Lissie charmed the crowds at SXSW and set off a wave of anticipation ahead of the U.S. release of her first full album this month, Catching a Tiger. She’ll be in Houston on October 10th at the House of Blues. Don’t be square.
I’m equally fascinated with bassist, Lewis Keller’s ability to keep down a nice bass line, take care of the kick drum and the high hat and some great backing vocals all at the same time.
I’m sure some die-hard Led Zeppelin fans spun in their musical coffins when Robert Plant started singing duets with Americana sweetheart singer/fiddle player Allison Kraus, but I love the direction he’s been heading in lately.
He’s teamed up with some other leading lights of the Americana music community as the Band of Joy, its name an homage to his pre-Zeppelin band featuring Buddy Miller, Patty Griffin, Darrell Scott, Byron House, and…
For Del Barber, a singer-songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Americana label doesn’t seem quite right, but the influences are there – Greg Brown, Townes Van Zandt, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, John Prine, Wilco, and Woody Guthrie – and come shining through in the songs. The songs are steeped in narrative, expert fingerpicking and a clear tentor. He also does a great version of Richard Thompson’s 1952 Vincent Black Lightning – check it out around 15:37 in the Poor Michael’s set below, no small feat in itself.
Del Barber-Poor Michael’s-17July2010-Part 1 from
Patty Griffin has long been one of my favorite artists. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when she released Downtown Church earlier this year, an album of old-time gospel numbers from an indie singer-songwriter. It’s a great album. See her live with Buddy Miller at the Old Settler Music Festival just outside of Austin in mid-April.
The Making of Downtown Church
via amber waves of twang
Patty Griffin performing Move Up on Craig Ferguson’s
Performing We Shall All Be Reunited at Gruene Hall
Alejandro Escovedo mentioned the loss of a friend and musician Stephen Bruton the last time I saw him play in Houston. I knew the name but couldn’t really place it, much to my embarrassment now. I was reminded of it when I heard it again in Jeff Bridges Oscar acceptance speech. Bruton was responsible, with T-Bone Burnett, for much of the music on Crazy Heart. Allow me to humbly suggest, despite my poor example, that you check out the clips I found below and then go out and buy ever album he ever made or played on.
