Day 2 Roundup -- AMA Music Festival

Day two of the AMA Music Festival left attendees with some difficult choices to make.  Certainly not life or death choices, but difficult choices nonetheless.  The decision on a venue was at least made somewhat easier, as the Mercy Lounge, Cannery Ballroom and The High Watt are all connected in the same building, so naturally that makes that venue the heartbeat of the festival.  And naturally, that's ultimately where the night started for many of us.

The Mercy Lounge became a true Texas honky-tonk on Thursday as the first two performaces featured an act that has been burning up the Red Dirt trail for the past 5 years.  This act was the perfect opener for the night, as they set the bar high for those to follow.  The Turnpike Troubadours put on a high-energy show with the crowd and the band feeding off eacth other.  The Troubadours have a very bright future ahead of them, as evidenced with the crowd singing along to favorites such as "Evangeline", "Leaving and Lonely", "Every Girl" and "Gin, Smoke, Lies."

What made the Troubadours performance so impressive was the fact they were appearing right before the performance of a true music legend in every sense of the word.  When one thinks of outlaw country music and the outlaw, Billy Joe Shaver must be the name uttered after Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.   Billy Joe has written an unbelievable amount of hits for both Jennings and Nelson, especially Jennings, as Waylon's "Honky-Tonk Heroes" album was comprised of all songs written by Shaver.  Having said that, there is a lengthy list of artists who have recorded Shaver's material.  It's an astounding amount, actually, and that's a testament to the strength of the material that Billy Joe Shaver creates.  The large crowd at the Mercy could not get enough of the artist who has meant so much to the industry as a whole.  Performances included the aforementioned "Honky-Tonk Heroes", "Live Forever", "Ride Me Down Easy" and "I'm Just An Old Chunk Of Coal", an early hit for John Anderson.

It would have been easy to stick it out at the Mercy/Cannery complex, as performances from Paul Thorn, the Punch Brothers, Steve Forbert, John Fullbright and Jason Boland and the Stragglers were still upcoming.  Factor in performances from Mary Gauthier and Richard Thompson and the Station Inn, and Jim Lauderdale and the North Mississippi Allstars at the Rutledge, and you begin to see the dilemma.  Having said all that, I travelled over to the Basement to pick up performances by the Deep Dark Woods and the Black Lillies.  It was at the Basement, where I came across my first surpise of the festival.

Sons of Fathers are an Austin, Texas based band who will completely blow your mind when you see them.  The fluency at which they play their respective instruments is astounding considering they all appear to be in their early twenties.  A brilliant mix of rockin' country and showmanship blew the small, but very appreciative crowd, out of the water and wanting more. 

The Deep Dark Woods made their second appearance in as many years at the festival with a fine performance that featured Kendel Carson of Canadian trio Belle Starr sitting in.  In speaking with a band member after the show, Carson has been known to sit in with the band if they happen to be in the same city in their travels.  The addition of Kendel's fiddle to the musical stylings of The Deep Dark Woods added a whole new dimension to their music.  The Deep Dark Woods continue to impress and will be around for a very long time.  Watch for a tour of western Canada in the fall.

The final act of the evening was a group that had been brought to my attention by Nelson Gullett, Music Director of WDVX radio in Knoxville, Tennessee.  The Black Lillies have been around for several years now and continue to gain recognition as a band with varying styles of sound, all with outstanding prowess.  Currently in the middle of a national tour that sees them play predominently in the eastern half of the United States, The Black Lillies made their return to the Americana Music Festival for the second year in a row and delivered a wonderful performance that closed out Day 2 beautifully. 

Day 1 Reflections: AMA Conference and Festival

The first official full day of activities is in the books at the 2012 Americana Music Festival and Conference, and what a great day it was.  I won't bore you with the details of the Conference side of things.  If you've been to a conference before, I'm sure you'll appreciate that omission from this space.

Not wasting time with formalities, this year's organizers set the showpiece event, the Americana Music Association Awards, on the opening night of the festival.  Last year was my first time attending this tremendous event, so I was well aware of the calibre of talent I was going to see on this evening.  The best thing about these shows are the surprises that often appear.  These surprises take on special meaning, when you consider that in all likelihood you will not see such things again and they are taking place at such a revered place as the Ryman Auditorium.

Patty Griffin's performance of "I Love" from the Tom T. Hall tribute album "Songs From Fox Hollow" has received many accolades with nominations coming from the Grammy's and the AMA in their Song of the Year category.  Ms. Griffin was not able to attend the show last night, so in her place performing this classic was Lee Ann Womack who delivered an astounding version of this song.  The bigger surprise, and poignant moment of the performance, was the introduction of the writer him, Mr. Tom T. Hall, who strode across the Ryman stage and performed the last verse.  This moment is particularly special when one considers that Tom T. Hall no longer performs on a regular basis, so this was a rare and special moment indeed.

Speaking of poignant moments, the grandest moment of the night was the closing number which served as a tribute to one of the greatest icons in music, Levon Helm.  Mr. Helm passes away earlier this year leaving a gaping hole in the hearts of his fans, his family, and the Americana community as a whole.  Honoring one of the forefathers of Americana at the show, the finale was a performace of the Band standard "The Weight", with luminaries such as Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and John Hiatt sharing the moment with Americana stalwarts Jim Lauderdale, Sam Bush and newcomers Alabama Shakes.  To say this was a moving performance and moment would be a clear understatement.

Other fantastic performances took place through the night including the aforementioned Alabama Shakes (whom, incidentally, tore the house down), The Deep Dark Woods, Justin Townes Earle, Sarah Jarosz, Hayes Carll and Cary Ann Hearst, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, the Carolina Chocolate Drops and Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson.  Lifetime achievement winners Booker T. Jones, Richard Thompson and Bonnie Raitt all took their appropriate turns on stage to remind everyone why they are legends in their time.  Watching the Mavericks return to the Ryman stage was a personal thrill.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Guy Clark's heartfelt performance of "My Favorite Pictue of You", written and peformed in tribute to his wife Susanna Clark who passed away this past June.

On top of all this, there were some awards handed out.  The winners are as follows:

Album of the Year:  "This One's For Him: A Tribute to Guy Clark" -- Various Artists

Song of the Year:  "Alabama Pines", Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Instrumentalist of the Year:  David Rawlings

Duo/Group of the Year:  The Civil Wars

New/Emerging Artist:  Alabama Shakes

Artist of the Year:  Gillian Welch

Closing off the day 1 festivities, at least for this guy, was to attend the performances of Brandi Carlisle and The Wheel's on Fire: A Tribute to Levon Helm.  This was my first time seeing Brandi Carlisle and really experiencing her music.  She is an angel.  The complete package of talent and persona that can take a room and place it in the palm of her hand.  Upstairs at the Mercy Lounge, The Wheel's on Fire was a great tribute to Levon with guest musicians trading off on fantastic Band classics.  My highlight was the performance again of "The Weight" with Hayes Carll, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires and Patterson Hood taking turns performing the song. 

A great night of music came to a close at around 12:30, and holy cow, we're just getting started here in Music City.  Looking forward to day 2, see you tomorrow!

Album Review: Steve Forbert, "Over With You"

Music veteran Steve Forbert returns to the spotlight this week with his newest release, Over With You, released September 11 on Blue Corn Music.  This release is the fourteenth album in Mr. Forbert's storied career and one that, by his own admission, clearly took a lifetime to create.

When listening to this album, Over With You takes on the shape of a venerable scrapbook on the post-life cycle of a relationship.  More specifically, it focuses on the aftermath of the end of that relationship and the emotions that are often felt when two people have decided (or had it decided for them) that the relationship is no longer working.  What Mr. Forbert has created here, is a document on the grief process that follows.  Indeed, it feels like the seven stages of grieving are captured lyrically, with an A-list of musicians supporting each story in the 10 song collection.

The lead track, "All I Asked of You" captures the shock and emotions that run wild through ones mind at the outset of a break up.  Elements of anger set in on "All I Need To Do", while
potential reconcilliation (read: goodbye sex) rears its head in "That'd Be Alright" and "Can't We Get Together?"  Acceptance is ultimately realized in the beautiful title track, "Over With You", as the storyteller conveys the sadness and longing for something that they wanted so desperately to work out but ultimately concedes that ending the relationship is for the best.  Sometimes doing the right thing isn't easy, and that fact is captured beautifully in "Over With You."

While using such musicians as Ben Sollee, Jason Yates and a special appearance by Ben Harper on "That'd Be Alright", the production on this album is quite understated.  This minimalist approach is very appropriate given the subject matter of the album.  In Over With You, Steve Forbert has created the perfect Americana album.  It tells a story of heartache, acceptance and moving forward.  While this album may have taken Mr. Forbert a lifetime to write, I would also submit that in order to fully appreciate this album one must have lived through this experience as well.  This is a brilliant album that should listen to several times in order to experience its full effect.

Settling in (temporarily), in Music City

How quickly time passes.  A little less than a year ago I made my first trip back to Nashville in nine years, that time with a different purpose.  Now, a little less than a year later, I'm back in town to attend my second Americana Music Festival and Conference with the hope of building on the relationships I made over the past year and share more of this great music with the world as best as I can. 

Over the past year, I have had the great fortune to meet (via e-mail at least) some really wonderful people in the music business.  It's an honour and pleasure for me to have them include me on their distribution list, as well as sharing this space with their artists and fan base.  These good folks are far more involved in the music business than I am (at least at this point in my venture), and I deeply appreciate the time they take from their busy schedule to consider writing, conversing and working with me on this space. 

I would like to make a quick note to say there is a wonderful international contingent here this week, as we have fellow Canadian artists Whitehorse, The Deep Dark Woods and Belle Starr all playing here at various times, as well as Aussie/Canadian Chris Altmann participating in several showcases featuring a whole stable of Australian artists.  Stay tuned as the week wears on for a daily update of the happenings in Nashville, as the 12th Americana Music Festival and Conference gets officially underway tomorrow. 

The Rise of Blackberry Smoke

I have to admit I feel a certain kinship toward Blackberry Smoke.  I came to be aware of this band shortly after I started writing this blog two years ago.  Blackberry Smoke were the subjects of the first ever concert review that was posted on this site.  Looking back on that review and as I read it now, I think it's safe to say that a lot of growth has taken place over the course of those two years, for both parties.

The progression of Blackberry Smoke's career is a pleasant one to see.  From their first releases of "Bad Luck Ain't No Crime" and "Honky Tonk Bootlegs", this Georgia band has been working hard to bring that classic southern rock sound that has been missing for nearly a generation.  Not since the days of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, the Outlaws and the Allman Brothers has a band this talented and versatile hit the national stage.  "Good One Comin' On" and "Shake Your Magnolia", from their album "Little Piece of Dixie" should be mandatory listening at 5:00 on your way home from work.  They are anthems to welcome the weekend, especially on a Friday night. 

However, even with their more rockin' leanings, they still caught the attention of two of the most classic voices in country music and had these voices join them in studio to record a country music classic.  In turn, this version became a country classic all over again.  "Yesterday's Wine" is widely recognized as one of the biggest hits in George Jones' career. Blackberry Smoke received the equivalent of a blessing from the Pope when Jamey Johnson and George Jones himself performed on the track which appears on the deluxe version of "Little Piece of Dixie."  It is a brilliant piece of art, and one which captures the musical genius of all three artists.

I suppose it was then inevitable that perhaps the most musically open individual in country music, Zac Brown, would catch on to the little southern rock outfit from his own home state of Georgia.  Adding Blackberry Smoke to the roster of artists on Brown's Souther Ground record label is a natural fit.  There is no hotter artist in music right now than the Zac Brown Band.  And in my mind, there is no smarter business man/artist than Zac Brown.  He knows a good thing when he sees it.  And he knows how to promote.  The effects on Blackberry Smoke's career have been immediate.  Appearances and television specials on CMT.  Bookings at major country music festivals such as Jamboree in the Hills and the Havelock Jamboree (their first foray into Canada, I believe).  All this has ultimately paid off with their highest debuting album on the Billboard Country Album Chart, as their latest release "The Whipoorwhill" debuted at number 8 last week.  

The alliance Blackberry Smoke has forged with Zac Brown I believe is only scratching the surface.  I also believe they have found their natural recording home on Brown's label, Southern Ground Artists.  He won't ask them to change their sound to conform to radio airplay.  They've come this far with their current sound and no radio hits, it's only a matter of taking their music to the masses now.  Brown's high profile will do that, without compromising the music.  It is a beautiful arrangement, and the fruits of that labour are only beginning to be realized.  The bounty is still to come.

Click here to learn more about Blackberry Smoke

Click here to purchase a copy of "The Whipoorwhill"  and "Little Piece of Dixie"

Click here to listen to "Yesterday's Wine" and view other videos 

Say a Prayer or Two for Randy

As a kid who spent most of his teen years in the 1980's, it was out of the ordinary (or so it seemed) to be a country music fan at such a young age.  While most kids my age were rockin' out to the hair bands of the day (think Poison, Twisted Sister, and the like), I was happy listening to Conway Twitty, Eddie Rabbitt, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and George Jones.  If I wanted to put some rock in to my life, I would fire up the Alabama records.  Country music seemed to be on the fringe of popularity at that time, at least in my opinion, as I look back upon those days.  But in 1986, things were about to change, and this change led directly to the next step that brought country music to the world conscience, and it remains there to this day.

If Ricky Scaggs opened the door just a crack  in the early 1980's for a newcomer to start making some headway in Nashville, Randy Travis left the door splintered as he stormed through in 1986.  Randy was seemlingly what Nashville wanted at the time -- good looking and talented, with a pure, soulful country singer voice and best of all, he was YOUNG.  The country music industry hadn't experienced as youthful a country singer in nearly a generation and it was time to work their magic and make young Randy Travis a star.  And it worked.  It worked in spades. 

With the top ten success of his second single, "1982", Randy Travis quickly went from unknown newcomer, to country music's biggest superstar seemingly overnight.  His debut album, "Storms of Life", was honored as album of the year at the annual Country Music Association awards and the Academy of Country Music in 1986 and 1987 respectively.  His follow-up album, "Always and Forever", afforded even bigger hits and bigger album sales.  Most importantly, at least for the Nashville music industry, they now had their superstar that transcended generations.  Kids my age, seemingly everyone, knew the name and music of Randy Travis.  Superstar status, indeed.  His face and music was everywhere.  Travis' initial breakthrough led to the ultimate breakthrough of talent three short years later, with the infamous Class of '89.  In case you aren't familiar with that group, the Class of '89 yielded the following talent:  Clint Black, Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan, Alan Jackson and the newest inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Garth Brooks.  I don't think I need to elaborate on the influence these artists have had on music over the last 20 plus years.

When considering all of this and the influence Randy Travis has had on modern country music, I find the events of his recent personal life very sad and troubling.  It's one thing to get caught being intoxicated in public, it's quite another when one is walking around intoxicated in public naked.  This speaks to something far greater than a problem with alcohol.  This is a cry for help.

There will be many questions as to what's happening with Randy Travis in the coming days, weeks and months, and hopefully we'll find out some answers.  One has to wonder what has precipitated this obvious downfall.  Recent success with the Carrie Underwood cover of one of Travis' biggest hits, "I Told You So", of which Randy had more than a guest vocal on, seemd to bring Randy Travis back in the spotlight.  Carrie even brought Randy with her for an appearance on American Idol, which introduced Travis to a whole new generation of fans.  Perhaps the downfall can be traced to events shortly after that appearance.  His long-time marriage ended ubruptly and not without bitterness.  His recent 25 year anniversary album, and this is an uneducated guess, I don't believe has sold particulary well ... even though it's a great album.  You would like to think that one could rise above these tough life events.  But it can be very tough for some people.

What seems to be happening with Randy Travis is something larger, something bigger than the music.  This is a man's life that is at stake.  A lot of websites are discussing and reporting on these recent events, and the comments at the bottom of the story are what you would typically expect from certain elements of the public.  You won't find comments like that here, at least not from me.  It's the same reason I won't publish a negative album or concert review.  I don't believe writing blog posts such as that are productive.  Negativity only breeds more negativity.  Instead, I will only write that I wish Randy Travis the best.  I hope that he can get the help he needs, the help that he is crying out for.  I hope he finds the support from his friends, fans and peers in the music industry that can help him get through whatever issues he's facing right now.  And yes, I will be saying a prayer for him.  Whether you love or hate his music, let's all hope he can turn his life around becaue after all, we're talking about a persons life.

EP Preview: Buxter Hoot'n, "NA NA NA"

I've written several times in this space about how great it is to be involved in the Americana music community, even if it is in the somewhat limited capacity that is my involvement (at least for the moment).  The connections you can make, whether it's personal or just a simple e-mail, is second to none in my opinion.  The Americana movement is a grassroots movement, and there is a feeling of camaraderie that's electrifying.  It's a feeling of how we're all in this together and we're all pulling for each other to be successful. 

I think of these things when I receive messages like the one I did roughly a month or so ago.  Randy Alexander, President and CEO of Randex Communications sent an e-copy of the soon-to-be-released album by emerging Americana band Buxter Hoot'n.  It may not be fair to call this San Francisco-based band emerging, but this group is poised for a breakthrough with this stellar release.

Buxter Hoot'n is one of the most unique bands I've heard in a long time.  The title track contains soaring harmonies with a beautifully haunting arrangement as its backdrop. The combination immediately hooked this listener.  "Kids These Days" is the perfect blend of roots mixed with elements of rap and the combination is brilliant.   My personal favorite of the EP is "Haunted House", which starts out with a soft lead guitar and understated vocal, but reaches a beautiful creshendo roughly two-thirds of the way through the track.  Elements of southern rock in the Skynyrd/Allman Brothers tradition find its way on the album with a rocker called "Hung Up" that fills out the album nicely.

The press trailer for Buxter Hoot'n describes their sound as "psychedelic Americana", and I would have to agree.  After listening to the preview link of "Na Na Na",  which appears below, I can honestly say that I have not heard a band that produces a sound like this before.  The haunting arrangements mixed with strong lyrics make for a potent concoction that makes it a pleasure to both listen and enjoy.  When this record hits the stores in the coming weeks, put Buxter Hoot'n's "Na Na Na" at the top of your wish list.

Click here to stream Buxest Hoot'n, "Na Na Na"