Album Review- Steve Earle: Alone Again....Live

Steve Earle is probably my favorite musical artist. Now, he wasn’t my favorite artist at the formative ages of 16 or 21 but by 30, he likely had taken the position, and one assumes, that won't change again with age at this point. Art is fluid, so the term “favorite” is subjective, of course, and listening will fluctuate. 

Surprising to me, I was able to meet him in a post concert meet and greet. These in-person events are awkward and seemingly a recipe for disappointment, but I don’t have anything negative to say about the encounter. Like many artists with long careers, it’s hard not to think of his different eras. Earle will still always be most likely known for his 1980s peak chart period where he took a Springsteen singer songwriter approach to country music. 

Many diehard Earle fans surely became that way in the 90s as Earle was one of a group of artists that was creating a new brand of country music. In a four year time frame, he put out four of the finest albums that I have ever heard - the span from Train A Comin’ that lasted to The Mountain. Earle has a new live album. He released a live album in 1991- the lightly regarded Shut Up and Die like an Aviator- the critics aren’t wrong as it serves as a book end to his first act and isn't particularly essential. His next major live album was a two disc album Just An American Boy in 2003 which sort of book ends that phase in his career. That album takes me back to 2004- a particular place and time. 

For me, life seemed amped up. The Bush-Kerry election. The War on Terror. Fahrenheit 9/11. Web 2.0. I constantly played the two discs. While they don’t measure quite up to his 90s work- the three early 00s albums - 2000s Transcendental Blues 2002s Jerusalem and 2004s The Revolution Starts Now come pretty close. Overly political (not that Earle was ever apolitical) buzz formed around brash ideas like “John Walker’s Blues” and “Condi, Condi” After that flurry of activity, Earle returned in 2007 and also had quite an acting career appearing in two HBO series The Wire and Treme. 

There have been 11 albums in those 17 years since 07s Washington Square Serenade. There have been some great moments. Four of those albums have been all cover tributes to Earle influences and friends Guy Clark, Townes Van Zant, Jerry Jeff Walker and his son Justin Townes Earle. 2020s Ghost of West Virginia- his last studio album which featured songs that were written for an Off Broadway play is among his best work. I would also rank 2016s self titled collaboration with Shawn Colvin and 2017s So You Wannabe an Outlaw as right up there with the aforementioned early Oughts records 

Earle has often been backed by his band the Dukes. Longtime bassist Kelly Looney died in 2019. Guitarist Bucky Baxter passed in 2020. Chris and Eleanor Masterson who have their own band went their own way in 2022. But most famously after the 2023 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, the rest of the band emailed their resignations. I am not sure Earle is easy to get along with or what, but regardless he seems to always fight his way through and he landed on his feet by touring alone now and releasing some of the results as an album On top of that, though I know not all fans share the opinion, most critics seem to rank it as a career highlight. Good chunks of dialogue make it feel like one of those “Storyteller” albums. There’s also a good chunk of his whole career. 

In interviews, Earle said he doesn’t understand how artists won’t perform their hits, which is why Copperhead Road and Guitar Town are here among many others. Still hearing, say “I Ain’t Ever Satisfied” here reminds you how even the greatest artists- Lou Reed, Springsteen, Dylan, McCartney and so on- had long careers but they also had those indelible early hits. Even at 15 songs, it’s hard to get everything covered. Though the double shot of I Feel Alright is not only some great songs but is a nice acknowledgment of the rough years Earle lived through and equally doesn’t fall for the “romantic self-destructive artist” trope that some may fall for. The recent Ghosts of Virginia only gets one song which is It’s About Blood- but it sounds better live here than in the studio and has an extra benefit to the new listener as Earle explains the project. 

Most critics have raved over this album but a select few have said Earle sounds tired and old. Even then for a country singer, that probably wouldn’t be a deal breaker for me- but I think he sounds great here in this setting. I tend to skip 2007s Washington Square Serenade which mainly is overshadowed by the two previous albums that had such a political bent. “Sparkle and Shine” from that album is a nice inclusion for the flip side of so many of the political songs. There are no surprises which pop up on the longer tour set lists, say covers of the Pogues or Justin Townes Earle. As a huge fan, I would have appreciated those, but this does make things as close to a “Where to start with Steve Earle” primer as it is likely intended to be.

On the Shelf: Swami John Reis

In retrospect, I likely don’t rate Rocket from the Crypt as high as I should. sure 

I played the heck out of Scream Dracula Scream, but come to think of it, I played a lot of the RFTC and All Systems Go records too. Somehow, as Indie Rock evolved into a serious Pitchfork rock critic concern in the 00s, Rocket might not have been the type of group that got mass attention. John Reis is sort of an opposite coast version of Jon Spencer. He does what he wants regardless of prevailing styles or trends, even if it means a different band name or record label. 

It means I lost track of him as he largely focused on Hot Snakes, the Sultans and the Night Marchers instead of Rocket. Up until 2015 when he collaborated with garage punks the Blind Shake for Modern Surf Classics- the kind of album that does what it says on the packaging. It wasn’t quite Rocket and definitely wasn’t the Ventures but somehow an intersection of the two. In 2022, Reis made his first “solo” album Ride the Wild Night and to my ears, about as a good album as any I know- a pretty straight forward take on garage rock with pop hooks. It had the Rocket From the Crypt vibes but with more Nuggets and less post punk edge. All of this Awaits You is some of the same. While it reminds me of the recent work of peers like King Khan, but with radio friendly production. 

Ironically, this blast of fun comes from sadness. Rick Froberg passing away unexpectedly was the catalyst for recording. Froberg had been in bands with Reis like Drive Like Jehu and Hot Snakes. So Reis who is running at least four bands now, decided he was going to bang out some rock n roll. All of this… is in the mold of his debut solo album. The opener invokes a classic Rocket from the Crypt with a peel my heart like a banana or onion metaphor. Write what you know I guess and if you are prolific as Reis, you don’t have time for the kind of Lauryn Hill, Tom Scholz or Axl Rose style writers block. The notorious reputation of Harbor Freight Tools? That’s a song. What do you put on your Hot Dog? That’s another song. But why overthink it. This is 23 minutes of rock fun and it’s hard to quibble with that. More accessible than the fury of Hot Snakes ( though original drummer Jason Kourikounis and Tommy Kitsos, an occasional Snakes fill- in is on bass). Let’s just rock and have fun. 

2024 - BMG/Swami Records

Album Review- A Country Celebration of Tom Petty

Contemporary Country music has adapted the roots rock of the 1980s as its heroes which always seemed like an obvious relationship. Springsteen and Mellencamp have been canonized, songs like Tom Cochrane’s “Life is A Highway” and Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” have become cover hits, and as Contemporary Country Music has also revered southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Marshall Tucker Band, its no surprise the country community has come to love Tom Petty.

I had an online conversation recently about most universally loved musicians and Petty was mentioned a lot. As I was growing up, Petty did seem like a big deal. 1985 single “Don’t Come Around Here No More” was one of the handful of most important music videos and the Dave Stewart produced song was no slouch either.

Only a handful of artists like Billy Joel, ZZ Top, Genesis, Springsteen, Van Halen and the Police seemed to bridge the cultural gap from FM Rock to the Video climate. 1986 me thought Petty was a bigger name than Dylan as they toured together (and at the time, maybe he was) and in 1988 when Petty became the youngest Wilbury.

And let’s talk about Full Moon Fever which probably should get more mention as one of the big albums of my lifetime. It was deep with 5 singles- certainly in conversation with Springsteen’s Born in the USA. Free Fallin surely as overplayed as any song I can think of. Following that album - 2 hit singles off 91s Into the Great Wide Open and 1993s Greatest Hits maintained Petty as perhaps the most unlikely and unsung hero of music video television.

1994s Wildflowers is another album we should probably talk about. There were again three killer singles and accompanying videos. Although atypically downbeat, in retrospect it seems like a perfect 90s album on par with any Grunge album of the day.

It surely doesn’t help that Petty went five years without a new album and when he did it was a soundtrack. Still music was under going a change and you can’t expect everyone to hang on. Still, from then on, Petty never seemed to command as much attention again.

I’m probably oversimplifying. 2002’s single “Last DJ” was a big hit with the FM rock crowd. Still as indie music seemed to be rising, artists on non-indie labels were not of interest to indie media.

Which is a shame as during this time, in 2008 and then again in 2016, Petty made some incredible albums with his pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch. They are some of my favorite 21st Century albums.

But I never heard people in the cool websites talking about Petty. I am not saying he didn’t get any attention but he sure felt underappreciated. At least not until his passing. That's when a lot of Petty tribute bands seemed to start pop up, too.

The Tom Petty tribute Petty Country features a mix of some of the biggest names in popular country music with some of the most innovative. The album itself was overseen by Petty’s daughter and the estate.

Legends like George Strait, Willie Nelson, Wynonna and Dolly Parton meet some of the biggest radio stars of today like Dierks Bentley, Thomas Rhett, Eli Young Band and Luke Combs with a nice mix of fhosw who push radio country’s boundaries like Ateve Earle, Chris Stapleton, Margo Price, Rhiannon Giddens and Marty Stuart.

The Petty tribute isn’t likely to get a lot of traction in the Americana circles as it is heavy on the pop country names. There’s also not much in the way of deep cuts. It’s understandable. Sirius XM (who gave Petty his own dedicated channel a la U2, Jimmy Buffet, and the Beatles)played a good deal of the singles on release on its pop country Highway channel.

If you drop the needle most anywhere you will get something like Lady A’s “Stop Dragging My Heart Around”. One of the most popular bands in America for a time, their version of pop country isn’t something I would normally listen to. But it’s hard to deny the strength of Petty’s song. So is the album

More adventurous listeners will likely wish there was more songs like “Don’t Come Around Here No More” by Rhiannon Giddens backed by the Silk Road Ensemble and Heartbreaker Benmont Tench. It’s a perfect match of ambitious musician and a song that isn’t a cookie cutter pop song. Giddens adds banjo and I can only describe as neo psychedelica among other elements to really bring out the dream world envisioned by Petty’s famous video.

I would remiss to mention a personal favorite of mine. Steve Earle’s cover of “Yer So Bad” is a bit of a revelation in its own way. Of course, most of the album stays pretty close to the originals and so I won’t complain about a Petty cover. But “Yer So Bad” has such great lyrics and is a perfect match for the story telling abilities of Earle. Like he did with Townes Van Zant and Guy Clark, it’s hard to beat the original but he can at least match the original in his own way.

RIP: John Mayall

John Mayall recently passed away at aged 90. 

Through his group the Bluesbreakers, he fostered some of the best musicians of the rock era- Eric Clapton, Peter Green, Jack Bruce, John McVie, Aynsley Dunbar, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor and many others. 

 I saw Mayall in the early 00s after longtime Bluesbreaker guitarist Coco Montoya had gone solo and Buddy Whittington had taken his spot in the band. I saw them play at a now defunct Labor Day Blues Festival in St Louis that I adored. I know I went twice and I think three years in a row in the late 00s. It meant that I got to see legends like Mayall and Booker T Jones of the MGs. 

What’s particularly ironic is that in a post-Jack White/Dan Auerbach musical world, Blues became another strain of Americana and you could probably say these musicians, who often weren’t young, are now more famous than when I saw them because of that new audience. So, no I won’t forget seeing Bettye LaVette, Shemekia Copeland and Jimmy “Duck” Holmes. 

Also, sadly Death has taken a couple of musicians who would surely have gone to bigger things given new styles- Michael Burks who played a great rock guitar has been covered by Kingtone “Catfish” Ingram and Nick Curran who played a rockabilly influenced blues kind of similar to what Jesse Dayton does now. This free festival was replaced after a few years but it leaves some of my strongest musical memories. 

 

RIP: Martin Phillips of the Chills

It’s funny that as we talk about music, hidden memories get rediscovered Martin Phillips, lead singer of the Chills recently passed away at 61. 

Like so many artists, his legacy can’t be summed up in one thought or sentence His band seemed to be on the breakthrough of the US mainstream in the early 1990s. There were some quirky pop singles on MTV’s 120 Minutes with bands like XTC, House of Love and the Ocean Blue among many others finally finding large audiences. I went as far as buying Submarine Bells and although I kind of just stuck with Heavenly Pop Hit- a song that describes itself- I didn’t go all that much further. But my friends did, and when the Chills reemerged with 2015s Silver Bullets, they were greatly loved once again. 

All of this doesn’t even cover their 1980s albums for Flying Nun which are a great influence and when I made it to college, submerged myself into finding the New Zealand sound. Along with bands like the Clean, the Bats, the Jean Paul Satre Experience, the 3Ds and Straitjacket Fits among others, the sound of Velvet Underground influenced pop from New Zealand bands has touched everyone who has heard it, and I suspect will be timeless for new listeners to come. 

Recent conversations around the Chills and another band Downy Mildew now immortalized by the recent Strum and Thrum: American Jangle Underground compilation unlocked a surprising forgotten memories. 

Me in 1992 was very interested in discovering music. This was before I found college radio but knew of it. MTV offered a window but I was hungry for more. I remembered some sampler CDs that I had either ordered for free out of the back of a music magazine or maybe bought with the magazine. It was a novel idea then. Of course, in the 1990s and early 2000s, I would buy the CMJ newsstand magazine that excelled at promoting new alternative bands. Then as it disappeared, saw the rise of Uk mags that did the same- Q and the Word back then and Mojo and Uncut carrying the torch. But I did look for free music back in those pre Internet days. Sire Records of course had the Just Say Yes series (for a price). Epic/Columbia promoted free music via soda pop companies. I even bought for a dollar or two the fantastic sampler put out by small indie Alias Records. 

But I couldn’t quite pull that early memory. I remember these discs being weirdly diverse with rock, jazz, world, etc. A few big names, a few names that became big and some who never did. And I thought it seemed it was something to do with Musician magazine. Though I now wondered if that was a real thing or if I made it up. I went to the Wiki and saw it did exist- a place for writers like Lester Bangs and Cameron Crowe- though by the time I started reading it, it was owned by Billboard Magazine and folded in 1999. Sure enough I looked and the discs I remember having I found. 

It was their series A Little on the CD side. I had at least three and possibly more. Looking at what I found online-the series carried on a bit and would have been great to keep up with as I see later discs with people like PJ Harvey, Elliott Smith and others who came later. It’s likely where I first heard Shakespear’s Sister, the Rembrandts, the Spin Doctors, Sophie B Hawkins and Del Amitri before they made their marks on 90s Radio. It was also a good spot to hear new music from Warren Zevon, Ringo Starr, Maceo Parker, Wendy & Lisa and Los Lobos- established artists who had been pushed to the margins. Eno and Cale was a revelation as were the Chills as was E (Mark Everett) who had bigger days ahead as Eels. I heard Me Phi Me whose Wikipedia entry details his success but someone I feel deserved more. But I also remember the bands that sounded like nothing I had ever heard and maybe I could or couldn’t make heads or tails of like Strunz and Farah, Young Gods and Limbo Maniacs. 

Here are the discogs pages for the ones that I know I had 

 https://www.discogs.com/release/6612622-Various-Musician-Magazines-A-Little-On-The-CD-Side-Volume-1 

 https://www.discogs.com/release/6613313-Various-Musician-Magazines-A-Little-On-The-CD-Side-Volume-VI 

 https://www.discogs.com/release/6613277-Various-Musician-Magazines-A-Little-On-The-CD-Side-Volume-5

 

RIP: James Chance

There are many times in our life where we hear a song that blows us away. While it may be less over the years, one still runs into them, and definitely one of those songs for me is “Contort Yourself” by James Chance.

I must have of him before I heard him. Like Glenn Branca or John Zorn, it’s almost impossible not to have heard the name. Famously, Chance was part of the 1978 Brian Eno curated compilation No New York which also introduced Arto Lindsay and Lydia Lunch.

Although I don’t know that I am a huge fan of the scene that became called No Wave- as opposed to New Wave- this post punk rock imagining of funk, jazz and disco, I do find the idea intriguing. And as an alternative rock fan of the 80s, its legacy was being carried out by the Swans, Sonic Youth and others.

I never fully jumped into a Chance deep dive but I always found “Contort Yourself” an amazing song. By the time I had gotten to it, it shouldn’t have seemed so revolutionary. There’s definitely a straight line to bands like Jon Spencer Blues Explosion that loves James Brown and gritty rock equally. I had found fringe bands like Chrome and Dog Faced Hermans whose stretching of boundaries really appealed to me. Even the post punk sounds of PiL and Pere Ubu were taking us there.

And yet, knowing all this still, it smacks a wallop. Even if you never heard the music, album covers like Off White by Chance’s alter ego band James White and the Blacks is pure cool- Chance with greased pompadour and sax.

In the modern day of social media, I learned of Chance’s failing health and though he truly was a great rock character, he still needed a GoFundMe. It is sad that someone of such a legacy would need that kind of assistance. His music will live on

An Appreciation - The Four Tops

88 year old Duke Fakir passed away last month meaning all of the original Four Tops are now gone. 

I knew Fakir was still touring the group when I read a review I think from the Guardian a few years ago. Fakir performed up until two days before his death which means he was a Four Top for 70 years The band will continue led by Ronnie McNeir who took over for Levi Stubbs in 1999 and sang with them since. 

I think most of us love the Motown (and similar sounding soul) bands but the Four Tops were really the pinnacle for me. They legitimately are one of my favorite musical artists of all time. The Funk Brothers were the backing band as they were for most every big Motown hit you can name. Holland-Dozier-Holland were the songwriting team and although they wrote for many artists, they are particularly known for writing for the 4 Tops and the Supremes. 

This may be some subliminal suggestion but Billy Bragg had a song called Levi Stubbs’s Tears and I truly think Levi was an amazing unique frontman. The band’s most famous songs are “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” and they are fantastic songs. But so many of their hits are great. Stubbs always sounded like he was singing about the most important thing. “Bernadette” with its false finish, “Standing in the Shadows of Love” with its juxtaposition of urgent rhythm and the desperation of "Seven Rooms of Gloom", Stubbs signing his heart out on these essential songs. 

 If anything, I love the Motown essentials, but I know the band released music until the late 1980s. Though I consider myself a Rock Guy, an indie music fan, the Four Tops are always on my listening menu. Though they predate the “album” era, Second Album is remarkably solid with the recognizable songs on side one and a nice enjoyable second side of songs that don't get played on the radio.. At this point, it looks like the band will continue on led by Lewis McNeir who replaced Stubbs in 1999 and has had a strong musician and producer career on his own. 

 1966 - Motown 

 

Album Review- Vacations- No Place Like Home

I have been quite interested in the generational music divide. 

People my age generally had some commonality which I attribute mostly to MTV and its alternative music kingmaker 120 Minutes. We all knew the popular band and it seemsd like the mags like Spin and Alternative Press, college radio and everything else fell in line behind. When I talk to someone my age, we have the same references. 

When I talk to someone 15 years younger, they don’t get my references. Names like Psychedelic Furs or Horton Heat are meaningless. But it goes both ways. I am not sure how this generation consumes music. 

I suppose it’s multiple things like Spotify curated playlists, alt rock radio, Pandora streams, viral TikTok videos, TV and movie soundtracks, hipster blogs, tastemaker YouTube shows, Reddit threads and so on. Perhaps some secret dark web that only those under 35 have access to, for all I know. Still, these bands have millions of listeners and pack concert halls (though not always, a common modern problem is determining if streams can equal ticket sales). I used to feel I know the scope of everything but those days are gone. 

Australian band Vacations feel like a group that straddles both lines. They get play on Sirius XMs “College Rock” station which echoes the old guard commonality. Their sound is old school too. Dream Pop probably most accurately describes their blend of psych, shoe gaze, and Smiths jangle. To my ear, I hear comparisons to another Antipodean band San Cisco and Midwest bedroom pop artist Yot Club. Vacations do market themselves as Australia’s biggest boy band and their biggest moment is from a TikTok for their 2016 song “Young” and their 2018 song “Telephones” appropriately about being obsessed with our phone. For a band that sprung to life like many of their age from Tumblr and SoundCloud, that shouldn’t be a big deal. But the 90s sound of dream pop is what lures me in and I dig their sound.

What I am Listening to - The Beatles - The White Album- Esher Demos

It’s been a year and a half since I cleaned out my mom’s house and I detailed some of the records I had found. 

Now, I am doing the same thing again, though not without help from others this time, for a family friend. And one of the perks was finding the 2016 White Album/Escher Demos box set and the Springsteen autobiography Born to Run. The box isn’t in enough shape to resell and it’s one of those pieces that would have a nice return but I just would have wound up wanting to listen to it anyway. 

 I have spoken about the Beatles at length. But I do remember a couple of years in college where I started the Fall by buying a new a CD. I remember just two of these, but one was Revolver and one was the White Album. The Esher Tapes were from my understanding recorded at George Harrison’s place in May of 1968 as a precursor to the White Album- with nearly half of the compositions from John, but also some, of course from Paul and George. I always enjoyed the variety of the White Album which feels like a true album of songs and not a collection of singles. The band seems to enjoy bringing the songs together on these Esher demos. 

Like the Vanilla Tapes that formed The Clash’s London Calling, I am super interested in hearing them, but I also imagine that I will not necessarily revisit them much in the future. However, the sound quality of the Vanilla Tapes were a detriment On the Esher Tapes they are presented in pretty high quality. So, it is possible, in any case, I look forward to spending some time with them now.

What I Am Listening to- Cherry Red Presents Action Time Vision- A Story of UK Independent Punk 1976-1979

As an American teenager in the 90s, I loved classic UK punk. And UK punk was more than the 76-77 Clash and Sex Pistols, it was so much deeper and extended a seeming decade. It was quite easy to sell cheap compilations to kids like me. You could get Dave Goodman’s recordings, slap a couple of Sex Pistols with lesser known bands and voila there you have it One of the compilations I bought that was out of that mold was 1996s Politics of Punk put out by Dressed to Kill Records. 

DTK was most famous for their colorful anthology primers. Want to know about Punk, Goth, Ska, Reggae, or Ambient? They had a collection for you. Before the label folded in 2002, they had released compilations for some of the movers and shakers in these genres, as well as plenty of tribute albums and a few leftfield choices like David Koresh, Rev Jim Jones and Sid Vicious. But unlike Rhino Records who captured the punk story in their DIY series, DTK used mostly cheap live recordings. 

Politics of Punk was a bit disappointing sure, but I played the heck out of it. It only vaguely collected bands like the MC5, the Exploited and Dead Kennedys who had a political theme among some cherry picked bigger names like the Fall, the Mekons and Sham 69. But it also introduced me to plenty of quality unsung bands. It was my introduction to the splendid Newtown Neurotics and Tom Robinson Band. 

A decade letter, British label Cherry Red Records is doing the compilation thing- but instead of cheap recordings in shoddy packaging, they are doing it right. 2013s Scared to Get Happy is a well loved indie pop compilation. 2017s Close to The Noise Floor explores early UK electronica. 2021s Shake the Foundation highlighted late 70s/early 80s Militant Funk. 2022s C91 updated the idea of C86 to focus on those early 90s bands These are but a few of their fabulous works. 

While they aren’t the only record label doing amazing box sets, they are definitely one to recognize. 2016s Action Time Vision is a collection celebrating what was then 40 years of Punk- specifically focusing on independent label punk. It shows the breadth of punk topics and styles. Punk fans will recognize many names here- Sham 69, UK Subs, Angelic Upstarts, Chelsea, The Fall, The Ruts, the Adicts, Eater, Vice Squad, Rezillos, the Boys, Patrik Fitzgerald, Cockney Rejects, SpizzEnergi and of course, given the title, Alternative TV. 

There’s also some important bands that have only started to get their due after their influence faded like Pure Hell and Hollywood Brats. There’s Punishment of Luxury who never quite lived up to their promise and Disco Zombies- “never were”s whose music holds up amazingly well. There’s lesser known musical acts like The Pack with Kirk Brandon of Theatre of Hate and Spear of Destiny and Demon Preacher featuring Nick from Alien Sex Fiend. Of course, there’s also more than a few obscurities who show his great the scene was. That not all of the songs are great but so many are interesting really speaks to the scene. Songs that target disco or Elvis may or may not have aged well but capture the era.

Album Review- Zach Bryan - The Great American Bar Scene

Zach Bryan has put together a career like few others. Like practically everyone, I first noticed him on his third album 2022s American Hearbreak, his major label breakthrough after two self released recordings. 

The singles were practically inescapable- simultaneously getting play on Country, Pop and Americana radio. I had mixed feelings about American Heartbreak but it most likely was the two hour run time (and 34 songs). Even the best music group to ever do it struggled it when they attempted a triple album. If the Clash and Prince resorted to filler, undoubtedly Bryan did too. (After I wrote this, I read the Allmusic review which sounds about the same as mine. I guess there’s only so many triple albums. Site users do seem to rate Heartbreak much higher than me? 2023s self titled follow up would prove whether Bryan had it or not. 

In the course of 15 months, he went from unknown to one of the most buzzed artists in music. He had a massive hit single “I Remember Everything” the first song to simultaneously hold the # 1 spot on the Hot 100, the country chart and the alternative chart. Musically, it was a pretty great balancing act of being popular with the alt Country Crowd and country radio, in a way that few ever did, and even those who come to mind like Steve Earle or Jason Isbell never did quite conquer the charts like Bryan did Bryan was never going to sit still for long. He followed the album with a surprise five song EP. It contained two superstar collaborators (Noah Kahan, Bon Iver) and one of his best songs to date “9 Ball”. He should be tapped out for ideas but like the best artists in their creative peak, he keeps churning. The Great American Bar Scene is only an hour long but brings 19 songs and poems. 

 Modern pop country has a lot of 1970s Rock influences and one of those threads is The Boss (who was the topic of Eric Church’s 2012 #1 country song “Springsteen”). Bruce seems like the most obvious influence on Bar Scene, whether it was overtly through listening to Nebraska itself or as carried on by Earle and likely Bryan influences like Whitey Morgan, Drivin N Cryin or the Turnpike Troubadours, the literate lyrics here are part of that lineage. Interestingly, Bryan maintains that tightrope if intentional or not. “Pink Skies” (backed by North Carolina folk duo Watchhouse) is already a monster country hit. 

Though he would likely hate the comparison, Bryan reminds me a lot of Johnny Cash insomuch he isn’t trying to be anything specific. He seems comfortable in big arena crowds but he has been particularly critical of the record industry. He has no interest in politics despite being the kind of artist people would want to “choose sides”. It’s the kind of unicorn musician who doesn’t pick and choose his audience in a way that only the elder class of musicians like Johnny, Willie and Dolly could get away with. And maybe he won’t be able to get away with it forever, but for the time being, it’s working. Working man narrative is his strength and he leans into it with a “State Trooper” reference in the title track and “Oak Island” sounding like a spin on “Atlantic City”. If that isn’t enough, there’s another star studded guest list with artists like John Moreland and John Mayer and sure enough Bruce himself on “Sandpaper” The Springsteen track like much of the second half of the album isn’t a particularly standout (though it does have a great Born in the USA vibe). Which isn’t to say it isn’t good, but some of the “singles” are so top shelf. The Mayer duet likewise is part of that lesser half- not an essential Bryan track though both make for interesting additions to the whole here. 

 The Great American Bar Scene is a strong next chapter in the Zach Bryan story. While country music trends will eventually swing back, Bryan has set himself up for what looks like a fine career 2024 - Warner

Album Review- The Decemberists- As it Ever Was, Shall It Be Again

The Decemberists were part of a high water mark for indie rock circa the early 2000s, -which now has been called by the masses “Dad Rock”- with bands like Wilco, the National, and TV On the Radio- Pitchfork endorsed favorites whose audiences have inevitably aged. It’s all kind of silly, but every generation needs its Steely Dan. 

 The Decemberists were one of my favorite bands of this movement. It may technically have been indie rock but it featured sea shanties, murder ballads and other various narratives. Almost every in depth story of the band states that they were theater geeks in school not garage band punks. Colin Meloy is famously a huge Smiths fan and that intersects with REM- style college rock and as their Allmusic profile says - a strand of folk from bands like Fairport Convention and Pentangle. Their sound was truly unique which is why I liked them. Something offbeat akin to the Pogues or Camper Van Beethoven. 

For me, the band’s third album “Picaresque” was where every thing gelled. On that album, what may be their signature song “The Mariner’s Revenge Song” which did what it advertised. The band made the major label jump for 2011s The Hazard of Love which was still telling a complicated plot, but things were changing, and the next album 2011’s The King Is Dead despite the Smiths’ sounding name really seemed as if the band was now moving into respectful indie rock territory. Peter Buck guested and it seemed the band was hoping to duplicate REMs mainstream success. But with the change in sound, I found myself no longer really that interested in the band. Albums in 2015 and 2018 came and went with little attention from me 

 But ahead of 2024s As it Ever Was, Shall It Be Again, the band released “Burial Ground” a collaboration with another Aughts indie hero James Mercer of the Shins. Probably their most striking single since 2011s “ The Rake’s Song”. Band promo materials suggest that the album title may be apt with the band looking to incorporate all the sounds of their two-decade-plus career. 

Indeed, songs like “William Fitzwillam” would probably fit comfortably on those early albums. It’s interesting to see Redditors try to pin down the sound - Lyle Lovett, John Prine, Drive By Truckers- and I am not sure I would use any of those artists, it does give some insight into how left of center the band remains. To further prove the point, while the album begins with the radio hit sounding “Burial Ground”, it ends with the near 20- minute “Joan in the Garden”. Sure, it probably could have been edited but for the most part holds all the way through and if the bands want to add prog rock and 70s arena rock to their arsenal, I think we should let them. As It Ever Was is a wonderful return to form, and while album promo materials tend to be hyperbolic, it certainly sounds like the band put a considerable amount of effort in making the best album they could.

Album Review- Richard Thompson- Ship to Shore

A standard question that everyone asks is “What is the outlier in your music collection” and my answer is always Prince. 

Now, there may be better answers for me- Ice Cube, A Tribe Called Quest, Rodney Crowell, Glen Miller, Bobby Darin, the Four Tops, Bill Monroe, U-Roy, Screaming Jay Hawkins, even Tom Petty, might be a better response. But maybe I should say Richard Thompson. 

 Not that I don’t listen to singer- songwriters or folk- but Thompson is such an outlier to popular music in general. There are few artists quite like him. Not that Thompson ever makes bad albums, but his best albums seem to usually have a binding theme and almost always, a striking album cover. 

Thompson looks like a fisherman, more like someone on the Deadliest Catch than a rock star- in the cover painting with seagull on each shower. The album follows a similar nautical theme to previous album 13 Rivers. Recorded in Woodstock, New York, critics are general agreement that it will rank with his best albums. It has a variety of sounds and styles that like the Classic Richard and Linda Thompson still holds together and yet upon reflection, shows a great deal of emotions. Yes, it is most somber and serious, but not always. 

Like my favorite of his 1990s albums- I love that I feel like every song is important and striking. Yes, the last few albums were good but they were also the typical collection of songs where only two or three were of great impact. That said, the most striking songs here are The Fear Never Leaves You- a song about losing half your crew to a terrible storm and the much more upbeat “We Roll” a sea shanty of inspiration.