I came across a new demo from a new band called Crow Bait. Not only is the band’s name awesome, but the band also features members of: Jonesin’, Iron Chic, Wax Phantom, Sister Kisser, Halfway To Hell Club & more. That right there is damn awesome!!!
Check it out if you dare:
I have been digging Old Man Markley‘s self-proclamed genre of “Newgrass” for quite some time now, but it appears that I forgot to let the rest of the world know. The band released Guts N’ Teeth on Fat Wreck Chords back in January and I guess I enjoyed it so much that I failed to talk it up a bunch. So, 5-months later, without further au-due, ladies and gentlemen, Old Man Markley…
So, wait – what is this “Newgrass” genre I speak of? It is a fine mix of punk, folk, and bluegrass making for one catchy sound. Think old school country jam meets folk rock / punk rock fueled by countless rounds of draft beers at your favorite drinking hole with friends.
If having a good time could be put in music form, “Newgrass” is probably what it would sound like.
Back in 2007, the band started off in LA jamming out in a bluegrass fashion as well as took countless bluegrass favorites of theirs and covered them in a much different way based upon their own punk rock standards. After a couple years the band, containing up to nine people currently, took all they knew musically and pushed out their debut album Guts N’ Teeth. The result is one of the best CDs I have heard in 2011 and I am not just saying that. Put it this way, the moment I heard the opening track, I placed my order for the vinyl because I had to have it in my collection.
“For Better For Worse” was that catchy track I heard. I was an instant fan. It was a mix of all the current types of music I have been digging lately – Folk, country, punk, and bluegrass. The song was full on energy even if singing of a girl that can’t be had. Resembling something sounding like Tumbledown meets Dropkick Murphys, the song made you want to throw a foot to the ground a few hundred times while tossing back drinks. Does it sound to you as if I liked this track? You bet your ass I did.
Following was “At The Bottom”, a banjo-heavy track full of group vocals backing up singing about passing out at the bottom of a bottle. “Running Weight” was a fiddle frenzy track that was more like an adventure if anything about getting from point A to point B without getting caught.
“Do Me Like You Do” was an entertaining cover of the 1924 song written by Gene Austin and Roy Bergere. Covered usually by jazz artists, this mean bluegrass version was full of fun a quarrel at the same time. Slowing down things a bit was “Song Songs”, a song about all the songs that many members of this band have probably written for others throughout the years.
Another track that caught my ear was “Letterman”, a song of an angered escape surrounded by some amazing folk rock music, especially the harmonica playing. With harsh lyrics like, “so now your hiding in a sad song, we don’t want to sing along”, it’s clear that the song is not aimed for good feelings one bit. “Lowdown Blues” was a prime example of what the Stray Cats would have sounded like if they ditched the whole rockabilly feel and moved to the mountains.
I would not have been surprised if Tim Barry and the Avett Brothers had something to do with “Living and Learning”. Hell, even Slobberbone hints throughout this track. I guess it’s that time where I tell you if you need to listen to one track on this album it’s this one. Seriously, good shit right here.
For a bunch of punkers from L.A. who used to be in bands such as Youth Brigade and Angel City Outcasts, Old Man Markley is downright impressive. Mandolins, banjos, fiddles, autoharp, harmonica, washboard, and high spirited singing full up this album of non-stop folk/punk/rock goodness. Like I said before, this is one of my favorite albums of 2011 and to think, it came out in the beginning of the year. I dare anyone out there who says they like folk or country to tell me that there is not at least one song on this album that made them thing “damn, them boys is good”, because as a pretty solid fan of those genres, that is exactly what I said.
Old Man Markley will be touring with NOFX and Anti-Flag this Fall and as luck would have it, they are hitting Cleveland. I know I will be in attendance that night. Something tells me I will not regret it.
Can I just comment on the above video? Best. Video. Ever.
I’ve been meaning to give some props to an online record store for a couple of weeks now. The company I speak of is called Shop Radio Cast and I have been buying from them for a while now.
Fans of limited edition pressings and especially punk rock releases will get a kick out of this site. They seem to always carry the stuff I can not find in my neck of the woods. There’s nothing like just jumping online and snagging what you want right there and then without being overpriced.
I feel like I am a commercial… Shop Cast. Shop, Radio Cast.
Honestly, it is not just the selection, but also the great customer service. The guys at Shop Radio Cast answer questions quickly and will resolve any problem as fast as they can.
Case and point: I ordered the Record Store Day version of The Menzingers Chamberlain Waits in April after having no luck in Ohio finding it. I did not open it for weeks and when I finally did this past week I discovered it was the regular black vinyl version and not the Record Store Day blue version I thought I had purchased. I emailed the company to tell them of my disappointment thinking that I was out of luck getting the limited edition version and not even a couple hours later received a response. It was a simple overlook, but the company made sure that I was taken care of, and guess what? They were able to locate a Record Store Day version for me and I should have it soon.
It’s nice to have customer service like that. I have dealt with other online records stores (whose names will remain unnamed…..for now) and either got shitty, short replies or no response at all.
So, props to you fine folk at Shop Radio Cast. You make it easy for me to waste all of my hard earned money on my addiction also known as vinyl. Keep up the good work!
Record collectors… Check them out. www.shopradiocast.com They don’t just deal with punk rock genres but also rock and indie. If you are turned down by the idea of vinyl, they sell CDs, clothing and even hot sauce. Bitchin’.
UPDATE: I feel the need to let anyone who stumbles upon this post that SRC never threw me any freebies back in 2011 when I posted this. I was being sincere.
Over the years, I continued ordering from them but pretty much stopped after the SRC vinyl subscription series was introduced.
I felt kind of cheated out in a way with that series as I was never told I was in the top 10 until I received the first record and then realized the limited edition hand numbered pressings were just records with a cardboard sleeve over them. I was expecting something a little more official I suppose.
Regardless, having Hum and Quicksand in my collection is pretty bad ass.
As far as SRC goes as a company, I know for a fact that they are not a big operation and there are a handful of them who run that show. As far as ordering and customer service, I personally never had issues with them, but that was after I realized they communicated within their website to the consumer rather than a direct email.
Seeing comments still come in to this day almost bums me out for the sake of SRC, but I also know in the world of retail, stand alone store or online, you need to bust your ass and keep things running smooth.
Here’s hoping they can fix any of the problems with orders out there and reflect as the website I once referred to.
I am back. That’s right folks, I survived the mean streets of West Virginia once again. After a week-long escape from everything, I am back. I have a test already in the class I decided to take this summer so most of this weekend will be focused on studying for that. I am, however, in need of a break so I thought I would hammer out a quick review of a pretty sweet up and coming folk act.
I would imagine that most of my readers know I have a certain love for Austin, TX. I think everyone needs to check out that amazing city at least once in their lifetime. I know I am itching to get back there one day soon. Anyways, I speak of Austin because that is where Brandon Kinder who goes under the moniker The Wealthy West resides.
Many may know Kinder from The Rocketboys, an indie rock group that he supplies lead vocals to. Kinder decided to try something on his own, a more personal folky project he calls The Wealthy West. Fans of soft-spoken indie / folk music (Americana) will really get a kick out of his five song EP entitled Volume 1 – An EP. It is powerful in the heartfelt department and can easily be compared to Ray LaMontange, Joe Purdy, Frightened Rabbit, and even that of the Avett Brothers.
“Love Is Not Enough” starts off the EP with a nice acoustic riff accompanied by piano playing making for a fun track that just seemed to end way too soon. “Another Bad Idea” followed in a more gentle indie rock sound that included background vocals and even chimes.
Once I heard “Give Me Resurrection”, I could not help but think of Purdy and LaMontange as Kinder sings slowly over a faint playing acoustic guitar accompanied by whispering background vocals. The song was really a beautiful piece to check out and had powerful lyrics focusing around the strength of love. “Home” picked things up in the EP with harmonica joining Kinder’s signing. “Not A Pretty Pair” ended the quick EP with a more driven sound throughout although singing of remaining stationary due to lack of time.
It’s no mystery anymore, Americana is where it’s at these days and Kinder has no problem writing his own songs to accompany the latest and greatest of a very solid genre of music. Volume 1 – An EP was a nice and quick listen leaving me, the listener, wanting much more to hear. With only five songs, I am curious to see what else Kinder has to offer in the near future.
The Wealthy West - Love Is Not EnoughI’m not sure what you are doing at the moment, but if you can, head over to Spinner and check out the new Nick 13 solo album that drops today. Spinner is streaming the album in its entirety and I am loving it.
Nick 13, most commonly known as the singer and songwriter of Tiger Army, has gone a new route and created some acoustic storytelling-Americana songs that are driven by his unmistakable voice. His solo attempt is without a doubt something different from what many people might expect from a rockabilly/punk artist, but I can tell you this…it is amazing and he did a damn good job.
From a press release I received:
Nick’s debut album for Sugar Hill Records features acoustic and electric guitar, standup bass, pedal steel, fiddle and much more from a wide pedigree of players who connected with 13’s genuine passion, understanding and knowledge of the history of the music and forward-thinking vision for the future. Some of the folks on the album include Lloyd Green, Sara Watkins, Josh Grange, Eddie Perez and Mitch Marine, in addition to the album’s producers Leisz and Intveld.
Nick offered fans a brief preview of his solo work during encores at Tiger Army’s 2009 “Octoberflame II” event, followed by a full unveiling on the Palomino Stage at Stagecoach last year. “Nick 13 paid earnest homage to Merle Haggard and Ray Price, both of whom [followed] him shortly on the same stage,” wrote the Los Angeles Times.West Coast shows (including a stop at the roots-music mecca Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, California) preceded a second major festival appearance at the 15th-annual “Hootenanny.” Playing second to last, just before Chuck Berry, Nick delivered an hour long performance the Orange County Register called nothing less than “an artistic triumph.” Earlier this year he made his first ever appearance at South By Southwest.Nick spent much of the past two years writing and recording his debut solo album in Los Angeles and Nashville (even living above Printer’s Alley for a time) – laying down tracks like “Nashville Winter” featuring pedal steel legend Lloyd Green, the Bakersfield sound “101” and the atmospheric “Carry My Body Down”.
I hope to have a review of the release shortly, until then, enjoy…
