Category Archives: Uncategorized

Joshua Hedley’s ‘Mr. Jukebox’ is the classic country song we all need right now

Posted on by wolffkurt

When it comes to music, country is often a dividing line. Many love it, others hate it, and there are few on the fence.

Johnny Cash was one singer who could bridge the gap between country and rock, without alienating either side. Gram Parsons couldn’t get there. Merle Haggard didn’t even really bother trying – though he won over many rock fans eventually, just with the sheer power of his voice and songs.

Joshua Hedley isn’t aiming to bridge that gap in the same was as Cash. But his song “Mr. Jukebox” has a sort of universal appeal that few current country songs – ‘old school’ or Top 40 – have achieved. Just ask my 9-year-old daughter (who knows every word).

You just hear a song like “Mr Jukebox” and can’t help but smile. Listen below.

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‘America for Me’ – Alex Ebert’s Song from the Film ‘A Most Violent Year’

Posted on by wolffkurt

No question: A Most Violent Year is a powerful film, one of the best I’ve seen in the past year. I was a fan of director J.C. Chandor’s 2011 release Margin Call, and his new film takes a vastly different but equally compelling perspective on capitalism in America.

The story focuses on the expansion plans of a heating oil executive in New York City in 1981, which sounds potentially mundane yet is anything but. Again, this is New York in the early ’80s, ages before new regimes came in to ‘clean up’ the place.

The story is strong, the mood is tense, the cinematography is stunning and the acting is stunning, notably that of the two leads, Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. Both truly disappear into the roles.

One final treat is the song that plays through the closing credits. Titled “America for Me,” it’s a sparse, loosely constructed song by Alex Ebert. Listen below.

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Mavis Staples Tribute

Posted on by wolffkurt

Last night (Nov. 19) I was lucky enough to attend a special concert in Chicago celebrating the 75th birthday of Mavis Staples. Man, that was an experience—one that was unique to Chicago and showcased a huge range of American music from the past 50 or 60 years.

The show was being taped for a DVD release, so it had issues with flow and continuity—too many stops and starts to feel like a ‘real’ concert experience, which got a little frustrating after a while. It ran one ‘episode’ at a time, with a special guest (or two or four) taking the stage, usually backed by a crack 13-piece band that included stunning vocalists the McCrary Sisters and bassist/musical director Don Was.

But ultimately it was a spectacular experience.

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Sturgill Simpson’s ‘Metamodern’ Country

Posted on by wolffkurt

With his new album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, Sturgill Simpson has put out what’s currently my favorite album of the year. This is country music that is meaty and fun but also thoughtful and rich. It’s ‘metamodern,’ as he describes it — a play on the classic Ray Charles collection Modern Sounds in Country Music — but it’s also got boots on the ground, a sturdy honky-tonk sound by way of Merle Haggard and especially Waylon Jennings.

At the same time, the music is not that straightforward. Stop at Waylon and I’m often fine with that. But Sturgill has a wider scope here. After all, the lead single does bear the curious title “Turtles All the Way Down.” Watch the video:

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Jason Eady shows country is alive and well in 2014

Posted on by wolffkurt

Say what you will about the directions mainstream country is taking these days, but outside the Top 40 there’s plenty of honky tonk to go around. Top of the heap right now is Jason Eady, a Mississippi native (and Texas transplant) whose new album Daylight and Dark lays down some of the strongest country music I’ve heard all year.

Daylight and Dark in many ways picks up where Eady’s acclaimed previous album, AM Country Heaven, left off.

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Video: Midlake’s “Bring Down”

Posted on by wolffkurt

Midlake lead singer Tim Smith at SXSW in 2010

 

Midlake performed at SXSW 2010, showcasing their new album The Courage of Others. It’s the best album of 2010, and their SXSW showcase was the best live show of 2010. And it’s only March.

 

UPDATE: A quick taste of Midlake, the epic song “Bring Down,” from their 2010 album The Courage of Others.

 

See more Flickr photos of Midlake and other bands.