New Releases for February

Monday, February 13, 2006

It’s been too long since I’ve written anything. This is mainly due to my broken, therefore useless, computer and my inability to stay at work long enough to blog something. When you stare at a computer all day at work, even I don’t feel like typing anything. According to Dell, believe them if you want, they’ll have my computer back in 7 days, but they have to get me a box first . . .I say go with HP or Gateway folks. Dell sold too many computers and they don’t have enough tech-support. It’s not worth the 75 minute phone call just to get a box mailed to your house.

So now I’ll let you in on a little secret; I’ve been holding out on you guys. There are two albums released this month (Feb. 2006) that I have had access to for an undisclosed period of time. And I’ve known about their potential greatness for a while. I chose not to spread the word on these albums because in the meantime you will have forgotten about them. So now they’re out there and available, so go give them a spin.

Firstly is Robinella’s debut CD on Dualtone records. Robinella started recording with the CC String Band, but this marks her first disc as a solo-artist. Dualtone is becoming the new Sugar Hill records when it comes to good roots music. They also have BR-549 and some other great alt-country stuff coming out soon. But this record really leaves its mark. At first I thought it was a poor folk album. Then I thought “no, maybe it’s just a poor folk artist attempting to sound R&B.” That wasn’t it either. It’s just a great album, not poor in any manner. I realized this because I kept going back to it. I refused to give up on it and it rewarded me by slowly peeling away it’s layers of excellence. One song starts just like “One Headlight,” that Wallflowers song and the first track could just as easily have been recorded by Howie Day with some appropriate “Do Dooos” added in for the refrain. She quotes gospel songs (“Solace for the Lonely”), she sings about finding love in a smoky bar (“Oh So Sexy”). She sings a song (“Little Boy”) for her son and then she closes the record with “I Fall in Love As Much As I Can.” That last number is a jumpy acoustic jazz jaunt, “Solace. .” sounds like a Greencards outtake, and “Little Boy” is a quaint little throwback to the Partridge Family, or some other kind of parentally-approved pop. This album is so diverse, it speaks for itself. The most distinguishing characteristic is that it shares very few characteristics with Robinella’s earlier work which was much more bluegrass-gospel influenced. She even did “White Lightnin’.” The album, “Solace For The Lonely” drops February 21st.

Secondly I want to mention the Avett Brothers “Four Theives Gone.” It came out February 7th and I haven’t heard it yet, but I feel confident that it’s as kick-ass as I (and legions of other mouth-watering Avett fans) want it to be. The live show these three (Scotty & Seth Avett on banjer and guitar, plus bassist Bob Crawford) put on is insanely infectious. There are equal parts frat-girls and dreadlocked hippies at their shows, and for about two fleeting hours, the two groups gather as one for some good-time country moshing. I’m not joking. The Avett’s are the best thing happening in Folk music today. I got to interview them in Morgantown and they are fans of ALL kinds of music; from Nirvana and Soundgarden to Andrew Bird to Acid Bath. I’m not joking. I guess you could say the Avett Brothers are the Pantera of Americana/roots music. Completely unhinged in live performance but very self-aware that their music is speaking to youngsters and middle-agers alike, in a way that maybe nothing has every spoken to them before. As my good friend Vaughn Walters and I agreed, “These guys are our Nirvana, dude!”

Nothing is going to change music the way Grunge did. The mediums that we get our music have broadened too wide for a full-fledged musical revolution-One magazine is into the Strokes, the other Sufjan Stevens, and the all think they’ve stumbled upon the next big thing. Well, folks, I’m here to tell you if there is, indeed, a next big thing, I’m going with roots music. Stuff like the Medicine Shows (both Old Crowe & Snake Oil) and the Asylum Street Spankers are bringing young’uns to festivals where they may very well get a glimpse of traditionalists like Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, the Del McCoury Band, or Tim O’Brien, who is a real historian of country and roots music.

Some of you may know that Link Wray died recently. He supposedly invented the power chord and everyone from Townsend to Cobain worshiped him, yet he basically toiled in obscurity after his 50’s stuff wore out. This is the guy who shoved pencils through his amp speakers, coincidentally “inventing” distortion. I know that not every Nirvana fan sought out the history of Cobain’s influences, therefore probably thought Kurt was the first guy to do what he was doing. I hope that the Avett Brothers fans are smarter than that. It’s new music, done on old instruments but there are loads of influences to take in to fully understand where it’s coming from. On the surface you can enjoy some good-time, foot-stompin’ hillbilly rock. If you choose to delve deeper, you may find yourself in an Acid Bath phase before you know it.

The Avett’s will be at Merlefest and Floyd Fest and, surprise surprise, Robinella will be doing a Mountain Stage taping in Charleston, WV on March 12.

www.theavettbrothers.com

www.robinella.com

www.floydfest.com

www.mountainstage.org