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.
The Chapin Sisters are an L.A. band that you might have caught opening for She & Him (they’re also part of the backing band) this year. They recorded their debut album – Lake Bottom LP – with their sister, Jessica Craven, but the band is now comprised of Abigail and Lily Chapin. As others have said, their sound is reminiscent of both the country and motown – of long-forgotten harmonies in gaslit cabins, and of doe-eyed variety singers. Yet, beyond this is a sophistication of craft, and an intricacy of sound, that is positively captivating. And really, I ought to let their sound speak for itself…
Out now, for the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, is Dear New Orleans – A benefit album from 