Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Peter Bradley Adams - Leavetaking
The unusual title and theme of the album is inspired by a line from the Mark Strand poem titled “The View:” “He’s always been drawn to the weather of leavetaking.” Peter elaborates, “the word 'leavetaking' resonates with me and these songs on a couple of levels - on one hand there's the call to wander and the choice one makes to search and to live in that motion; and on the other hand the price of that choice, and the feeling of loss that accompanies it. And it's a theme you hear in so many traditional songs... some of them traveling songs, or gospel songs, or love songs... they've got that old longing in them that I'm really drawn to.”
In 2006, Peter left Los Angeles, moved to Nashville and immediately began his collaboration with Lex Price. “I had met Lex on tour a year earlier, and after hearing him play and the music he’s produced, I knew I wanted to work with him.”
Assembling a small group of Nashville players, the duo recorded a bulk of the songs in two separate Decembers – ’06 and ’07. For the mixing, Peter called upon Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, U2, Elvis Costello).
“We mixed in Los Angeles at the studio of TV composer Mike Post, a friend and supporter since eastmountainsouth. Kevin came out and we mixed 13 songs in seven days. But at the end, I felt that only nine fit this album. So I decided this was just going to have to be a short record and not apologize for it.”
With the exception of the instrumental track “Song For Viola,” Adams builds upon the signature vocal harmonies crafted with Kat Maslisch as the duo eastmountainsouth and carried to his solo debut (featuring Epic Records artists Sarah Bareillis on “Teresa” and Susie Suh). Peter explains, “[Nashville singer/songwriter] Katie Herzig and I met on the “American Songwriter” magazine tour in 2007 and I knew she would be perfect for these songs. But I also feel like I'm using harmony vocals differently than I have in the past - more as a support and color to the melody than a clearly defined 2nd part. It’s a progression from my previous record and eastmountainsouth.”
Also included is a reinterpretation of the song “So You Are To Me,” originally recorded by eastmountainsouth. Adams wrote it for his sister’s wedding,and it lives on as a popular wedding song to this day. “It was difficult for me to re-record the song because Kat sang it so beautifully. But, I think Lex and I found another way into it, so I'm really glad it's on the record.”
See Peter Bradley Adams in concert - June 13 - Memphis House Concert - Memphis, TN
http://www.myspace.com/peterbradleyadams
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Black Jake and The Carnies - Where the Heather Don't Grow
An Americana Daily Review
Billing themselves as the Kings of Crabgrass, Black Jake and The Carnies are part bluegrass, part country, part folk, part hillbilly, part punk (cowpunk)and part post-modern wandering minstrel show.
Put all the parts together and you have a party!
Their debut album, Where the Heather Don't Grow is packed full of good-time music about wild-time characters. From the opening cut, Paper Outlaw, about Phineas Philistine Pratt, a phrenologist of note to Crazy McCraedy's Mama McCraedy, a lady some said plum crazy to Jasper Watkins, who apologizes to his victims before doing them in, the entire CD rocks and rolls, hoops and hollers and swings and sways courtesy of The Carnies, a reckless crew of outlaw jug-band gypsies touting fiddles, banjos, mandolins, washboards, accordions, guitars and train whistles.
Hailing from Ypsilanti, Michigan, Black Jake and The Carnies sound like they just crawled out of the Louisiana bayou country and are on their way to a psychedelic camptown revival. They even close out the album with a raucous, irreverent adaptation of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot…I looked in the mirror and what did I see, the boys in blue was comin' after me…
If you like your Bluegrass mixed with a little Newgrass check out the Kings of Crabgrass - Black Jake and The Carnies.
March 14 - The Brass Rail - Ft. Wayne, IN
April 9 - The Blind Pig - Ann Arbor, MI
April 10 - Trumbullplex - Detroit, MI
May 9 - Elbow Room - Ypsilanti, MI
June 20 - Trinity House Theater - Livonia, MI
July 17-18 - Beaver Island Music Festival - Beaver Island, MI
Black Jake and The Carnies
Where the Heather Don't Grow
myspace.com/blackjakeandthecarnies
Reviewed for Americana Daily by s j welker
