Medleyville

Adventurous album also plays to the band's strengths

It's been three years since My Morning Jacket released a new album, yet MMJ's profile has never been higher. That's because the Kentucky-bred quintet, led by singer/guitarist Jim James and also including guitarist Carl Broemel, bassist "Two-Tone" Tommy, keyboardist Bo Koster and drummer Patrick Hallahan, solidified its already strong reputation as a well-respected touring act during that time while also maintaining its good standing with critics. As such, there are high hopes for Circuital (ATO Records), the band's sixth studio effort and the follow-up to 2008's Evil Urges.

Circuital opens with the low rumble of "Victory Dance," which sets an ominous tone with its healthy dose of reverb slathered all over the guitars. It's like the chum line before a sharking expedition, and the feeling grows more intense until the chaotic crescendo, which is like seeing the first fin pop out of the water. And just as your ears perk up, the album's title track swings the mood back into a much different upbeat direction. This song has an infectious bit of guitar noodling at its start, then there's a catchy piano riff under the verses before the guitar intro returns — exactly what you might expect from a band comfortable with its eclectic style.

James has always been a Jekyll-and-Hyde-type of songwriter. One moment he's reflecting on his growth as a man in the most tender way ("Outta My System"), then he's singing in his falsetto voice about the virtues of a dark-arts lifestyle while "catching waves on Lucifer's beach" ("Holdin on to Black Metal"). He certainly makes a compelling argument for both not only in the lyrical content but also with his vocals. "Outta My System" sounds like a Brian Wilson song performed by The Who, while "Holdin on to Black Metal" is basically a funk track (with its punchy horn blasts and thumping bass) that might have been written by late metal god Ronnie James Dio.

The placement of "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)" as the fourth track is interesting. The song is essentially James with an acoustic guitar and some backing help, and he sings positively in a moment of reflection. This pretty and charming tune might have been better suited as the album's swan song rather than marking the start of the second third. As it is, the end of Circuital takes a drastic turn to the slower side with the aptly titled "Slow Slow Tune" followed by the melancholy "Movin Away."

As a whole, Circuital fits nicely in the My Morning Jacket catalog. It is adventurous enough to be a step forward for the band, and it also packs in enough of MMJ's signature elements to appeal to hard-core fans. These songs should also fit nicely into My Morning Jacket's live set, adding another dimension to a band that has almost always, especially in a concert setting, traveled a circuitous and satisfying musical path.

— By Mike Madden

Posted by Medleyville at 05:50 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

The Sweetback Sisters, Harry Manx & Kevin Breit

* The Sweetback Sisters — Looking for a Fight (Signature Sounds)
Featuring four men and two women, The Sweetback Sisters play clean, pure, classic country music that at its best sounds like something you would have heard years ago on the Grand Ole Opry. Looking for a Fight (out now), the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based band’s second album, features a fine blend of solid originals (most notably the title track and “Thank You”) and interesting covers (including renditions of the Patsy Cline-associated “Love Me, Honey, Do,” Dwight Yoakam’s “It Won’t Hurt When I Fall Down From This Barstool” and The Traveling Wilburys’ “Rattled”).

* Harry Manx & Kevin Breit — Strictly Whatever (Stony Plain Records)
Like Ry Cooder, Harry Manx is a guitar player’s guitar player, known for his chops, wide musical vocabulary and restraint. Kevin Breit ain’t no slouch, either, and he and Manx (who both sing as well) continue their fruitful partnership with Strictly Whatever (out now). It’s their third album together, and they put their arsenal of guitars and other stringed instruments to good use. Highlights include the bluesy “Looking for a Brand New World,” the lively and quirky instrumental “Hippy Trippy” and a subdued, singer/songwriter-styled cover of Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny.”

-- By Chris M. Junior

Posted by Medleyville at 09:46 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

BOB DYLAN REVEALED # 10 & 35

A mere 28 seconds into Joel Gilbert's new Bob Dylan Revealed documentary, the subject matter himself warns us "There's many sides to the coin, y'know, and you have-ta really, uh, the longer you go on, the more sides you show that are, that are, that are there to be, uh, unraveled."

So in between sessions with Daniel Mark Epstein's 496-page The Ballad of Bob Dylan, and the actual man's Original Mono Recordings boxed set, I spent the month of Robert Allen Zimmerman's 70th (!) birthday pondering that …

1. Although the subject is dwelled upon for less than a minute during Bob Dylan Revealed, manager Albert Grossman and his more-than-complex relationship with Dylan is delved into, and possibly even explained, in a way Martin Scorsese failed to during all 208 minutes of his own No Direction Home.

2. 1966 Electric World Tour drummer Mickey Jones offers personal home movies of Don't Look Back director D.A. Pennebaker filming Dylan and The Band touring Hamlet's Castle in Denmark, and later joins in a debate over exactly who fired out that famed instruction to "Play f***in' LOUD" as "Like a Rolling Stone" kicked the ol' Manchester Free Trade Hall off on May 17, 1966.

3. The third chapter of Bob Dylan Revealed features the late, great, irascible-as-ever journalist Al Aronowitz claiming that Dylan, regarding that infamous 1966 motorpsycho accident, "told me he cracked two vertebrae. He saw his whole life pass in front of him. And I think he's full of s**t."

4. Renowned lensman Barry Feinstein (the Times They Are A-Changin' cover, for one) recalls the day during Dylan's "Tour '74" that future President (then Georgia Gov.) Jimmy Carter invited Dylan over for breakfast at the governor's mansion … and then shows the photos to prove it. "He never initiates conversation," Carter revealed afterward, "but he'll answer a question if you ask him." Unlike some singers, governors and/or presidents we could mention.

5. Rolling Thunder violinist Scarlet Rivera recalls being dosed with a powerful hallucinogenic just prior to stepping onstage with Dylan's Revue before 16,307 in Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, then being amorously pursued a month later backstage at the Rubin Carter "Night of the Hurricane II" benefit in the Houston Astrodome by two of Willie Nelson's security guards (who, Rivera admits, "were mostly ex-cons"). Nelson, it is noted, later dispatched two dozen yellow roses by way of apology.

6. San Francisco Chronicle critic Joel Selvin points out the "Neil Diamond-style arrangements" concocted for Dylan's subsequent 1978 world tour, noting especially how "Blowin’ in the Wind" was "done up like a Wayne Newton number." Later, we hear his infamous "God-Awful Gospel" review concerning one of Dylan's concerts the following year actually solicited a phone call the next afternoon from Dylan himself to the Selvin household, during which Dylan forever revoked Selvin's "license to review me."

7. Both certified Dylan "garbologist" A.J. Weberman and Valley Vineyard Church Pastor Bill Dwyer are next on hand to (attempt to) explain just what may have been going through our hero's mind, then out of his mouth, as the 1980s began ("If you want rock 'n' roll, you can go down and rock 'n' roll," we hear Dylan berate one concert-goer. "You can go see KISS, and you can rock 'n' roll all the way down into the pit!") Just in the nick of time, however, self-confessed "62-year-old card-carrying Jewish atheist" Jerry Wexler appears to explain just how he approached producing the "wall-to-wall Jesus" that was Slow Train Coming.

8. Next, a decidedly un-born again Dylan pops up jammin' out "Hava Nagila" on the 1989 televised Chabad Telethon backed by his grand new band Chopped Liver (which also featured Harry Dean Stanton and Dylan's son-in-law Peter Himmelman).

9. Ramblin' Jack Elliott recalls the original Rolling Thunder tour bus had been borrowed from, and affectionately christened "Phydeaux" by, none other than Frank Zappa. But when that ongoing Never Ending Tour launched a decade later, Dylan's accompanists had graduated to a 12-bunk "star coach" that was, in the words of percussionist Winston Watson, "45 feet of rolling decadence."

10. So then, Bob Dylan Revealed doesn't quite unravel all sides of that most treasured coin we speak of. But any production that can get the man's former bassist and musical director Rob Stoner to admit he was in fact cast in the role of Gene Vincent for Renaldo and Clara more than earns a thumbs-up from this viewer.

Now, you must excuse me while I once again insert Blonde on Blonde, disc 1. In mono, of course.

— Musician/writer Gary Pig Gold is the co-founder of the To M’Lou Music label.

Posted by Medleyville at 03:21 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Upon first glance, the homepage for The Bright Light Social Hour looks very much like a typical band Web site, with well-marked areas devoted to merchandise, tour dates, photos and contact information.

Then there's something off to the right of the homepage that's a bit unordinary — the part labeled Jack's Moustache. It takes viewers to a well-made and funny band video that stars bassist/singer Jack O'Brien's stellar 'stache, which is given its own voice and explains how fans can contribute funds toward the recording of the Austin, Texas-based rock band's debut album.

That fund drive is over, and The Bright Light Social Hour's self-titled debut has been available since September 2010. But the clip continues to serve as a great glimpse into the quartet's broad sound, its lively stage show, collective personality and, obviously, sense of humor. With big wins in March at the annual Austin Music Awards — including band of the year, album of the year and song of the year ("Detroit") — The Bright Light Social Hour has a future that looks, well, very bright.

Prior to the start of their spring tour, bassist O’Brien, singer/guitarist Curtis Roush and drummer Joseph Mirasole checked in to talk about their attention to sonic detail, the band's rules while on the road and, of course, a certain moustache.

Medleyville.us: How has life in Austin changed for the band since cleaning up at this year's Austin Music Awards?
Jack O'Brien: "It's mainly just been being bothered about when we're going to be back in Austin playing again. It's kind of funny because we’re doing all of these out-of-town dates, and we're just constantly being asked to play in town. We'll wind up our tour here, so we’re excited about that. But also, more bands and more people here in Austin in the scene have reaching out about working with us, which is awesome."

Joseph Mirasole: "I feel like it may have had an affect as far as first impressions go to a lot of people who are checking us out ... It's a bit of validity."

What did using five different studios to record the band's debut album do for the overall sound?
Curtis Roush: "The record was [mostly] recorded at two studios. We recorded the drums and bass to analog tape at a studio in Austin. We recorded the bulk of the guitars and vocals and a few other things at the home studio of our producer, Danny Reisch.

"The other studios — we were filling in a few critical sounds we were looking for that we didn't really want to do any other way. We wanted a really nice grand piano, a really nice Hammond organ and Leslie setup, so we found ourselves having to look up local studios and local producers and try to find the instruments and recording situations we needed to fill out the rest of the record. We were fortunate to find a lot of helpful folks who saw to it that we got what we needed."

What's the most memorable or interesting feedback you’ve heard about the band’s sound?
O'Brien: "I just got a Facebook message from an old friend who saw us play this festival; it was the first time he'd seen us in a long time. He said, 'Have I ever told you that 'Detroit' is the cock-rockingest song I have ever heard? If this [song] doesn't get me laid …' We definitely get feedback on the fun side of the set, the nastiness of it, and that's cool to hear and always interesting."

Does the band follow any set rules on the road when it comes to restaurant choices, personal space or anything else?
O'Brien: "If you fart, open the window — that's the main rule (laughs). Other than that, though, we're all over each other's stuff."

Mirasole: "There’s no personal space at all. Even if we wanted it, we wouldn't have any, but fortunately none of us has space issues at all."

Roush: "And the driver of the moment chooses the music."

Where does Jack's moustache rank in the history of rock 'n' roll?
Roush: "Jack, I don't know if you're best qualified to talk about your own moustache. But I would say, personally, that Jack has perhaps the finest moustache in rock 'n' roll history. I would put it up against any other moustache."

O'Brien: "Frank Zappa — I've always been a huge fan of his 'stache. I definitely have some length on him, but his is stately."

— Introduction and interview by Chris M. Junior

The Bright Light Social Hour on tour (schedule subject to change):

* May 12: Celtic Irish Pub — Pascagoula, Miss.

* May 13: The 321 Local — Cocoa, Fla.

* May 14: WMNF Tropical Heatwave Festival — Tampa, Fla.

* May 15: Will's Pub — Orlando, Fla.

* May 16: Bougainvillea's — Miami

* May 19: Midtown Bar & Grill — Charleston, S.C.

* May 20: Hang Fire — Savannah, Ga.

* May 21: The Max Canada — Athens, Ga.

* May 22: Masquerade — Atlanta

* May 24: The Middle East — Boston

* May 25: The Mercury Lounge — New York

* May 26: Up or on the Rocks — Hartford, Conn.

* May 27: The Saint — Asbury Park, N.J.

* May 28: The Rathaus — Philadelphia

* June 1: The Village Idiot — Toledo, Ohio

* June 2: The MOTR Pub — Cincinnati

* June 4: Fine Line Music Café — Minneapolis

* June 5: The Double Door — Chicago

* June 9: 8.0 Bar — Fort Worth, Texas

* June 10: Warehouse Live — Houston

* June 11: Mohawk — Austin, Texas

Photo by Wylie Maercklein

Posted by Medleyville at 10:15 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Dana Fuchs calls the shots on Love to Beg

There was a time when Dana Fuchs says she was "so embarrassed by this deep voice of mine" that disguising it seemed like a good idea.

"I remember in junior high, I would try to pitch my voice up during roll call," Fuchs says. "And I had this wonderful teacher who said, 'Don't do that. You have a great voice. Go watch Lauren Bacall films.' "

It's a gritty, gutsy voice that has served Fuchs pretty well so far in her music career as well as her forays into theater (playing Janis Joplin in the off-Broadway production Love, Janis) and film (as Sadie in the Julie Taymor movie Across the Universe).

Yet Fuchs has occasionally found herself in situations where others would like to hear a much different sound come out of her.

"I was coming out of Across the Universe and needed a record," the Florida-raised, New York-based singer recalls. "And this producer was suggested to me by another well-known producer. And in those moments you just kind of give in and go, 'OK, they’re going to know what's best.'

Fuchs says she was "under the studio spell and loving the sounds, loving having a real producer and was just swept away by the whole romance of it all."

She soon discovered that the producer was set on playing around with her natural voice — to "clean it up and smooth it out," Fuchs says.

"I found out since then that so many musicians have gone through the same thing, where the producer comes in and wants to make his record," she says. "Listening back, the tracks are beautiful that he produced, but the vocals were boring.

"I have no regrets about it," she adds. "It definitely was an expensive lesson; it was a time-consuming lesson. But at the same time, I wouldn't change a thing because those are the lessons that shape you."

What she went through making that shelved album prompted Fuchs and longtime collaborator Jon Diamond to trust their instincts when they went to work on Love to Beg, which was released by Ruf Records in April.

"I would have to say [making my latest] CD kind of went off without a hitch, and largely because it was Jon and I saying, 'Screw all of this other influence and opinion.' We were going to shape the songs we'd already written and let them go where they're supposed to go, based on our myriad influences: from blues to rock to country to soul to old-school R&B.

"All of that came through because there were no parameters. We were financing it ourselves — that was probably our biggest challenge, to make a great record on a low budget."

— By Chris M. Junior

Dana Fuchs on tour (schedule subject to change):

* May 6: Clearwater Blues Festival — Clearwater, Fla.

* May 7: Seminole Creek Casino — Coconut Creek, Fla.

* May 20: Emelin Theater — Mamaronek, N.Y.

* May 21: Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival — Annapolis, Md.

* June 2: Knuckleheads — Kansas City, Mo.

* June 3: Oklahoma City Limits — Oklahoma City

* June 4: Wakarusa Festival — Ozark, Ark.

* June 17: W.C. Handy Festival — Henderson, Ky.

* June 18: Riverbend Festival — Chattanooga, Tenn.

Posted by Medleyville at 12:06 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)