Buick MacKane (AKA: Alejandro Escovedo) - Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC 10-16-97

I've always been a fan of Alejandro's more rockin' stuff.....which is typically live. Well in the mid 90's, he formed a side band specifically to "rock out" so to speak...that band was called Buick MacKane (and you will find no strings here). Named after a T-Rex song, they deliver. Alejandro squeezes every perfect not out of his guitar and reworks some of his famous solo songs. This is a damned good boot, and if you're not very familiar with Alejandro Escovedo, download this....It's a killer show....twangy, loud, country-rock. This was recorded at the Cat's Cradle outside Chapel Hill, NC and they were opening for Son Volt (wouldn't that have been a killer show). His little brother sings a few songs towards the end, and then Chip Robinson & Brad Rice of the Backsliders join them on stage for a rollicking rendition of Powderfinger.

MP3

Download Buick MacKane - Cat's Cradle here

Scud Mountain Boys - Cat's Cradle - Chapel Hill, NC 3-11-97

I know Sunday's over now, but this was a perfect Sunday listen so I just had to put it up. Actually Scud Mountain Boys are a perfect "sunday band" if that makes any sense. The perfect music to listen to with a hangover and regrets. If you're not familiar with them, they were a shortlived band from Massachusets who put out some killer mellow alt-country albums in the mid to late 90's. Band leader Joe Pernice has went on apparantly to become more famous as a solo artist or as "The Pernice Brothers", I'm not quite sure 'cause I haven't followed his career, but I do enjoy some Scud Mountain Boys when the mood strikes me. Anyway, give this a listen...it's mellow, good sound quality (though the levels jump around a bit) and my only complaint is that they didn't do "Grudge", which is probably my favorite song of theirs.

MP3

http://sharebee.com/78855e92

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Live in Philadelphia 7-14-07

All I can say about this one is WOW!!! Jason learned a thing or two during his stint with the truckers, number being how to put on a live show. If you like live truckers, download this.....it's as good as anything they have done. Some seriously good guitar playing going on too....Jason was always a killer guitarist with the truckers, but he takes to a whole 'nother level here.....I mean WOW!!! What's even cooler is he plays some of his famous songs he recorded with the truckers.....and expands on them.....adding some of that killer guitar he is soon to be known for. I'm really loving this recording, alot better than the album (which is out NOW btw.....go get it......and go check him out live)

http://www.jasonisbell.com/

get his stuff here
www.myspace.com/jasonisbellmusic

MP3

Dead Link

A Truer Sampler 08 - Whiskeytown

As promised a while back, alt country's darling Ryan Adams' first (and best) band, Whiskeytown. Whiskeytown was centered around Ryan Adams and Caitlin Cary and the sweet harmonies they made have yet to be recreated. Based out of the Chapel Hill, NC area in the mid 90's, they quickly rose to the top of the crowded scene that was happening there (it was a killer scene back then too) picking up where Uncle Tupelo left off. I think ol' Ryan summed it up best with the lyric "So I started this damned country band, cause punk rock is too hard to sing".

Whiskeytown split up after only 3 official albums with Ryan Adams going on to pursue his solo career and Caitlin doing the same (though not as high profile). What they left us with though remains essential alt country and this is a good overview of this seminal band.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskeytown

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Whiskeytown_albums

Buy some albums here and some here

MP3

ATS08 - Whiskeytown

Billy Joe Shaver - Seste Calende, Italy July 25th 1997

Here is a damned fine show from Billy Joe Shaver. Recorded in Italy in 1997 almost 10 years ago to the day. Features his late son and guitar virtouso Eddie Shaver, and man does he shine. I've always been a big fan of both Billy Joe's songwriting and Eddie's "Don Rich meets Stevie Ray" guitar style. If your not a BJS fan and you like rockin' country, download this.....cause he is the master......Billy Joe Shaver is a living legend....he IS outlaw country. Without him there would never have been such a thing. Anyway, I could go on for days about how much love and respect I have for this man....just download this show and maybe you will too.

MP3
Billy Joe Shaver - Italy 1997

Truesounds - July '07

Sorry about the lack of posts this week, been busy. This is just a mix I've been listening to in my truck and I thought it was pretty good so I decided to make it the first "Truesounds" post. Which I will probably post occasionally. This is mostly newer stuff with a little older stuff in there for good measure. Here is the playlist:

1. Meltdown - Slobberbone (most members of slobberbone now in The Drams....though they are not as good)
2. Naked Ground - The Dexateens (this is off their new album, produced by Patterson Hood)
3. Atlanta - Centro-Matic (off their new E.P. Operation Motorcide)
4. Try - Jason Isbell (off his new one, ex-Drive By Trucker)
5. Moonlight Only Knows - Deadstring Brothers (off there killer 2005 album)
6. Anywhere But Here - Bruce Robison (off his new E.P., Kelly Willis's husband)
7. No Angel Knows - Slaid Cleaves (off his 1997 album of the same name)
8. Killin' Time In Texas - Gurf Morlix (off his new album, texas super-producer)
9. Something Changed - Chris Knight (off his new-old album The Trailer Tapes)
10. Train To Jackson - Jeffrey Foucault (off his newest album Ghost Repeater)
11. Lowlands - Gillian Welch (off her last album Soul Journey)
12. Rivertown - Hayes Carll (off his 2005 masterpiece of an album Little Rock)
13. Red Buds - William Elliot Whitmore (off his album from last year)
14. Restless - James McMurtry (off his last album Childish Things)
15. Death's Black Train - Gob Iron (Jay Farrar side project from last year)
16. Mellow Down Easy - Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch & Fats Kaplan (off there album from last year)
17. Voice of The Devil - David Childers and the Modern Don Juans (rockin' little number from his album Jailhouse Religion)
18. Never Be Your Darling - The Backsliders (one of my fave bands, very twangy country rock with an emphasis on rock....this is from their 1999 second album)
19. El Paso - The Gourds (off Bolsa Del Agua, I like this one)
20. Wasted - Lucero (off their debut, my fave album of theirs)

MP3

http://sharebee.com/3328b057

Drive-By Truckers - Alabama Ass Whoopin'

By Request, the out of print, ass-kickin', early DBT live album "Alabama Ass Whoopin'". This is worth having only for the intro to 18 Wheels of Love. The other stuff is good too, but that intro is legendary.....epic....one for the ages.


I got a request earlier for this, so here it is. Hope you guys enjoy.


MP3
http://sharebee.com/72fabeef

In a deleted scene from Pulp Fiction, Mia Wallace tells Vincent that there are two kinds of people in the world.....Beatles people, and Elvis people....and that he looks like an Elvis person. Well I'm a Johnny Cash person so where does that leave me?

Music video time again - Featuring Todd Snider

I can't stress how good the Todd Snider bootleg below is.....here are some Todd videos to bring that point home


Here is an awesome animation someone made for the very toungue in cheek "Conservative, Christian, etc...."


and if you want to find out why Todd Snider is the best damn thing right now, watch this one

Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - The Revival Demos

This is a cool little disc of what the Gillian Welch masterpiece album Revival sounded like at one time. To me this sounds like they were channeling alot more Gram than Maybelle, and it makes for an interesting comparison. Some of the songs sound pretty good, but some of them just don't work well at all. I'm glad they took the minimalist approach to the final album.....either way these are great songs and it's really hard to mess them up. Just compared to the released album they don't compare.....at least not to my ears.

MP3

Gillian Welch - Revival Demos