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The Parlor Soldiers: Now I Wrestle Every Rhyme

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“You’re a little bi-polar,” he tells her, “and you get on my ass about drinking my liquor and smoking too much grass.”

She parries. “You know, you’re no Johnny Cash.”

“Woman, what’d you say?”

“I said, you ain’t the Man in Black, and I won’t be treated this way.”

But there is a wry, knowing edge in each of their voices that melts into affection by the end of their argument.

 

 

This argument is the third track, “Crazy”, from the Parlor Soldiers’ album When the Dust Settles, and showcases the essence of what makes their songs really work (and if you click up there, you can download “Crazy” for free). Backed by simple, slim but solid Americana-based arrangements, they are playful without coming off as if they are trying to hard to show how clever they are, and they are real without being precious. And their voices are so handsome that you want to date them both.

Forming in Fredericksburg, Virginia, after Alex Culbreth asked Karen Jonas to sing at some gigs with him, the two, each who had already established themselves as solo artists, added upright bass (played by Dan Dutton) to the mix and began writing and playing as the Parlor Soldiers.

“We spent several months coming up with different band names but none of them seemed to fit our style of music,” Culbreth told me. “We came up with The Parlor Soldiers after coming across a list of Civil War terms. It was a derogatory term meaning a soldier who was unfit for war, a poseur, or not a true soldier. We thought that it sounded good, liked the old-timey Civil War connection, and liked the fact that it was an insult.”

When the Dust Settles, which I’ve fallen a little more in love with at each listen, covers themes from giving an abuser his just desserts to being a woman with ramblin’ on her mind to being a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde duo driven to desperate ends by the economy and circumstance, with the singing, playing and songwriting shared evenly by Jonas and Culbreth. And the balance between those three elements is nearly perfect, never sacrificing their enticing musicality to showcase their smart lyrics, never working their chosen genre up into caricature and always singing strong and true.

 

 

 

And each time I listen to When the Dust Settles I want to hear those songs played live. You will, too, so take note of these tour dates.

Jan 25
Courtyard Marriott
Fredericksburg, VA

Jan 26
Kybecca Wine Bar
Fredericksburg, VA

Jan 27
The Dunes
Washington, DC

Feb 03
The Griffin Bookshop
Fredericksburg, VA

Feb 04
Northside Social Cafe & Wine Bar
Arlington, VA

Feb 08
Courtyard Marriott
Fredericksburg, VA

Feb 11
Colonial Tavern
Fredericksburg, VA

Feb 16
The Camel
Richmond, VA

Feb 17
Bar 4
Brooklyn, NY

Feb 18
Caffe Vivaldi
New York, NY

Feb 29
Strange Matter
Richmond, VA

Mar 13
Solly’s U Street Tavern
Washington, DC

Mar 31
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
Fredericksburg, VA

Apr 27
Hill Country Barbeque Market
Washington, DC

May 11
The Corner Store
Washington, DC

May 28
Brewer’s Alley
Frederick, MD

Sep 07
Ashland Coffee & Tea
Ashland, VA

Jan 25
Picker’s Supply Concert Hall
Fredericksburg, VA

 

The Parlor Soldiers @ Bandcamp

The Parlor Soldiers @ Facebook

The Parlor Soldiers @ ReverbNation

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Feel Bad For You, January 2012

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The FBFY talent pool has corralled a smattering of favorite songs of 2011. Eclectic, quirky, odd… and that’s just the contributors. Stream or download below.

 

Download.

 

1. Title: Devil In New Orleans
Artist: Powder Mill
Album (2011): Southern Independent Vol. 2
Submitted By: Adam Sheets
Comments: Of all the exclusives we put on the three volumes of Southern Independent, this is probably my favorite.

2. Title: New Orleans
Artist: Robyn Ludwick
Album (2011): Out Of These Blues
Submitted By: Mando Lines (Jim Warren)
Comments: My favorite track off of one of my favorite records of 2011. Robyn Ludwick is a Robison, as in sister to Charlie and Bruce, but she’s got her own take on being a singer-songwriter. As New Orleans demonstrates, her voice is sexy, her lyrics are smart and her songs are real.

3. Title: The Reckoning
Artist: Mount Moriah
Album (2011): Mount Moriah
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow at Altcountrytab)
Comments: One of the more upbeat songs off this album. Sweet vocals, beautiful melody, just makes you feel good all over. If you’ve ever liked any music described as “alt-country” you need to check this album out. A perfect blend of country and indie rock – go get this one now.

4.Title: I Make Enemies
Artist: Daniel Knox
Album (2011): Everyman for Himself
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: Since I already submitted my favorite song of 2011 to the August FBFY, here’s my top runner-up from Couch by Couchwest alumni Daniel Knox. With some help from Akron, Ohio’s own Ralph Carney (Tin Huey, Tom Waits, the Black Keys), Knox spins a heartfelt tale of love for humanity. Ah, my cockles, they are warmed.

5. Title: Out With The Embers
Artist: Ghosts I’ve Met
Album (2011): From A Spark
Submitted By: erschen

6. Title: Out Of These Blues
Artist: Robyn Ludwick
Album (2011): Out Of These Blues
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: Has been my favorite song for the better part of the year. I love everything about it.

7. Title: You Been Lyin’
Artist: Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears
Album (2011): Scandalous (2011)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: Four of my top ten favorite albums leaned toward R&B and Soul-influenced sound. Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears captured it beautifully. Great band to see live too!

8. Title: You Devil You
Artist: John Paul Keith
Album (2011): The Man That Time Forgot
Submitted By: @mikeorren
Comments: Lots of new music this year, but I keep going back to this one. And I’m always a sucker for a Devil song.

9. Title: Workin’ Man Zombie
Artist: 4 On The Floor
Album (2011): 4 x 4
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: Nothing like a little optimism about the working life to begin the new year.

10. Title: Shut Up And Love Me
Artist: The Dead Exs
Album (2011): Resurrection
Submitted By: @Popa2unes
Comments: I’m trying to make it on 10 dollars a day, I’m working part time and their docking my pay, My baby tells me we got three mouths to feed, I’d stop complaining if she just say to me, Shut up and love me.

11. Title: Sweet Disposition
Artist: Lori McKenna
Album (2011): Lorraine
Submitted By: @Rockstar_Aimz
Comments: I think that this song may be about me.

12. Title: Before the Night is Gone
Artist: Zoe Muth & Lost High Rollers
Album (2011): Starlight Hotel
Submitted By: Simon

13. Title: Ashes Of Burned Out Stars
Artist: The Pollies
Album: N/A – Live From The Shoals track (rough)
Submitted By: Corey Flegel – This Is American Music
Comments: The Pollies are just another band along with DBT, Jason Isbell, The Civil Wars, Doc Dailey, and Lauderdale that hail from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. No big deal…they will have their proper coming out party in 2012. Be ready…

14. Title: Freaks and Geeks
Artist: Childish Gambino
Album: EP (2011)
Submitted By: Phil Norman | @philnorman
Comments: My favorite records of the year would be folks like Jason Isbell, Chis Thile & Michael Daves, Glossary, and Gillian. But when I looked at my iTunes playcounts, a little guilty pleasure was right there at the top. Donald Glover is insanely talented.

15. Title: Bummer
Artist: JEFF the brotherhood
Album (2011): We Are The Champions
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: I was able to catch JEFF the brotherhood at the Pilot Light here in Knoxville back in September, and I feel really lucky that I did. It was an amazing show, one that I keep thinking about. (I posted about it on my tumblr…just in case you wanna see pics) It was definitely in my top live shows of 2011, sooooo I decided to pick a song off their 2011 album “We Are The Champions” for this mix.

16. Title: God-Fearing People
Artist: Kelsey Waldon
Album: Anybody’s Darlin’ EP
Submitted By: Trailer

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Feel Bad For You, December 2011

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With my lack of posting lately, it’s hardly my place to give anyone else shit, but now that Truersound Matt has finally gotten off his ass, I can present you with this month’s FBFY mix, compiled by bloggers, tweeters, music makers and music lovers and powered by love. And hate. And liberal doses of alcohol and caffeine. And possibly narcotics. And electricity. Stream or download below.

 

Download.

 

Title: This Ship Was Built To Last
Artist: The Duke Spirit
Album: Neptune
Year: 2008
Submitted By: Shooter
Comments: Why don’t you go over there and blow me and come back over here and fuck you

Title: The Stranger Song
Artist: Leonard Cohen
Album: Songs of Leonard Cohen
Year: 1968
Submitted By: Adam Sheets

Title: Quarter Chicken Dark
Artist: Yo Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan
Album: The Goat Rodeo Sessions
Year: 2011
Submitted By: Phil Norman – @philnorman
Comments: You should need no comment after seeing the names of the four masters making this music.

Title: Solitary Man
Artist: Sidewinders
Album: Witchdoctor
Year: 1989
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: Who can resist a great Neil Diamond cover?

Title: Zane Merite
Artist: Mudlow
Album: Zane Merite
Year: 2006
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: I knew what Mudlow looked like (thanks to this photo set on Flickr) a few years before I knew what they sounded like (which seems fair enough since Mudlow takes their time between albums). And what they sound like is the noir soundtrack of my (rougher, dustier) dreams. This song will make a reappearance on their next, just-finished album, so think of it as an early preview.

Title: Presents From The Past
Artist: Billy Joe Shaver
Album: Victory
Year 1998
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: It’s a Billy Joe xmas

Title: Impermanent Things
Artist: Peter Himmelman
Album: Mission Of My Soul: The Best of Peter Himmelman
Year: 2005
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: My knee-jerk reaction was to offer Ray LaMontagne’s “Beg, Steal or Borrow” as a Dirty Santa submission for this month’s compilation. However, I’m a sucker for Christmas. I want to believe – I have to believe – that there is still a shred of relevance to it. Even if the time and events surrounding it have been bastardized by black days, cyber weeks, thoughtless gift cards, hair-graying stress over time at “your folks or mine this year?”, apathetic efforts in helping the truly needy, gluttony, etc., there is still something magical about The Day. Being Jewish, Himmelman clearly didn’t write this song about Christmas. Nonetheless, I think its a good kick-in-the-gut reminder where my priorities need to be -and where they shouldn’t. Thus endeth the soapbox. Enjoy the track. And thanks to those who sampled, listened, downloaded, commented, and ignored my submissions this year – and to FBFY overall. See ya in 12.

Title: Up the Junction
Artist: Chris Difford
Album: Uncut Sept 2006
Year: 2006
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: Had this track stuck in my head for a few days now, like this version with a little bit of steel.

Title: This Town
Artist: Don Ryan
Album: Tangle Town
Year: 2011
Submitted By: @popa2unes
Comments: Staying in my own backyard again this month, Don Ryan is from Hawthorne NJ. The 18 song album is available on his bandcamp page, name your price. fantastic witty dark lyrics and multi influenced music mixed together by a mad scientist. “As defeat licks the jaws of victory, The rotten teeth of injury and insult gnaw at me, The local stigmatic handsome gentleman detonates, incinerates the town he’s living in”

Title: Speak Plainly Diana (Live)
Artist: Joe Pug
Album: Live at Lincoln Hall
Year: 2011
Submitted By: Autopsy IV (ninebullets.net)
Comments: A live album with no new songs on it a Top 10 of the year? Better fucking believe it.

Title: Ruby Jack
Artist: Ronnie Lane & Steve Marriott
Album: The Legendary Majik Mijits
Year: 1980
Submitted By: Erschen

Title: Merry Christmas To You
Artist: The High Score
Album: Christmas Split
Year: 2009
Submitted By: annieTUFF
Comments: I know this wasn’t technically a Christmas themed mix, but I’ve been listening to this song a bunch today….so you should too. AND it talks about New Years Eve too…soooo really it’s fitting for the entire month of December (yay).

This is actually one half a free split that Mic Harrison and The High Score put out for download on their website last year (it’s still up, you can download both songs @ http://www.micharrison.com/Download.html. )

By the way, I kept going back and forth between this song, and the Dwarves “Drinkin’ Up Christmas” and the Vandals “My first X-mas As a Woman” so, go find those (slightly offensive) Christmas songs too.

Title: Whiskey Christmas
Artist: Darby O’Gill and the Little People
Album: Christmas Songs For Drunken Atheists
Year: 2007
Submitted By: Rockstar_Aimz
Comments: Christmas brings psychotic family, massive consumerism,
loneliness, huge expectations, and getting stuck overnight in an
airport somewhere during a goddamn snowstorm. But at least there’s
booze!

Title: Foregone
Artist: The Decemberists
Album: Long Live the King
Year: 2011
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow @ Altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: I never thought I would like anything by the Decemberists, but The King is Dead is my favorite album of 2011. The follow up EP Long Live the King is a pretty good addendum, with “Foregone” being the best of the bunch. Cannot believe this song didn’t make the album proper – listen to that pedal steel!

Title: Destiny
Artist: Riviera
Album: Watching Western Skies (EP)
Year: 2011
Submitted By: Cowbelle (www.morecowbelle.net)
Comments: Riviera were an alt.country group in Chicago, now re-located and re-grouped in Portland, OR.

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New Guadalupe Plata Single

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You may recall us covering this dirty Spanish band with sharp edges before. They have a new single out called “Casino El Camino”, and it’s a two-parter. Listen up!

 

Good stuff and available for free download. How many people do you know who love you enough to give you good stuff for free?

Guadalupe Plata @ Bandcamp

Guadalupe Plata @ Facebook

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Old Gray Mule: A Day in MS, a Night in TX

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This year’s Deep Blues Festival, my first, was full of highlights both music and personal. One of those highlights was seeing Old Gray Mule play, partially because of their musical prowess and service to the groove and partially because watching C.R. Humphrey and C.W. Ayon joke around like a couple of schoolboys on the verge of a giggle fit is so damned enjoyable.

It is great to hear that slightly mischievous, good-time atmosphere brought to OGM’s new release A Day in Mississippi, A Night in Texas. “Alright, this song’s got cussing in it,” Humphrey announces as OGM kicks off a live set, recorded this past July at the 2nd annual Junior Kimbrough Birthday Party in Austin, Texas. After a little more joshing around, OGM ease into their gritty take on “Stagger Lee”, showing not only that service to the groove but also showcasing Ayon’s sharp vocal attitude as he relays the fateful story. Ayon is a good match for Humphrey, who has played with a few different drummers under the Old Gray Mule handle. The swagger of Ayon’s vocals reflect the cool assurance of Humprhey’s guitar playing as Ayon also backs up on drums with a beat calculated for maximum hip sway.

 

Stagger Lee/My Babe Told Me So by Old Gray Mule

 

And can we talk about Humprhey’s guitar playing? From fuzzed-out riffs inspired by north Mississippi hill country blues masters like Junior Kimbrough, R.L. Burnside and T-Model Ford to funked up waka-chika (their take on Burnside Exploration’s “Bitch, You Lie” rolling into Parliament’s “Flashlight”, with Julia Magness of the Original Bells of Joy, is an ass-shaking good time) to the soulful picking that characterizes their cover of Junior Kimbrough’s “I Cried Last Night” (with Meredith Kimbrough of Mother Merey and the Black Dirt) that will have you closing your eyes, nodding your head and wishing you could morph into a guitar string to be so sweetly caressed, Humphrey is sharp.

But before the party night in Texas, there is the day in Mississippi where Humphrey and Ayon record with guitarist Bill Abel who has played and recorded with greats like Paul “Wine” Jones, Hubert Sumlin, Sam Carr and more. For me, the highlight of this four-song section is the sleek, slow-grooving “I’m Bad Like Jesse James”.

 

I’m Bad Like Jesses James by Old Gray Mule with Bill Abel

 

If you need a little more convincing (But why would you? Did you listen to those songs up there? Fucking great!), head over to Deep Blues where Rick Saunders has another taste from the album for you, a little zydeco number. Then get yourself out to a show and pick this up for yourself when Old Gray Mule hits your town (the opportunity will be coming up shortly if you’re in Australia).

Old Gray Mule Official Website

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Feel Bad For You, September 2011

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Time for the September installment of the Feel Bad For You mix, lovingly compiled by a miscreant bunch of music makers, music pushers and music lovers. Free for you to stream or download, out of the kindness of our little, black hearts.

 

 

Download

 

Title: Astronomy
Artist: Blue Oyster Cult
Album: Secret Treaties (1974)
Submitted by: Shooter Jennings
Comments: Part of one of the most expansive and confusing concept albums ever written which involves Aliens, Dark Mirrors and Lesbians (supposedly)

Title: Stick With Me
Artist: Nicki Bluhm
Album: Driftwood (2011)
Submitted by: noteethleroy
Comments: This one has gotten under my skin lately, to me it brings back memories of the classic duets I grew up on.

Title: Red on the Head
Artist: Jonny Corndawg
Album: Down On The Bikini Line (2011)
Submitted by: toomuchcountry
Comments: As the calendar turns to September, what comes to mind? State fairs. And with state fairs, what comes to mind? Corn dogs, right? Well, maybe. I first heard Jonny Corndawg in 2009 when he opened for the legendary Billy Joe Shaver at Nashville’s Exit-In. In the two years since, I’ve learned he is a leather worker, an avid runner, a gypsy-like touring machine, and an artist with a brand new release with some pretty witty – even bordering on juvenile – lyrics. Right in my wheelhouse.

Title: Matador
Artist: Brontide
Album: San Souci (2011)
Submitted by: Erschen
Comments: Interesting instrumental rock. Kind of all over the place.

Title: Keep On Letting Me Down
Artist: Mic Harrison And The High Score
Album: Great Commotion (2010)
Submitted by: annieTUFF
Comments: I might be a little partial to this band…. But, I truly love this song, it was my instant favorite from this album (“Great Commotion” ), and I think it stands as one of my top songs from Mic and The High Score.

Title: Space Guitar
Artist: Johnny “Guitar” Watson
Album: single (1954)
Submitted by: Bowood
Comments: This record influenced everyone from Dick Dale to Jimi Hendrix . Watson later made records that influenced 70′s funk and 80′s rap. Great performer and singer. Quite a character too.

Title : Stars Fell
Artist : Lauderdale
Album : Moving On (2011)
Submitted by : Corey Flegel (TIAM)
Comments : My favorite song I’ve heard this year…Yeah, I’m biased and I don’t care. Go get it here if you want : www.thisisamericanmusic.com

Title: Orphan Girl
Artist: Emmylou Harris
Album: Wrecking Ball (1995)
Submitted by: Phil Norman | @philnorman
Comments: A Gillian Welch tune, sung by Emmylou, produced by Daniel Lanois. One of my all-time favorite albums.

Title: Roamin’ and Ramblin’ Blues
Artist: David “Honeyboy” Edwards
Album: Alan Lomax Field Recording, 1942, taken from Delta Bluesman (1992), Earwig/Indigo Records
Submitted by: Brad Kelley
Comments: This one was easy. Honeyboy Edwards died August 29, 2011, at the age of 96. He traveled and performed with Robert Johnson during the 1930s. He moved to Chicago and performed nearly 100 shows a year until 2008, but continued to play concerts until earlier this year. This guy is the real thing, and his death is the end of an era. He knew and played with everyone in that first generation of Delta Blues. (This might look like two mp3s, but the first is just a brief introduction by the folklorist Alan Lomax.)
Addenum: The Asswipe who manages this mixtape is a fuckhead and keeps you from hearing a historically significant audio recording introduction to this song, which is only 28 sec and it’s just talking and technically not a SONG, so you’ll never get to hear it because he’s a dick.

Title: Eula Mae
Artist: The Whiskey Gentry
Album: Please Make Welcome (2011)
Submitted by: Bryan Childs (ninebullets.net)
Comments: Band out of Atlanta I really dig.

Title: The World Is Yours
Artist: The Hangdogs
Album: Beware Of The Dog (2000)
Submitted by: Truersound
Comments: been in a conspiritorial anti-gov mood lately, and this song follows that trail nicely

Title: Blue Suicide
Artist: Coma Cinema
Album: Blue Suicide (2011)
Submitted by: Lord Summerisle
Comments: Just discovered this band in August only to find that they are calling it quits at the end of this year. All of their stuff is available for free download at http://comacinema.org/sounds.html

Title: Burning up the Wind
Artist: Frank Bang and the Secret Stash
Album: Wonder Woman (2011)
Submitted by: @popa2unes
Comments: Chicago based, unsigned Kick Arse Rock n Blues band – Frank “Bang” Blinkal – Vocals/Guitar Bob Spelbring – Drums/Vocals Josh Hyland – Bass/ vocals – Tony MacQuaid – Guitar/Vocals and by the way, ifin ya like em 3 downloads available on their Reverbnation or Facebook page

Title: September Song
Artist: Lou Reed
Album: Lost in the Stars: The Music of Kurt Weill (1994)
Submitted by: @mikeorren
Comments: It’s September. Kurt Weill was German. Lou Reed is back, doing an album about a German character, with Metallica. So, all logic screams that this is the only song to submit this month.

Title: Hurricane Season
Artist: Trombone Shorty
Album: Backatown (2010)
Submitted by: Gorrck
Comments: Gorrck’s Axiom: Carrying a trombone simultaneously increases *AND* decreases your risk of being detained by law enforcement authorities.

Title: Six Pack
Artist: Prison Book Club
Album: self titled (2011)
Submitted by: TheOtherBrit
Comments: I love this album and this band.

Title: Solar Broken Home
Artist: Stephen W. Terrell
Album: Picnic Time for Potatoheads
Submitted by: Adam Sheets

Title: Verse Chorus Verse (aka In His Hands)
Artist: Nirvana
Album: With the Lights Out (2004)
Submitted by: Verbow
This month marks 20 years since the release of Nevermind. In 1991, I was an 11 year old with horrible taste in music (MC Hammer anyone?). One day I stopped on MTV while the video for Smells Like Teen Spirit was on, and I was hooked from there on out. More than anything, Nirvana was a gateway to a whole new world of music that I continue to explore to this day. Is Nevermind my favorite album of all time? No, but its one that I still enjoy and still takes me back to that time like no other. Since everyone knows most of those songs by heart, I thought this outtake from the Nevermind sessions would be a good selection. Enjoy.

Title: Benito’s Dust
Artist: Dolorean
Album: 7″ Split with Holy Sons (2004)
Submitted by: Slowcoustic
Comments: Just your standard hard luck song to rip your guts out.

Title: Noisy Song
Artist: The Cute Lepers
Album: Adventure Time (2011)
Submitted by: Simon
Comments: Retro pop-punk from Seattle

Title: Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey
Artist: The [REDACTED]
Album: The [REDACTED] (1968)
Submitted by: Mario Garcia (@marioegarcia, @imperialrooster)
Comments: I’ve been obsessed with this song over the last few days so it seemed like a good one to submit. It’s one of the best songs ever and a top 5 for me from The [REDACTED]. Great riff, great energy, great lyrics. I just hope its inclusion doesn’t get this blog shut down

Title: Gentleman
Artist: The Afghan Whigs
Album: Gentlemen (1993)
Submitted by: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: The Afghan Whigs formed in 1986, disbanded in 2001 and remain my favorite band. Gentlemen is a practically perfect album. “Gentleman” is a practically perfect song. Rough, depraved, menacing… perfect.

Title: Bonnie and Clyde
Artist: Little Lisa Dixie
Album: Little Lisa Dixie (2011)
Submitted by: BoogieStudio22
Comments: An artist I stumbled onto quite some time ago. Just learned she put out an album in March 2011. Nice debut.

Title: Alone In This Together
Artist: Star Anna
Album: (2011)
Submitted by: Cowbelle www.morecowbelle.net
Comments: A six-minute song is a little obnoxious but worth every second.

Title: Ghost on the Canvas
Artist: Glen Campbell
Album: Ghost on the Canvas (2011)
Submitted by: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: How bad-ass is it that Campbell selects a song written by Paul Westerberg.

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Husky Burnette: Facedown in the Dirt

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I think of myself less as a “music blogger” than as a music pusher (cue Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusherman”), and Husky Burnette deals in just the kind of illicit substances I like best: a rough voice, a dirty groove and a foot-stomping beat. Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they seem to grow ’em like that, Burnette’s music is, as Rick Saunders once put it, “hunched, sweatin’, swaggerin’ and all up on ya.”

Coming from the same lineage that brought us Johnny and Dorsey Burnette (you may know Johnny as the singer of “You’re Sixteen”) and having put some time in with folks like Roger Alan Wade, Husky is doing his own thing now, playing his blues and working it hard. His latest album Facedown in the Dirt is out now and it’s full of thumpin’ and bumpin’ and even a little grindin’.

 


 

Check out some righteous footage of one of Burnette’s recent gigs down in America’s sweaty penis (i.e., Florida), rockin’ a fiery rendition of “Stagger Lee”, accompanied by Philip Westfall on banjo cello and Rick Saunders beating the skins. Because that’s how ya do it.

 

 

Husky Burnette Official Website

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Comrade Plymouth: Bodies of Bones and Breasts and Unmapped Chambers of Hearts

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Being moved to tears by live music is one thing – the confluence of proximity and energy can be powerful – but have you ever been moved to tears by something you heard on the radio? I had that singular experience once, not long after I had hosted Christopher Porterfield and Nick Berg for a night as they passed through Cleveland on their way to shows with Strand of Oaks and Yellow Ostrich in New York City. I tuned in to a little low-end-of-the-dial folk show to hear them play, as Conrad Plymouth, a little in-studio set with Timothy Showalter (a.k.a. Strand of Oaks). I expected it to be fun to hear my friends on the radio, and I expected it to be lovely, but I didn’t expect, as they played “Fergus Falls”, a song I’d listened to so many times, to be made weepy.

This is their gift, to reach right into your chest, gently pull out your heart and show you all the amazing things inside you. Inside humans. On Comrade Plymouth, Christopher Porterfield’s new solo record, he does it again. To paraphrase writer Raymond Chandler’s description of colleague Dashiell Hammett, Porterfield writes lyrics that seem never to have been written before. They don’t beg or shout to be heard, but you will stop to listen.

Have a listen to a couple of my favorite tracks:

 

 

 

Comrade Plymouth is available now via Conrad Plymouth’s Bandcamp on a name-your-own-price basis.

Conrad Plymouth Official Website

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Hell and Half of Georgia: Build It Up

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Our old friends Hell and Half of Georgia just dropped this new little tune, and I think it’s the best they’ve done yet.

 

 

Listen, love, download – because as with all Hell and Half of Georgia’s musical fare, it’s free. If you’re in the Long Beach, California, area, you can catch the guys live at Alex’s Bar on August 26 (showtime to be determined).

I’m going to listen to this song again right now.

Hell and Half of Georgia Official Site

Hell and Half of Georgia @ Bandcamp

Hell and Half of Georgia @ Facebook