SoundSalvationArmy

Austin Lucas is an anachronism, through and through. The American (and sometimes Czech resident) writes songs that seem to insist they were born on a back porch overlooking a wheat field as the sun recedes on a painfully-warm day, flecks of sweat springing off his guitar strings with every strum. A pitcher of lemonade would be adjacent.

Lucas has a lot in common with another rising roots/depression-era country artist, William Elliott Whitmore, but with one diametric difference: while both pen songs that reflect old-timey tropes, one sings like the bastard son of Tom Waits and a gravel crusher while the other croons like Sinatra’s country-bumpkin sibling. In fact, as previously mentioned on this site, Lucas’ voice is so overwhelming it tends to overshadow how gifted a guitarist and songwriter he really is.

The release of his latest long-player, Somebody Loves You, comes just a few months after he dropped the astounding At War With Freak Folk. That vinyl-only EP is a stark affair that seems to consciously play up Lucas’ aptitude as a guitarist, concentrating on one-take versions of six songs with zero accompaniment outside of his guitar and voice. His songs have always boasted some incredibly intricate guitar work and the fiery spirit that moves his fingers definitely seems to be informing the songs he presents once again.

From a musical standpoint Somebody Loves You don’t step too far outside the boundaries Lucas has set with his first two long-players and the collaborative LP he recorded with Chuck Ragan. Musically it consists of what some might call predictable country music instrumentation, most of which continues to be provided by Lucas and his father Bob (who has played numerous instruments and helped arrange songs on nearly all of Lucas’ solo releases). The template is set in the album’s first seconds, as Lucas immediately erupts into ten seconds of convoluted picking, followed by Bob’s banjo and some brooding electric slide guitar. The latter is the real backbone of the title track, reflecting a murky and conflicted lyric about the nature of love and how it can often seem unwarranted or misplaced.

As in all country music, love is the fallback lyrical theme. Lucas tells stories of emotions that are tortured and inexplicable yet somehow easily-relatable, be they the reluctant letting-go that ends so many relationships (”Go West”), the realization that one can’t make it through life on their own (”Shoulders”), or the genuine surprise that some maligned souls feel when someone offers their heart (”Somebody Loves You,” “Singing Man”). “Wash My Sins Away” and “Fountain of Youth” provide a little more lyrical hopefulness, but Lucas stays far away from the stereotypical banality and cheap puns and wordplay that plagues so much modern pop-country.

Those familiar with At War With Freak Folk will easily recognize more fleshed-out versions of two of those cuts. In revisiting the marvelous “Go West” and “She Did,” Lucas wisely avoids the temptation to add too much to the mix or significantly alter the skeleton of the song (mis-steps that hurt the studio version of the Ragan/Lucas composition “Hold My Bed;” that song was so stunning in its vocals-in-the-red, recorded-in-a-bathroom early version but the studio cut on Bristle Ridge felt too clean, too overworked in comparison). The heart and soul of the songs remains unmarred, some tasteful fiddle and the ever-present banjo of the elder Lucas serving to propel the tracks. The same goes for the sombre “Shoulders,” which die-hards will recognize from an earlier version released on Lucas’ myspace. Here it’s wisely translated into a duet with sister Chloe Manor on lady vocals, a plaintive bed of steel guitar offering a counter-point to the resigned yet hopeful chorus.

One of my favourite things about this album is that Lucas seems to be taking a more concise, tempo-focused view as a songwriter. A number of tracks from his previous album (”How Are You My Lover?,” “Breaker, Breaker,” and “Tall, Dark, and Handsome,” especially) seemed to crawl at a dirge-like pace, demanding a patience that at times is hard to grant. While I can appreciate the mood and tenor of those songs is serviced by an almost non-existent tempo, six minute songs that feature nothing but slow-moving acoustic guitar figures and vocals can come off as tedious at times. “Breaker, Breaker” and “Shipwrecked (Glass Bottom Boats)” are devastatingly-good numbers, but I’ve always felt that they might have even more weight if they meandered a little less. The songs on Somebody Loves You don’t rely on slowly-strummed, minute-long musical intros to convey that mood and I feel like they’re better off for it. Take for example “Farewell,” an absolute barn-burner of a tune with racing guitar and banjo that clocks in at less than two and a half minutes. The speedy tempo is something we haven’t seen since “Pigeon Father,” the third track on Lucas’ first album. For a man with a voice and fingers that are so obviously agile its kind of surprising he doesn’t wander into that territory more often.

I’ve made a lot out of Austin Lucas in the past, but perhaps the most important thing I can say is that he keeps exceeding my growing expectations time and time again. The dude just continues to get closer and closer to knocking the entire fucking world’s socks off. It’s downright inspiring.

 

 Austin Lucas - Go West: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Austin Lucas - Live I've Got: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Somebody Loves You and other heartbreaking works of staggering genius can be bought from Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective (just search his name, fools) and iTunes.

Pat entries acoustic, Austin Lucas, country, folk, Somebody Loves You, Suburban Home Records

Regardless of genre, instrumentation, or preconception this song is incredible. So much so that it compels me to talk at greater length about Drag The River, something I should’ve done long ago and somehow haven’t.

Earlier this year I mentioned them in my top 10 rundown, heretofore my lengthiest write-up about them so far. But their story goes back much much farther, beginning well before they ever bothered to let anyone know they existed.

The band started as a bit of a hobby for two wonderful Colorado-based punk rockers: Chad Price of ALL and Jon Snodgrass of Armchair Martian. In 1996 they started cranking out back-porch country jams in their garage, quickly recording some 20 tracks at their friends brand new studio (the now high-profile Blasting Room, also based in Colorado) after the collaborative environment proved so fruitful. The sessions proved popular enough that they began releasing them in 2000, continuing all the while with the regular bands.

A proper full-length album called Closed. was released in 2002, and its far and away their finest work. While it might be cliche to call an alt-country record a booze-soaked journey through genuine misery and loneliness, that’s sort of what it is. This is Snodgrass and Price at the collaborative best: Price’s more unplugged, traditional leanings melding with Snodgrass’ electric guitar work to create something that occupies a fascinating middle ground.

Since then they’ve sporadically recorded and released new and live material, building up a shockingly terrific catalogue. Seriously; their releases are incredible.

Perhaps reflective of the tenuous beginnings of the project they’ve broken up a few times over the years, most recently last year after the release of the great You Can’t Live This Way. They keep drifting back towards getting together and that seems to be the state they now exist in, playing sporadic shows with a rotating line-up that sometimes consists of the full band, Price and Snodgrass as a duo, or Price or Snodgrass on their own.

They’ve recently put out a glut of material, “leftovers” if you will: three 7″ singles and a CD compiling songs from those releases and earlier singles and splits. Much of the material is sparsely recorded, often consisting of little more than acoustic rhythm guitar, electric leads, and sombre vocals. Those singles and Bad At Breaking Up seem almost representative of the strife they’ve been through recently, the rift between members manifesting itself in the very sound of the recordings.

Anyway, the song: the first track you’ll find below is a cover song featured on their Under The Influence 7″ and on the aforementioned CD, both released by their label, Suburban Home/Vinyl Collective. Its called “Jeff Black Song #2,” because the song is technically either untitled or Drag The Rvier doesn’t know it. The story is that they know a guy named Jeff Black who is apparently a very gifted songwriter; they had a cassette of some of his demo recordings in their tour van and listened to it so much they more or less memorized the tunes. When it came time to record covers for the Under The Influence series they laid down one of his songs. Evidently Jeff Black never managed to actually get a record deal, record them properly, or release them. So for all intents and purposes, no one would ever know this isn’t a Drag The River song if they didn’t tell us. It fits so flawlessly into their catalogue and into the tenor of the compilation CD its kind of unbelievable.

I love this band and this song (and the others below) continues to demonstrate how phenomenal a group of performers they really are.

UPDATE/EDIT
A commenter points out that I’m wrong as hell! Jeff Black has released many, many quality albums that are available from his very own website. A podcast with the background on the covers single is right here. Thanks DownSouth! Sorry for the goof.

 

 Drag The River - Jeff Black Song #2 [3:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Drag The River - I Remember Now [5:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Drag The River - Has A Way With Women [2:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Drag The River CDs and vinyl products are available through Suburban Home and Vinyl Collective. Also, iTunes.

Pat entries acoustic, alt country, country, covers, Drag The River

About a week ago I was basking in an incredible display of raw talent and the love of music at the Exchange in Regina. I was so impressed with both of the bands on the bill that I’ve been thinking about it for eight straight days now and if anything warrants writing about, I’d say that’s it.

Both peddle an alt-country sound, which seems to be the hip genre these days. Regina’s Lazy MKs take a different tack than a lot of bands, incorporating both double-bass and pedal steel guitar into their regular instrumentation. While that might suggest a deeply traditional, rootsy vibe, the band doesn’t go for the obvious. Their material is instrumental across the board on their new EP, A Field Guide To The Lazy MKs, although their live shows are typically peppered with guest vocalists to ensure they don’t lose the intimacy that comes from having a singer present.

The songs themselves are rooted deeply in rock and roll, offering two- and three-minute tunes that bounce and swell with noise, each element cascading over the other. It’s a rough-hewn style that recalls the tumbling fields of the prairies, constantly on the verge of a strong gust of wind and sound that pushes the song in a new direction. There’s also a sense of playfulness to the writing, and especially the live performance, that demonstrates the familiarity among the players. There’s a charm in it, especially from a group of men who list “moose jerky” as an influence in their bio.

It’s also kind of a treat to hear a group emphasize the bass in their writing; when an often-overpowering instrument like pedal steel is included on every track it can be a balancing act to make certain that’s not ALL the listener hears. Switching effortlessly between electric and stand-up bass, Chris Prpich seems to edge in and out of the role of bandleader with ease, naturally leading their stomping, energetic playing in a democratic way.

Incidentally, the group has also come up with one of the most gorgeous CD packages I’ve seen in years. It’s an absolute treat to hold, see, and hear.

But the real treat of the evening was Saskatoon’s Deep Dark Woods. They fall somewhere in between country and rock and roll as well, but usually hew closer to the former. Their sound is punctuated by singer/guitarist Ryan Boldt’s understated baritone, a voice that is equal parts Hayden and George Jones. A couple of years ago they released the widely-acclaimed Hang Me Oh Hang Me on Vancouver-based Black Hen Records, home to SSA favourites Old Man Luedecke and Steve Dawson. That record won “Best Roots Album” at the Western Canadian Music Awards.

Last month they put out Winter Hours, which raises the bar to heights one might not think possible for a lowly Saskatchewan group. Embracing the dark side of singer Ryan Boldt’s songwriting, these tracks lament impending floods, destitution, suicide, and murder. The lethargic, haunting melodies of “the Winter Hours” and “Farewell” will crawl into your head and plant roots, the vocal harmonies echoing the mournful violins and guitars; I haven’t been able to get them out of there since the show. Boldt’s characters embrace the lack of sunlight, money, and love with whiskey and gin; these are tales of outlaws that have lost all hope, women with their backs against a wall, men who have lived right up to the edge of their means and are staring over a precipice.

I don’t think its a stretch in the slightest to say the Deep Dark Woods are easily the finest band operating in our entire damn province. A case could be made that few bands from our slow, cold prairie towns have ever been able to boast songwriting this fine. You owe it to yourself to check them out.

 

 the Lazy MKs - Young Sad [3:11m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 the Lazy MKs - Burgess Lake [3:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Deep Dark Woods - All The Money I Had Is Gone [4:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Deep Dark Woods - Farewell [3:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Deep Dark Woods - Winter Hours [3:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Deep Dark Woods records are available through Black Hen and Zunior. For the Lazy MKs contact them through their Myspace, since their record label doesn’t really seem interested in acting like a real record label.

Pat entries Black Hen Records, Canadian content, country, Deep Dark Woods, Lazy MKs, Regina Saskatchewan, rock, roots, Saskatoon, Young Soul Records

15. Chuck Ragan & Austin Lucas - Bristle Ridge
When I heard this album was being recorded I nearly lost my mind. Chuck Ragan, one of my all-time favourite songwriters recording a full album with one of my favourite up-and-coming songwriters — how could it miss? They went a whole lot more “Appalachian family band” than I was expecting, but it’s got everything I like from both of them and more, all in one convenient package. If you’re not afraid of hill folk making jug music in your stereo, you can’t live without this. We’ve covered plenty of Ragan and Lucas in our extensive archives, by the way.

14. Frightened Rabbit - the Midnight Organ Fight
The success of this Scottish band in 2008, consisting mainly of two Scottish brothers, came as a surprise to many. While they had issued an intensely lo-fi debut LP, it was not nearly as widely heard as the Midnight Organ Fight (which, aside from being awesomely named, is totally interesting to listen to). The band keeps it as simple as they ever have; songs mostly don’t have any bass guitar in them because at the time they recorded the band didn’t have a bass player. They’re constructed from acoustic bed tracks up, coloured with keys and highlighted by the frantic caterwauling of lead singer Scott Hutchison. I’m a lyrics guy, so when someone can throw together mild violence on someone else’s eyeballs, the word “cunt,” and possibly the prettiest melody of the year into one track (”Poke”) I’m pretty impressed. Probably the most outstanding moment comes in just the second track, single “the Modern Leper.” Likening his consistent romantic failures to the titular medical condition, he paints a uniquely expressive picture of a man who is nothing more than alone. That is worth recognizing.

13. Why? - Alopecia
No album in 2008 straddled so many lines and genres as this one (at least none one that I enjoyed quite as much). It’s an engrossing listen that plays equally well whether you’re on your sofa with a hangover or driving along a desolate highway as the sun goes down. There are six or eight extremely well-developed, pure pop songs rendered even more entertaining by the often dour world view of songwriter/lyricist Yoni Wolfe. He brings the kind of clever wordplay and twisted turns-of-phrase that straight-forward hip-hop wishes it could come up with to his songs, even going so far as to correct his grammar on “the Fall of Mister Fifths.” Along with the latest TV On The Radio album, this is engaging, eclectic music that deserves a wider audience than it will get.

 

 Why? - Fatalist Palmistry [3:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Frightened Rabbit - the Modern Leper [3:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Chuck Ragan & Austin Lucas - the Light: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Bristle Ridge is available here: iTunes and cd/vinyl
The Midnight Organ Fight can be found: iTunes and physical
Alopecia is purchasable: iTunes or physical

Pat entries Alopecia, Austin Lucas, Best of, Bristle Ridge, Chuck Ragan, country, folk, Frightened Rabbit, indie rock, rap, the Midnight Organ Fight, traditional, Why?

In the interest of once again shamelessly promoting one of my favourite new artists of the last several years, this week’s vinyl spotlight is shining heavily on Austin Lucas.

I’ve featured Mr. Lucas several times before since first hearing his latest LP, Putting The Hammer Down. He’s primarily an incredible vocalist, a great guitarist, and has really tapped into a unique “roots” sound. Up to this point that’s had a great deal to do with his father Bob, a life-long country musician and gifted arranger and instrumentalist.

On his latest 10″ vinyl-only release, At War With The Freak Folk, Lucas steps up to the mic for a truly solo effort; the six songs were recorded in live one-takes, just him and the microphone. Most of his previous releases haven’t exactly been choked with excessive instrumentation, but this presentation really leaves it all laid bare, unflinchingly exposing his songwriting to the listener.

Like his other records, there are faster-paced songs that have a bit of bounce, paeans to departing lovers, countered by excruciatingly slow and pained minor-chord treatises on heartbreak. But the stark presentation shows the seemingly effortless grace that Lucas pulls it off with. He’s proving himself to be a prolific songwriter, and even better than that a prolific songwriter that doesn’t skimp on the quality of his compositions.

Here’s a demo version of the first track (which is really kind of redundant, considering the nature of the final product) and the first track from the b-side. Please pick this business up, you will be won over if you aren’t among the converted already.

 

 Austin Lucas - Go West (demo) [4:12m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Austin Lucas - She Did [3:49m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

At War With Freak Folk can be found here. Other material can as well. Also from itunes.

Pat entries acoustic, Austin Lucas, country, folk, roots, vinyl

So I’ve been listening to vinyl records for the last six or seven years, but it’s really amped up the last year or so as it’s suddenly become commercially viable or cool or whatever again. It’s pretty great to have the big art, the effort that goes into it, the whole tactile experience.

Lately, however, I’ve been doing everything I can to destroy that experience. My lady’s mom gave me a comedy LP she found at a garage sale or something, an album she’s never heard but based on the cover art and the dude’s name she would like to know what it’s like. So she asked me if I’d be able to get it onto a CD. Well, after a week or two of figurin’ and playing with the various cables and connectors I have I managed to put together a very workable patch system.

So I’ve been “ripping” all my vinyl-only material onto my laptop, cleaning it up, boosting the levels, and whatnot and loading those songs onto my iPod. It’s a wealth of material that is “fresher” to my ears because there just isn’t as much opportunity to listen to it all as frequently. So I’m totally psyched about it and I’m going to try to share that level of psychitude.

This will be the first of a weekly offering of material that has only been available on vinyl, sacrilegiously captured in a digital form.

Below you’ll find one of the best (and most traditionally country) songs by Colorado’s Drag The River, a scrappy group of old punk rockers who play their own brand of “alt-country.” Because I’m a nerd for the English language and word useage, I like this song that much more. Then, unique yet old-timey rock and rollers Murder By Death take on one of my most hated bands ever, Guns ‘n Roses, with results that I quite like. Apologies for the sound quality on that track; it appears the UK label that pressed it doesn’t give a shit for sound quality. Finally, a frenetic and hilarious re-write of Jerry Reed’s “I’m Gonna Write A Song” finds jokey punk cover band Me First and The Gimme Gimmes taking an unusually political slant. Key changes and the breakneck pace leave singer Spike Slawson gasping for air by the time it’s all over.

 

 Murder By Death - Don't Cry [3:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Drag The River - ...Has A Way With Women [2:53m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Me First & the Gimme Gimmes - I'm Gonna Write A Song [1:51m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Murder By Death’s Brother single features the Guns ‘n Roses cover as the b-side (how they made G’nR palatable shows just how great of a band they are) and can be procured here. Word of caution: it’s a UK import and thus is likely pricey.
Drag the River’s …Has A Way With Women 7″ features two other great songs and (thanks to a recent re-press) is available here.
Me First and The Gimme Gimmes‘ Jerry 7″ is part of their Square Dance Singles Series. The actual square-shaped vinyl version is long-since sold out, but the “yella” version should still be available to purchase through some retailers.

Pat entries acoustic, b-sides, country, covers, Drag The River, Guns n' Roses, Jerry Reed, Me First and The Gimme Gimmes, Murder By Death, vinyl

So I’ve had a few weeks. Two weekends ago my lady Jenny and I moved to a new apartment. The outgoing tenants are apparently dickbags, as we had to wait until five to move stuff out and the carpets were still wet after the steam cleaning. Anyway, moving was rough but we evenutally got it done.

The difficulty was compounded by the fact that I was my brother’s best man and had (somewhat) inadvertently scheduled a group of bachelor party activities for the same day/night. It was a long day.

The next weekend was his wedding, jammed full of wedding-type activities allowing nothing else to get done. That included writing a jaw-droppingly good toast to the groom, the morning of.

Now for the last week I’ve been dogs-sitting for the happy couple while they’re on their honeymoon. He’s like six months old, a chocolate lab that is completely retarded with more energy than anyone or anything should ever have. Oh, and dumps the size of a baby’s head.

Anyways, I’ve been busy and tired the whole time. That’s only been compounded by the fact that while all this was happening I’ve been moved to a 4:30am to 12:30pm shift at work. So suck on that, good night’s sleep! What, you don’t want to be in bed by 7:30pm every night? Then you’re going to be cranky all day long.

Anyhow, more stuff is likely coming. Some day. I need to find something to do in those hours at work when I’m not being even the slightest bit productive!

 

 Ween - Moving Away [3:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 the Decemberists - the Bachelor and the Bride [4:13m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Charlie Feathers - Wedding Dress of White [3:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Drag The River - Hang Dog [2:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Google these artists!

Pat entries Charlie Feathers, country, dogs, Drag The River, indie rock, moving, rockabilly, the Decemberists, wedding, Ween

You know how they talked about Neko Case when she first started getting attention? Remember? They called her “the Voice.” They said her voice wrote cheques her songwriting couldn’t cash (at the time), that the Voice overpowered the listener’s senses and destroyed their minds. That might be hyperbole…but what ISN’T hyperbole is that I have found her male equivalent.

In my endless pursuit of all things Chuck Ragan, I discovered a man named Austin Lucas. Austin and Chuck recorded a song together in the bathroom of a bar in Las Vegas in the dark and released it as a bonus track on the cd compiling Chuck’s 7” subscription series (and later on the b-side of a German 7” single). That song is provided below, a dangerously lo-fi recording that masks the power of their performance. The two also released a split 7” (again in Germany) and are working on a collaborative full-length – all good signs.

So a couple of months back the folks at the Vinyl Collective message board alerted me to a pre-order over at Lucas’ North American label, Magic Bullet, for his first solo full-length. After spending most of his life playing in punk bands, Lucas has been playing folk/country material and for this record he got together with his dad (also a life-long musician) and they recorded eight huge tracks. I say huge because they’re not necessarily choked with excessive instrumentation or wall-of-sound production. They’re huge in terms of their emotional weight and the ridiculous expanse of Lucas’ voice. It soars through the speakers and – while it does have a bit of country-style twang – it’s just mighty. I’m in awe of it.

 

 Austin Lucas - Man Alive [4:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Austin Lucas - There's Always Someone Tougher and Meaner [4:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Austin Lucas & Chuck Ragan - Hold My Bed [4:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Voice wants to speak to you:
iTunes: surprisingly, it’s here!
Magic Bullet mailorder: Pre-order the limited LP version or the cd
Hometown Caravan: His German label apparently has a few singles you can get — warning, they’re only taking orders through their myspace.

Pat entries acoustic, Austin Lucas, country, roots

This doesn’t need much of an introduction. Steve Earle is awesome. Put down whatever indie rock crap you have in the player right now, head down to your local record store, and pick up Earle’s new Washington Square Serenade as well as everything else in his catalogue.

Here are some essential Steve Earle tracks that got me listening to a guy I used to pass off as just another country singer. In no particular order:

1. Cocaine Cannot Kill My Pain
This isn’t only the best song on Earle’s best album (1996’s I Feel Alright)…it’s a mindfuck of a drug nightmare. Earle, a former heroin and cocaine addict — fresh out of prison when he recorded this — moans over what sounds more like dark, ambient noise than an actual song. The lyrics (”Heroin’s the only thing/The only gift that darkness brings”) are haunting and leave you with the impression that their author is about to relapse at any second.

When coupled with “South Nashville Blues,” a twangy ode to scoring smack (more on that later), “CCKMP” transforms the joyful vibe of I Feel Alright’s I-survived-jail-and-rehab first half. It doesn’t leave you wondering whether Earle will ever be able to top such a great song — you’re wondering whether he’s going to live long enough to be able to attempt it. Creepy, but awesome.

2. Warrior
Earle’s 2004 album The Revolution Starts Now was the follow-up to Jerusalem, which, thanks to the controversy surrounding “John Walker’s Blues,” made him a household name. Like its predecessor, Revolution is full of anti-war, anti-Bush, anti-establishment rants. There’s a tongue-in-cheek calypso love song for Condoleeza Rice (”Condi, Condi”), a Ramones-y rip at censorship (”F the CC”) and a typical Earle storytelling ballad in defense of the everyman (”Rich Man’s War”).

The true highlight, however, is the fourth track — an unassuming poem set to a hard-rocking beat entitled “Warrior.” Unlike the other songs on the record, there’s no hook — nothing to sing along to, nothing to stick in your head. It doesn’t rhyme. Earle doesn’t even sing. Instead, he delivers a weird, stream-of-consciousness sounding spoken-word poem, full of cumbersome multi-syllable words. It’s not immediately clear what it means, but it seems to be in fitting with the rest of the record’s anti-authoritarian standpoint.

Whatever it means, lyrics like “This is the best time of the day — the dawn/The final cleansing breath unsullied yet/By acrid fume or death’s cacophony” just sound cool. If you still think Earle’s just a country singer…this is about as far from country as you can get.

3. Breed
Rarities collections are usually a tough sell. You usually end up with a bunch of mediocre b-sides, live tracks, soundtrack contributions and assorted stuff that wasn’t good enough to make the cut for a real album. Earle’s Sidetracks collection is the rare exception.

Although some of the unreleased material is great and the soundtrack music is exceptional (”Ellis Unit One,” for example), the strength of Sidetracks is its cover tunes — the Slickers’ “Johnny Too Bad,” the Supersuckers’ “Creepy Jackalope Eye,” Bob Dylan’s “My Back Pages”…and this wicked Nirvana cover.

While you’d almost expect a “country” singer like Earle to take an aggressive number like “Breed” and twang it up, Earle plays it straight — his “Breed” is as fast and raging as the original. Recorded with a stripped-down version of his regular band, the Dukes, “Breed” is easily the best track on the record and probably the most punk rock thing a (then) 47-year-old redneck from Tennessee has ever done.

The cover was apparently a last-minute omission from the Transcendental Blues sessions, which is a bit of a shame. The overrated Transcendental could have benefited from the track’s energy.

5. South Nashville Blues
As mentioned earlier, this track from I Feel Alright connects with “CCKMP” in a number of ways.

“CCKMP” is about the craving for heroin seen through the eyes of a depraved junkie, while “South Nasvhille Blues” is a little more lucid. In the song –which is about heading down to the wrong side of the tracks to score heroin — Earle seems to be aware of the danger he’s putting himself in.

“I took my pistol and a hundred dollar bill/I got everything I need to get me killed” he sings, before taking a trip to visit the devil (representing his dealer). It’s essentially a solo performance — just Earle and his guitar (although there are some overdubs, like a steel guitar). I’ve seen him play this live, and it’s one of the highlights of my concertgoing history.

Unlike “CCKMP,” which is droning and noisy, “Nashville” is actually a pleasant tune, but the lyrics tell a far more depressing story. “I won’t be satisfied,” he sings “until they lock me up again.”

6. I Thought You Should Know
Earle’s songs cover some pretty broad territory — descent into drug hell, raging left-wing politics, first-person historical storytelling — but his strong suit has always been love songs. The singer has been married seven(!) times, so it’s not surprising that he’s a sucker for love.

While he has far more poignant love songs, “I Thought You Should Know,” an underplayed album track from The Revolution Starts Now, is one of my favourites. It’s actually not a love song by traditional standards. It’s more of a warning to a potential lover: if you’re just planning on messing with my emotions, let’s not even bother.

“If you’re thinking about breaking my heart,” he sings in the chorus, “you might as well just pick up your little black dress and go/Somebody else already tore it apart/And I thought you should know.”

Doesn’t sound much like a love song, right? It’s not the chorus as much as the way the verses are worded that is incredibly touching. I’ve always maintained that Earle is a brilliant lyricst, and this is one of my favourite examples.

“Maybe this is all that you want/Maybe you’re just as lonesome as me/A shoulder that you can cry on/A warm safe place you can be/Someone to call in the middle of the night/When the ghosts in your bedroom won’t rest…”

Of course, lyrics aren’t the only key to this song. It has a slow-burning soul-ballad groove to it, although the distorted guitars add a bit of a darker feel. Then there’s the harmonica solo. As a harmonica player myself, I’ve always been fascinated with the way Earle plays. He tends to blow in a really aggressive kind of way — way harder than the songs ever warrant. It’s rare to hear an Earle harp solo where you don’t hear him taking deep breaths in between notes, but it’s not a bad thing. His solos are typically righteous, and “I Thought You Should Know” is one of his best.

…and there’s a massive list of other songs that are worth checking out. I haven’t mentioned Valentine’s Day, the new album’s standout Jericho Road, the all-time classic My Old Friend The Blues or even my nominee for “best album title ever,” Earle’s heroin-roughened concert album, Shut Up And Die Like An Aviator.

There’s an incredible wealth of material out there, and if early stuff like Guitar Town, Exit 0 and The Hard Way strike you as being too pop-country for your tastes, at least you can appreciate the masterful production values; Earle is a digital pioneer, yet his albums — particularly the later ones — retain that analog warmth.

 

 Steve Earle - South Nashville Blues: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Steve Earle - Cocaine Cannot Kill My Pain: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Steve Earle - Warrior: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Steve Earle - Breed: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You can check out all of this stuff…and you should…at Steve Earle’s website

Sam entries country, rock, Steve Earle