Episode 28 Drive By Truckers and Fletcher Harrington

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvypnokrFxM

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CD Review Patterson Hood "Killers and Stars" - One you might have missed

Artist: Patterson Hood
Album: Killers and Stars
Worth Buying: Yes, if you can take the darkness
You might be interested in this album is you are a fan of: Indie Folk, Americana, and Intensely dark songs that are sparsely recorded.

Tell Me More: Patterson Hood is one dark dude. At least that’s what I would think if my only information about him came from his songs. One of the principle songwriters of the Drive By Truckers (A band who’s music also deals in lot’s of dark themes, but are often tempered with irony and dark humor).

On the CD liner notes he states that he recorded the album by himself in his living room. He had just been divorced, was fighting with his band (the Truckers) and recorded it in two days, describing the album as therapy.

While he sold limited pressings at his solo shows it didn’t become more widely available till a few years ago. I have only just gotten a hold of it till now and I am blown away by the stunning and desolate starkness of the songs. This is not happy listening, but it is powerful listening.

Right out the gate with the opening track, Uncle Disney, you know what kind of a ride you are in for.

When they thaw out - Uncle Disney
Gonna be some changes made
Pointing fingers, asking questions
Forty years of decisions made.

Other songs follow suit telling dark stories of neighbors all gossiping about how a local man hasn’t been the same person since his transplant (Phil’s Transplant) and a lonely man transfixed over a picture of a golden age starlet (Frances Farmer)

An album like Killers and Stars is a rare occurrence. One when an artist needs to put aside production and just let the immediacy of the emotion coming from the first recording take precedence. And this is what
Patterson Hood has done.

What about the packaging? Standard Jewel case with an 8 panel fold out that includes all the lyrics.

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Episode 4 Pearl Jam / Drive By Truckers

 

Backspacer Deluxe hardcover Edition

The Standard CD edition is available at Target for $11.99

The Fine Print CD Version

The Fine Print LP Version

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CD Review: Drive By Truckers The Fine Print Music Worth Buying 09/28/09

Artist: Drive By Truckers
Album: The Fine Print
Worth Buying: Every Track
You might be interested in this album if you are a fan of: Neil Young,
Lynnard Skynnard, Southern Rock, Old School country music and albums where bands reveal their rare b-sides and alternate versions of their songs.

Tell me more: The latest release by the DBT is subtitled as a collection
of oddities, rarities and alternate versions. Sometimes collections like
this can be uneven and are made to appeal to the hardcore fan rather than
the first time curious. So it’s a pleasant surprise to hear how well this
collection works as an album even if you had not heard any of their
previous albums.

In the liner notes group member Patterson Hood talks about the origins of
these tracks. In one case a (fantastic) remake of the Bob Dylan record
“How Does it Feel” was released only as part of a compilation CD for Mojo
Music Magazine. In another case a song like When The Well Runs Dry was recorded for the Blessing and A Curse album and then later kept off. But these tracks are in no way leftovers, or tracks that weren’t considered good enough…..In fact on a couple of these Mr. Hood himself express’s the opinion that these tracks that didn’t make it on the album are better than anything that was on the album…..What he doesn’t bother to say is why?

I personally would have liked to have read more about the why on this, but
no information is given. Either way, though it is great to see hear these
tracks. All together there are covers from Tom Petty,Warren Zevon, and Tom T Hall. There is a sprinkling of alternate versions of tracks that did make it onto albums, and then just recordings that for one reason or another where never released.

Ever since I was introduced to the DBT via their epic 2 CD concept album
(Southern Rock Opera) I have been a fan. And when someone new to their
music asks me what’s a good album to start with, I always point to
Southern Rock Opera as a good starting point (I would use the same
philosophy with The Who or the Beatles and recommend either Who’s Next or
Sgt Pepper). For the most part I would still point to Southern Rock Opera
when making this recommendation, but as a second choice I might just go
with “The Fine Print”. A collection of oddities that comes together quite
well on it’s own as an album.

What about the packaging? DBT albums are always well packaged and this
one is no exception. It is packaged in a mini lp gatefold sleeve. The
artwork is beautiful and interior artwork is equally beautiful and makes
you wish you had it in a larger vinyl format. It comes with a booklet too.
There are no lyrics, but (as mentioned earlier ) there are notes by
Patterson Hood for each track and it makes good reading.

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TJR  09/28/09

TJR Reviews: Jenny Lewis "Acid Tongue". Music Worth Buying 03/24/09

Artist: Jenny Lewis
Album: Acid Tongue
Worth Buying: Yes every song.
You will be interested in this album if you are a fan of: The Eagles, The Drive By Truckers, Linda Ronstadt in the 70's and Unpretentious Rock'n'Roll


Tell Me More: Get ready for a heaping helping of real Americana Rock'n'Roll. Before hearing this album I had heard a few things about Jenny Lewis. I knew she had been the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, and at one time I sampled some tracks from her first solo album "Rabbit Fur Coat". I almost bought it. Then I saw her on the TV show "Spectacle with Elvis Costello". It was probably a few days later that I came across her second CD "Acid tongue" at my local Borders store. I started to sample the tracks and found myself liking each one within the first 30 seconds. Since then I have enjoyed hearing these songs many times since and they grow on me with each listen. What strikes me most is just how unpretentious this album is. This is earthy Rock'n'Roll with a touch of Country, a sprinkling of Folk with a solid but not overpowering spoonful of rough Blues thrown in. If you miss the kind of albums that a lot of country rock and folk rock acts made in the 70's, I think you will find yourself enjoying this album. I think you will find that there is nothing acid about this tongue at all.

What about the packaging? At first I was not to thrilled with the packaging. The CD comes in a simple mini sleeve, much like a mini vinyl LP cover. One look at the CD label and I noticed that it replicates the old 70's Warner Bros Records labels with the palm trees. All the track titles are listed on the label the way they would have been on an LP. This is a nice touch, but an even nicer touch is that inside the sleeve there are some B&W replica polaroids photos of the recording sessions.

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What If I am not ready to buy the whole album: Try Sing a Song for Them

Music Worth Buying for the Week of 07/21/08

Drive By Truckers Brighter Than Creations Dark

 Album: Brighter Than Creations Dark

Artist: Drive By Truckers

You will be interested in this music if you are a fan of: Neil Young, Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Southern Rock in general, & Old School Country Worth Buying?: YES The Entire Album.

Tell me more: The best way I can describe this band is to call them the “Thinking man’s Lynard Skynard”. This band has already received huge critical acclaim for their massive 2 CD concept album Southern Rock Opera.But I think newcomers would be better served by checking out this album first. I feel that this is their best to date and their most accessible. The songs jump between rough rockers, authentic old school country, humorous musing, and dark haunting introspection (and sometimes within the same song). Clocking in at a whopping 19 tracks on 1 CD, the album credits splits it’s songs into 4 album sides (Like the glory days of Vinyl). The CD comes beautifully packaged as a digipak with excellent artwork and a large lyric booklet too which is a good thing because you will want to sit with the lyrics and read them as you listen. 

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What if I am not ready to buy the whole CD?: Try just downloading Bob A humorous character study performed in an old school country music style or That Man I Shot A dark rocker, about an American soldier in Iraq who ponders about the enemy he had to shoot in self defense