ford (The Black Crowes)? How about Luther Russell (The Freewheelers)? Bassist Fred Trujillo? Blues drummer Jimi Bott? Anyone? In the last year of the previous century these guys played in a band together. Seriously, then did. They, Federale, even recorded a demo for Interscope Records only to be passed over because the label was looking for the next Limp Bizkit. You can't make this stuff up, nobody would believe you. Oh, one could only wonder what mark this band would have made to the musical landscape had they been given a chance.

Well, wonder no more for the results of those forgotten demo sessions are available for your listening pleasure. Both Russell and Ford take turns with the vocal duties here and the results are a very strong album which if released today would likely do well and could gain some radio airplay, on satalite radio anyways.

For fans of Marc Ford some of these songs may sound familiar. "Hell or Highwater" appears on Ford's debut It's About Time, "(It'll) Be Over Soon" makes an appearance on Ford's second album Weary and Wired, whose title comes from this song, and "This Ride" was a live staple in early aughts (2000's) when he played with his backing band The Sinners. I'll take the versions here to any of those, well maybe not some of those live versions with the The Sinner's, Marc should give those guys a call, the studio versions for sure.

Federale - The Ventura Sessions - Demos
Recorded in Ventura, CA for Interscope Records
June 1999

01. Getting Bad
02. Mexican Passport
03. This Ride
04. Sandman
05. Back In Our Old Town
06. Be Over Soon
07. Way Past You
08. Kiss The Toad
09. Hell Or Highwater
10. Bajar
11. Landing Gear

Marc Ford - Guitar, Vocals
Luther Russell - Vocals, Guitar
Fred Trujillo - Bass, Vocals
Jimi Bott - Drums

MP3 Link Updated. Also flac files of these demos can be found here: T's Southern Confort Road House*
*registration required

Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark

In what was to be a slow year for the Drive-By Truckers, they sure found ways of keeping busy in 2007. After band member Jason Isbell left the band in early spring to pursue a solo career the Truckers shortly departed on a tour which would carry them thru the fall playing more of an acoustic show then anyone who has seen them live before would expect. Throughout the dubbed "Dirt Underneath Tour" new songs would be debuted and worked out. These songs, when treated to some studio polish, would become the Truckers eighth album, Brighter Than Creation's Dark. Oh yeah they also recorded an album with Betty Levatte which has been nominated for a Grammy, that's all in an "off-year."

At 19 songs and 75 minutes one would assume that Brigher would be bloated with a couple filler songs but every track here is a winner and makes sense as a part of the whole album. This is a true album, not a collection of songs. Patteron Hood himself compared the album and it's length to the Rolling Stones' classic Exile on Main Street thusly: "Exile on Main Street has lots of filler, yet I would hate to part with a single note of it." While musical styles can vary greatly from song to song, from solid gold country to rock to soul, Brighter has a cohesiveness and flow few bands today even attempt and fewer still successfully accomplish.

Brighter Than Creation's Dark is a portrait of a good band becoming great. Listening to it the first time gives you the feeling of what it must have been like to listen to one of classic rock 'n' roll albums, Exile, Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti or The Band's Music From Big Pink or the like for the first time back in the late 60's/early 70's and just knowing that this will be an album that will be with you for the rest of your life.

+++HIGHLY RECOMENDED+++

Standout Track: The Righteous Path

Drive-By Truckers
MySpace
Brighter Than Creaton's Dark (stream)

Top 10 of 2007

I guess it's my duty as a music blogger to post a top album list at this time of year, so enjoy.


1. Jason Isbell – Sirens of the Ditch

An album recorded over a number of years during down time from the Drive-By Truckers, Sirens showcases Isbell's song writing talent and a diversity only hinted on while with the Truckers.
Standout Track: The Magician
homepage, myspace


2. Two Cow Garage – Three

The third album by Two Cow Garage brings the rock while not being afraid to show some heart. Total package of great songwriting and kick ass rock and roll.
Standout Track: Shoulda California
homepage, myspace


3. Glossary – The Better Angles of Our Nature

See my full review posted earlier.


4. Ryan Bingham – Mescalito

Ryan Bingham's debut album is proof that good country music is still being made, just not in Nashville. The guy's a great talent who's songs tell tales of the hard life on the road. Mescalito was produced by former Black Crowes' guitarist Marc Ford who also plays on the album.
Standout Track: Southside of Heaven
homepage, myspace


5. J.J. Grey & Mofro – Country Ghetto

Swampy, bluesy, and ever so soulful, Country Ghetto features the vocals of the most soulful singer in the business today, J.J. Grey.
Standout Track: Country Ghetto
homepage, myspace


6. Avett Brothers – Emotionalism

The Avetts' folky and bluegrassey approach results in an album that sounds familiar yet fresh. New, yet old in a way. Maybe its all the simplicity of it all, the songs are mainly just a guitar, bass, and banjo with some great harmonies. Whatever it is, it's good. Very good.
Standout Track:Paranoia in B-Flat Major
homepage, myspace


7. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

Wilco's seventh album is a departure from the experimental nature of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born and more of a return to form to their countryish roots. SBS is relaxed and open feeling like a warm summer day and yet Tweedy and Co. manage to work still rock out in places.
Standout Track: What Light
homepage, myspace


8. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond

So a band reunites and put of the inevitable 'reunion' album. You've heard this story before right? Doesn't usually work out of the best either. Not so with Dino Jr.'s Beyond. I can't say I'm all that familiar the Dino Jr.'s earlier works but Beyond is a breath of fresh air in today's stagnate cesspool of rock music. Guitar solos that are actually worth listening to and songs that don't sound like they're trying to be more important than the are, it's only rock and roll after all. And I like it.
Standout Track: We're Not Alone
homepage, myspace


9. Levon Helm – Dirt Farmer

You should know Levon Helm from his days in The Band (if you don't, WHY NOT?). Since The Band called it a day Levon has put out numerous albums and survived a bout with throat cancer in the late '90's. This is he first album since his fight with cancer and while his voice sounds a little rougher, it still has that tone you came to love on classics like The Weight or The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down. Dirt Farmer may not be a "Band" album, but it's the closest we're probably gonna get. A collection of traditional songs backed up by Larry Campbell and Levon's daughter Amy among others. A must for fans of The Band.
Standout Track: Poor Old Dirt Farmer
homepage, myspace


10. Neil Young – Live at Massey Hall 1971

A great archive album & dvd showcasing Neil Young solo with just his guitar, harmonica, and at times, behind the piano. Features a number of songs from Harvest prior to that album's release. A must for any Neil fan.
Standout Track: Helpless
homepage, myspace

Chuck Prophet does Waylon Jennings

So back in the early of this year Chuck Prophet & friends recorded their version of Waylon Jennings' 1975 album "Dreaming My Dreams" in it's entirety. Check out the link below to read more about the recording session and to stream the results.

Dreaming Waylon's Dream

Right click the track names below and save as to download each track.

1. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way
2. Waymore's Blues
3. I Recall a Gypsy Woman
4. High Time (You Quit Your Low Down Ways)
5. I've Been a Long Time Leaving (I'll Be a Long Time Gone)
6. Let's All Help The Cowboys (Sing The Blues)
7. The Door Is Always Open
8. Let's Turn Back The Years
9. She's Looking Good
10. Dreaming My Dreams With You
11. Bob Wills Is Still The King

Also be sure to check out Chuck's new album "Soap & Water" out on Yep Rock Records

THIS is American Music: A Rock 'n' Roll Revue

American Girl - This is American Music Revue



This video is what rock & roll is all about. It’s the last song played at the opening night of the This Is American Music Revue's first show in Denton Tx. What’s the This is American Music Revue you ask? Well it’s a group of bands (Glossary, The Drams, Two Cow Garage & Grand Champeen) that are playing a handful of shows together this week in the Midwest. It’s like a mini festival w/ each band playing a set then they all come up & play a song or two at the end. This video is of them covering Tom Petty’s American Girl. Unfortunately the audio with the video isn’t the greatest, but it’s listenable. But that doesn't matter, because it's the love for music comes in loud and clear. These are bands that will likely never hit the big time and will probably struggle to keep their music careers going. But it's not because they're not talented. Or because they don't play with heart. If you can't see that they play with their hearts on their sleeves from this video, you know what, just head on over the the Nickleback home page because you don't get it and likely never will.

So if the This is American Music Revue is playing near your town week, get out to the show. I'm sure you won't regret it. Supposedly they’re working on doing a bunch of these shows in the east this spring & if they’re coming anywhere around here I’m so there.

This is American Music Rock and Roll Revue

GLOSSARY - The Better Angels of Our Nature

Glossary’s fifth album, The Better Angels of Our Nature, may not be much of a departure from their previous work but it may be their best. Following up on 2006’s For What I Don’t Become, Angels takes the heartfelt lyrics and the guitar rock Americana they do best and infuses it in 10 new tracks. Whether it be the rockin' "Shout It From The Rooftop" to the lamentfull "Almsgiver" to the "we're still standing" anthem of the set's closer, "Blood On The Knobs." This is American music, music of the heartland, full of tales of regret, lost love and rebel sprit. Music reminiscent of The Band and Anodyne era Uncle Tupelo.

Music this good needs to be heard. Glossary knows this, which is why it needs to be mentioned how the band distributed this album. A full three weeks prior to the album’s release Glossary offered it up for free download on their website, in fact it’s still available there (see link below). Yeah, yeah, you say Radiohead did that too, what’s the big deal? Well, first Glossary didn’t ask for anything in return for the download, they would like your email to keep you up to date on the bands doings, but it isn’t necessary to download. Second, unlike Radiohead, Glossary offered a near cd quality rip of the album (up to 320kbps vs Radiohead’s 160kbps). For a band with no name recognition to give away an album, especially one of this quality, tells you one thing, they know they have something good that people will pay for even after hearing it for free. And for those that do pay for the album, they’ve hand printed the album art and are going to offer them in limited numbers. When the limited number of the art is up, they’ll print out another limited run of the album with different album art.

+++HIGHLY RECOMMENDED+++

Glossary's homepage
Glossary's MySpace
The Better Angels of Our Nature FREE Download

BLOG UPDATE

So I finally got a home computer & some of that high speed internet you hear talk of. What does this mean for you, the reader of this blog? Maybe actual posts more often then once every six months. Hopefully about once a week.

Best of 2007

Yeah these type of lists typically come out in Decemeber or January. I could say that I like to wait to be sure that I haven't missed anything. Or I could be honest and say that I'm lazy. So here it is:

1. The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America

If you haven't heard The Hold Steady by now craw out from under that rock you've been living under. This is without doubt the most critically acclaimed album of last year (and rightfully so). I saw the Steady back in March at the Chameleon Club here in Lancaster & I must say they put on a hell of a show. Boys & Girls is like Springsteen with power chords and ripping solos.

The Hold Steady - Myspace

2. The Black Keys – Magic Potion

You may not know you've heard the Black Keys but I'd bet that you have. Ever see those Victoria Secret's commercials with the loud guitar and thunderous drums? Yeah that's the Black Keys. Magic Potion is their best album to date of grungy blues.

The Black Keys - Myspace


3. Centro Matic – Fort Recovery

This was my introduction to the band from Denton Tx. Originally a double album (additional tracks are found on the Operation Motorcide EP released this April) but cut back. Both the released version & the double album version are greatness. Will Johnson has a way of writing songs that lyrically are confusing, at best, but with such melody their almost impossible not to love. I'm sure to write more on Will and Centro Matic at some point so I'll keep it short here.

http://www.myspace.com/centromatic

4. Lucero – Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers

Lucero's 6th album has the same Springsteen vibe that made the Hold Steady's album great while still remaining distincely Lucero. Rebels has less of the punkty sound found on Lucero's early albums and expands on 2005's Nobody's Darlings sound with the addition of keys.

http://www.myspace.com/lucero

5. My Morning Jacket – Okonokos (live)

http://www.myspace.com/mymorningjacket

6. Drive-By Truckers – A Blessing and a Curse

http://www.myspace.com/drivebytruckers

7. Glossary – For What I don’t Become

http://www.myspace.com/glossary

8. Gob Iron – Death Songs for the Living


9. The Drams – Jubilee Drive

http://www.myspace.com/thedrams

10. The Bottle Rockets – Zoysia



Note: I'm gonna keep editing this post with more info on each album as I get to it.

Let me try this again

Not that this blog is read by anyone anyways, I've decided that I'm gonna try to post something atleast once a week. I've found much new (and some old) music since my last post over a year ago which I can write about. Hopefullly this time I'll keep up with posting on a regular basis.