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January 17, 2005
Top Five Country Albums of 2004
Top Five Alt. Country Albums of the Year:
-by Wanda
1. Dexter Romwebber - Blues that Defy My Soul (Yep Roc)
2. Legendary Shack Shakers - Believe (Yep Roc)
3. Slim Cessna's Auto Club - The Blovdy Tenent (Alternative Tentacles)
4. Meat Purveyors - Pain by Numbers (Bloodshot)
5. Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose (Interscope)
Tribute Albums: 1. VA: Hard Headed Woman - A Celebration of Wanda Jackson (Bloodshot)
2. Touch My Heart - A Tribute to Johnny Paycheck
Reissue/Compilation:
Love Snuck Up - Buddy and Julie Miller (Hightone)
I am not sure what to call this. It's a reissue, because all these songs, (save one) appeared on other albums. But it's also a compilation, because all these songs were never on one album together. See, it's a compilation of all Buddy and Julie's love songs and it's beautiful. I bought TWO copies; one for me, and one for my mom. Absolutely touching.
Posted by DJWanda at 3:16 PM
January 14, 2005
Catching up with Throw Rag
Interview by Wanda
Photos by Jenifer Hanen at the House of Blues - Anaheim on 9/9/04.
I caught up with Captain Sean-Doe of Throw Rag in early December at their rehearsal studio. The band is currently rehearsing new songs for an album due out in February, 2005. Cameron Webb (who recorded Social Distortion, Motorhead, Danzig, just to name a few) is on track to record the album. Captain Sean and I talked about making albums, making dinner, and staying sane on the road…
How do you make an album?
Go into the studio
Record the music in 5 days.
Record the vocals in 5 days.
Mix the whole thing in 5 days.
On the last record, we did everything in 5 days. We’re going to take a little more time with this one.
How do you make dinner?
I make dinner the same way I make a record.
I only make two things:
Boil the noodles; add some butter, cayenne, or other spicy sauce.
Or, you can take some beans, with some veggie dogs, maybe a fried egg, use an avocado, add some cholula and some sour cream, and put that in a tortilla. That’s dinner.
How is making a record like making dinner?
It’s kind of the same. Some people try, and they don’t plan it out. Some people have to try… there are so many ways.
What will the new album be like?
Somewhere between the first and the second, but it will be the third!
We're trying to write new songs – coming up with lyrics and working on tapes. There will be some ballads, some medium-paced songs, some fast-paced songs.
I love your ballads. Whatever happened to the song “Halfway to Heaven”? (a song that never made it onto Desert Shores).
We’re going to release that song as a split with Dexter Romweber (legendary guitarist from the Flat Duo Jets) on Demonbeach Records. This would be a very small pressing that would come out, maybe 1000 copies or less. (editor's note: this 7" is in fact available from Demonbeach and independent record retailers in the Raleigh, NC area).
Is the writing process still how you told me it was before – with you and Dino exchanging music and lyrics over the answering machine?
Yes, we still do some of that. But the whole band is involved, too. Craig wrote two songs, Frank wrote one.
What do people expect from Throw Rag?
I’m not sure… a lot of people missed 2nd Place (an earlier album also recorded by Cameron Webb that was never released) so it’s almost like they missed the second part. I guess people expect different things.
You’ve been in this band for a long time (about 10 years) – what’s the best thing about being in Throw Rag?
The lack of responsibility while still being responsible. I try to remember that I get to do this, I don’t have to do it. This is all I ever wanted to do, and I get to do it every day.
How do you stay friends – or do you?
Yes, we’re friends. I guess you get to know each other’s deal, and you give them leeway to be themselves. You don’t take their shortcomings to heart. Being on tour is like rock n’ roll jail – you’ve got six boys in a smelly van – all there is to do is read, watch DVDs, listen to music.. it’s a hard life! (laughs)
What is “making it” to you?
Well, what’s IT? Is it money? I guess if it is, then we’ll know when we get some. If it’s music, then we’re already making it. Three years ago, we couldn’t get anyone to take us on tour, and now we’ve been on tour ever since. Our initial goal was to go to Europe; that was “making it.” Now we just spent three months there, and we’re going back in May and in the fall. So, I guess we “made it.”
Posted by DJWanda at 3:02 PM
January 11, 2005
Top 20 Country Albums of 2004
Top 20 Albums of 2004 - by Darlin'
1. Wayward Angel - Kasey Chambers
2. Bittertown - Lori McKenna
3. Tambourine - Tift Merritt
4. Horse of a Different Color - Big & Rich
5. Lucky Ones - Pat Green
6. Good Times - Charlie Robison
7. One Moment More - Mindy Smith
8. Lonely Runs Both Ways - Alison Krauss & Union Station
9. Soul Gravy - Cross Canadian Ragweed
10. The Notorious Cherry Bombs - The Notorious Cherry Bombs
11. Van Lear Rose - Loretta Lynn
12. The Revolution Starts...Now - Steve Earle
13. License to Chill - Jimmy Buffett (but only if you ignore the
wretched cover of "Hey, Good Lookin'")
14. The Duel - Allison Moorer
15. Universal United House of Prayer - Buddy Miller
16. Hands Up! - Two Dollar Pistols
17. 2:30am - Kevin Montgomery
18. Feels Like Home - Norah Jones
19. Stronger Proof - Deryl Dodd
20. Best Laid Plans - Sandra McCracken
**BONUS**
"Kerosene" from Miranda Lambert--don't write her off just 'cause she
had the misfortune of placing on "Nashville Star." Her album's not
officially out til March of 2005, but it's one of the most refreshing
albums I've heard in a lo-ong time; it's my hope that she'll save country radio from bad music, now that the Dixie Chicks are "Alternative." :)
Posted by DJWanda at 10:20 PM
January 10, 2005
One Minute Tink Reviews -Reckless Kelly-Jan 1 Boise, Idaho
Reckless Kelly and Mickey and the Motorcars - Jan 1 at the Big Easy Concert House- Boise, Idaho
So I'm up in Idaho for the Christmas break and New Years Eve to get some RandR. Yes, Boise,Idaho . . . I know, I know. I was visiting family and no it's not like Napoleon Dynamite. Boise is becoming a "buzz" town. Plus, the fact that you can buy a decent house for $60,000. So for years now my sister has been raving about this band called Reckless Kelly and I heard some of their songs but slightly too country for me.
Anyways, I got a chance to see them while I was up there. I thought they were really great. See, there are 4 brothers, 2 are in Reckless Kelly and the other 2 are in Mickey and the Motorcars, who happened to open for them. It was quite the family affair. Raised in Idaho, but their base is in Austin, Texas, but you wouldn't thought that with the crowd that turned out for the show. I think Boise considers them their house band, the place was pact.
So my sister and brother-in-law push me to the front. Front Row. Chello!! Mickey and the Motorcars has a similar sound to Reckless, but they of course bring something different. Something more edgier( is that a word?). Reckless comes up next and the place goes crazy. They did some really cool Beatles covers but the rest were orginals (I think). At one pt. I looked over and it was all girls, going crazy for Willy, the lead singer. One sad girl wanted to photo blog and the security stopped her. How rude! Right, Barflies crew?!? The Big Easy is Boise's answer to the House of Blues. Decent size venue. I saw that this month they were having a Epitaph Tour come through and The Rev. Horton Heat has played there many times.
I think Reckless and Mickey are great to see live. They are all really talented musicians.
Posted by Tinkinator at 8:57 PM
January 3, 2005
The Gears, The Crowd @ The Doll Hut 12-30-04
Text and Photos by
Kevin Hillskemper
If there is ever a Southern California Punk Rock Hall of Fame, both The Gears and The Crowd should get in on the ground floor. It’s the same old story – they could have been contenders, they were ahead of their time, and blah, blah, blah.
Don’t cry for them, Argentina, they’re still alive. Go see them.
The Crowd have been together, more or less, for twenty-five (!) years and keep putting out new albums every few years. Still, it’s unlikely they will ever live up to the impact they made with their monumental contributions to the “Beach Blvd” album.
That seems to be okay with them – their legacy is secure.
I was much impressed by the way they deal with constant requests for the older songs. Guitarist Jim Kaa simply posted the set list on the wall behind him (which in the Doll Hut can be read by everyone in the place) and whenever some knucklehead shouted out for “Modern Machine” or “Trix Are For Kids”, he would point to which song they were playing now and when they would play "Trix". It worked for me. Give the new songs a listen – they’re not bad.
The Gears reunion shows are few and far between. They don’t have to worry about the audience accepting their new material because they don’t play any. Their set consisted of the entire “Rockin’ at Ground Zero” album, the b-side “Hard Rock”, and a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”. It was beautiful. It’s easy to forget how brilliant their songs are because they are so simple and direct. Poetry cannot possibly express romance like “I want to make out with Trudie tonight, I want to get drunk with Trudie tonight, I want to be with Trudie tonight”.
Excuse me while I get all gushy and sentimental. All of their songs are great and it was nice to hear them played live again.
“Oh Darlin’, it’s come that time again. I’m sorry but I’ve really got to go.”
I just thought of the phrase "You can't buy honesty" but I couldn't find a good place to put it.
On a completely unrelated note - You know that song "Rock and Roll Heaven" by the Righteous Brothers? I don't like it. I think it's terrible.
Posted by Big Kev at 7:38 PM
