Admittedly, I’m a little late to the party on Black Prairie. But boy, what a party! The band, which is comprised of 3/5 of the Decemberists, as well as two other folk musicians from Portland, OR, works with an amazing combination of musical styles (string band, folk, bluegrass, etc.) to produce something that just gushes out atmosphere. What becomes clear, right away, is that the band’s songs (which are heavily weighted towards the instrumental) are born out of a love of genre, authenticity, and antiquity. Watching them perform on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic (which you can see below), you see a seriousness and a joyfulness that makes for some excellent music.
Category: Music
Mailbag: Caleb Coy – Wild Desert Rose
The good folks over at Yer Bird Records sent me a copy of Caleb Coy‘s Wild Desert Rose, and I’m so glad that they did. This gem of a country record positively crackles with an old-time earnestness that simply cannot be ignored. It’s just a man, a guitar, and a life slowly unwound through his unfussy, soulful tunes. Here’s how the folks at Yer Bird describe it:
Texas born and southern bred, Caleb Coy writes songs woven from the backwoods tapestry of his drifting ways. Channeling the eloquence and magic of such legendary songwriters as Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley and Kris Kristofferson, his songs paint pictures of the open road.
If you close your eyes you can almost see the redtail circling high above and smell the campfire and whiskey amidst the pines. From an old airstream in the high desert of far West Texas and the ancient cliff dwellings of the Gila Wilderness to the south fork of the Yuba River, the American countryside has been his muse and true love for the last five years.
Though the heyday of the hard living troubadour has come and gone, Caleb Coy reminds us that the outlaw spirit is alive and well… and still on the run.
Other Stuff You Might Like: Mountain Stage
Ages ago, I found this R.E.M. bootleg at a now-defunct record shop. It was wonderful, and intimate, and full of strange cover versions I had never heard. Just before launching into “World Leader Pretend,” Michael Stipe says: “We’re really happy to be here at Mountain Stage. We’re surrounded by really good people, and we’re gonna do a couple songs for you.” At the time, I had no idea where, or what, Mountain Stage was… but I wanted to be there. Years later, thanks to the magic of the Internet and NPR Music, I get to experience amazing, live concerts by an enormous array of musicians. And so can you!
Continue reading “Other Stuff You Might Like: Mountain Stage”
Other Stuff You Might Like: La Blogotheque
Many of the sites I’ve featured in the “Other Stuff You Might Like” series have a common thread: excellent, impromptu concerts by established and upcoming musicians. We’ve looked at Luxury Wafers, Black Cab Sessions, They Shoot Music – Don’t They, and NPR Music. (And I’m sure to get around to Daytrotter before too long…) Now, from France, we’ve got the excellent blog La Blogotheque, and its excellent Take-Away Shows (or, if you prefer, Les Concerts à Emporter). The site’s catalog of artists is truly amazing, as are the performances, and so I invite you to come have a look…
Continue reading “Other Stuff You Might Like: La Blogotheque”
Recommended: The Wailin’ Jennys
My friend Julie first introduced me to The Wailin’ Jennys, and I’m really grateful to her for that. The Jennys are from Winnipeg, and have influences from Bluegrass, Country, and Traditional Scots-Irish tunes. In a lot of ways, perhaps, it’s both apt and misleading to say that the Jennys are a sort of countrified Indigo Girls. But I think that the emphasis on vocal harmonies, and attention to craft, make it a moderately-successful analogy. In any case, their sound features big, goosebump-inducing harmonies, and their performances (as you can see below) are both commanding and gentle. Not the usual combination, to be sure, and one that is well worth embracing…