Freaking adorable, and a great pairing of vocals between Hayes Carll and Cary Ann Hearst. The song, “Another Like You”, is off of Carll’s latest album KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories).
Now here’s the really good part: You could win a copy of KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) on warm, delicious vinyl. Just drop a comment below with your favorite opposites-attract pairing for a chance to win. Deadline is July 28, 2011 at 5 PM EST. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on July 29.
I don’t know where this was filmed, but I’m pretty sure it was not Santa Monica. Geographical inconsistancies aside, it’s one of my favorite Everclear songs. I’m also pleased to report that there seems to be a new record on the way!
The Dollyrots, of Los Angeles, are also signed to Blackheart Records. They started out in Florida in 2000 and later moved to Los Angeles; Brand New Key (The Rollerskate Song) started out as a folk song in the early ’70s – it was originally sung by Melanie – and here is a pop-punk gem.
Thinking about this post and trying to find a way to encapsulate some nine hours of great music and great people leaves me wanting to write “You should have been there” and leave it at that. But that isn’t fair to anyone, especially not the amazing performers who fueled the night.
Each artist who took the stage Saturday brought something special with them, from the endearing charm of Boom Chick (and drummer Moselle Spiller’s brilliant scream) to the explosive energy of Molly Gene to the hypnotic skill of Mississippi Gabe Carter to the dirty magic that occurs when Left Lane Cruiser sits in with Mark Porkchop Holder. Every act was worth keeping an eye on.
Confession: I didn’t keep an eye on every act. In fact, it seems I missed two of the best sets of the night: Ten Foot Polecats and Left Lane Cruiser. Instead, I was carousing in the bar like some sort of scenester. But with an event like DBF, part of the package is meeting and hanging out with great people – the kind of people who don’t roll their eyes or just quietly humor you when you go on and on about blues music (or music in general). The kind of people who love music so much they’ll travel thousands of miles to play it. Or even just to listen to it.
Boom Chick led the way with a big helping of ’50s rock ‘n’ roll mixed in with their blues, most notably on their original tunes like “Sweaty, Sweaty Dress”, “The Ghost of Bo Diddley” (the barnstormer of a tune that closed their set) and a Link Wray/surf music-inspired instrumental. They also pulled up a couple of covers, like Diddley’s “White Horse” and Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil”, which was given a fascinating new dimension by Spiller’s drums.
video by Chris Bishop
Next up was Old Gray Mule featuring C.W. Ayon who played a sweet little set full of great covers and bad jokes. C.R. Humphrey’s great guitar-playing led the way while Ayon supplied great vocals and drumming on songs by Robert Belfour, T-Model Ford, R.L. Burnside and originals like “Ass Whoopin'” and “Back in the Day”, a song about T-Model Ford.
Now here’s where my notes end as I really began to enjoy myself. Mississippi Gabe Carter played a beautiful set of slow blues, belting out gripping vocals while accompanying himself masterfully on his National Map guitar. Songs included “Black Woman”, “Skinny Woman”… and other titles that don’t have the word “woman” in them. (I mentioned that I stopped taking notes, right?)
Cashman brought some dirty into the mix, along with one of the smilingest drummers I’ve ever seen. Ray Cashman is one of the most intimidating-looking blues musicians since Howlin’ Wolf, but like Wolf, Cashman flashed a ready smile.
For me, the musical highlight of the night was Molly Gene One Whoaman Band. Armed with a guitar, a fantastic foot drum and occasional harmonica, Molly Gene is pure fury, stomping the ever-lovin’ shit out of the beat while howling with a voice so gravel-ridden that your throat starts to feel raw just listening to her. If you took the individual talents of men like John Wesley Myers, Scott H. Biram and Bob Log III, you’d still need to throw in a few mule kicks to match the ferocity of Molly Gene. She played awesome originals like “Bumble Bee” and “I Need Me a Man” and tied the bow in the ribbon of winning my heart forever by cover the Coasters’ “Down in Mexico”.
video by Chris Bishop
I was in and out for the Misery Jackals, but the locals had an excited fan base hooting in the audience and boasted the lone bass player of the night.
Then I completely missed the Ten Foot Polecats set, which was a mistake because this happened:
video by bloodybill
Long and lanky Ted Drozdowski led the Scissormen through an energetic set which saw Drozdowski come down from the stage, climb onto chairs, set his guitar on tables to play it and, at one point, set the guitar in my hands to play it, eventually weaving his way into the back bar for some stool-climbing before coming back to the stage. There’s a reason Drozdowski also played M.C. for the night.
Being a Black Diamond Heavies fan, I was not about to miss Mark Porkchop Holder, who was in the original lineup of the band. Holder did not disappoint, playing smooth slide steel as he sang about folks like Deliah and Stagger Lee. And, as mentioned before, Brenn Beck and Joe Evans of Left Lane Cruiser joined Holder toward the end to put some grit behind the slide.
And then I proceeded to miss Left Lane Cruiser. I know, I know. I was busy having adventures. I will see those guys play eventually, I swear.
Sadly, the Staving Chain and Javier & the Innocent Sons weren’t able to play the show.
As praiseworthy as all the performances were, equally deserving of praise was the stellar job Ted Drozdowski and Jim Chilson did of organizing and running the event. It was great to see original DBF organizer Chris Johnson in the audience, enjoying the show, as the concept he started found a new life in capable hands.
And now, on the other end of the glam metal / hard rock spectrum, here is Guns n’ Roses with Welcome to the Jungle. My favorite part of this one is the quick-cut between “Axel Rose, country boy getting off the bus chewing on an actual hayseed” (I never noticed this absurdity before) and “Axl Rose, teased-hair, leather-trousers-clad ROCK STAR”:
These two gentlemen are Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, the twin sons of Ricky and Kristin Nelson. This song is from their first record, After the Rain, released in 1990. True confession: I totally bought it, and may even still have the tape somewhere.
This video is a thing of beauty and a joy forever for their outfits alone. There’s the matching artfully ripped jeans, in the beginning, which are followed by a series of epic costume changes. I spent at least a minute trying to decide if the one on the left – I think it’s Gunnar, but I can’t be sure – was wearing red legwarmers or especially fancy boots in the first several frames on the stage, and I’ve decided those are boots which look like legwarmers. In any case, they’re fabulous.
Nelson - (Can't Live Without Your) Love And Affection
As you watch this, I want you to contemplate the magic of a couple hundred college kids in various stages of inebriation (some still clutching their red solo cups) shouting along to the lyrics and trying to do this dance. Because that was at least a few of my Saturday nights in 1993.
Because I am going to be seeing them this evening, in an ACTUAL CLUB, I am SO EXCITED; because all y’all have heard Hey Jealousy a bajillion times already; and most of all because it’s the one that the pacing doesn’t give me a headache. And also because they don’t seem to have made any records for the new stuff. Yes, there is new stuff! You can find out about the new record (and their ongoing tour) at their website.
The Deep Blues Festival is tomorrow! I’m freaking excited. There will be great artists on stage, cool people in the audience, and it’s all going down at one of my favorite places in Cleveland. Come along and buy your favorite blogger a drink. And if your favorite blogger isn’t there, you can buy me a whiskey.
Reasons I love Pretty Handsome Awkward: 1) the percussive guitars and roaring drums and 2) it sounds like one-half of every rage-fueled break-up conversation ever, the one you probably shouldn’t have with the actual person you are leaving / has left you because you might sound a tiny bit unhinged, but good lord does it ever feel good to vent your spleen.
As it happens I heard it for the first time in the aftermath of a split. I wasn’t angry so much as numb, overwhelmed, and directionless, and in many ways it was like a big blinking arrow that said When In Doubt, Follow The Sound of the Electric Guitar. Not long afterward I fell face-first (back) into rock and roll and, well, suffice it to say, I feel a lot better now.
The Used have been a band since 2001; Pretty Handsome Awkward is from their third record, Lies for the Liars, released in 2007. They are currently label-less, but still working on their fifth record, which may possibly be out later this year.
Other things to know: Pretty Handsome Awkward coincided with singer Bert McCracken’s blond period, and when he is blond, he looks startlingly like Kurt Cobain. It can be a little bit dislocating, so, you know, brace yourselves. Also, embedding is (again) maddeningly forbidden, but you can watch it here.
Alternatively, you can watch this one for Empty with You, which is from their last record, Artwork, released in 2009. The guitars are just as killer, and McCracken looks like himself again!
