As I said, Matthew Lindley & Troubadour Deluxe were the openers. If it falls on the opening act to truly warm up a crowd, in a bar, on a Friday night, ML&TD did the trick just fine. Not too flashy, just a five-piece with a few pretty harmonies, glib songwriting and a lead guitarist (Dean Kattari) that deftly noodled through each song like it was the first one he ever learned. Lindley's songs tend toward the stories of Americana; sappy love songs, soul baring confessionals with a sense of fun and a country edge. Highlight was [...]
![<span style="color: #384E60; background-color:#84CCF2">Jason</span> <span style="color: #384E60; background-color:#84CCF2">Isbell</span> & the 400 Unit @ Lincoln Hall [11/19/09]](http://cache.elbo.ws/posts/2139358_lg.jpg)
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Catfish Haven
Benefit albums and Tom Waits both seem to really "in" these days. Recently, the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band decided to combine the best of both worlds and create the incredibly down-to-business titled Preservation, an Album Benefiting Preservation Hall and Its Music Outreach Program . As a recently issued press release explains (via who else? TFB ), "over the last year, more than 20 of American music's most exciting artists traveled to Preservation Hall in New Orleans to collaborate with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on classic New Orleans repertoire." Among those 20 artists [...]
Welcome to the new, not-really-improved BabyStew This Week In Chicago listing. What's new about it, you ask? Absolutely nothing, except that it now covers the week from Monday through Sunday rather than Sunday through Saturday. It always seemed weird to me not to be listing Sunday shows until the morning of – when not many people are reading blogs – for the sole purpose of sticking with the conventional definition of "week" ( i.e. , Sun-Sat). But convention be damned. So here's what's going on in Chicago this "week". [...]
Here are the Wisconsin and Illinois shows we recommend you take in this week. Check them out below and let us know which ones you'll be attending or ones you think should really make our list . Upcoming Wisconsin Shows: 11/17 - Bruce Hornsby - Northern Lights Theater, Milwaukee 11/18 - Brendan Benson + Cory Chisel - Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee 11/19 - Surgeons In Heat + Jason Mohr (Juniper Tar - Sugar Maple, Milwaukee [...]
"I always say that writing a song, first and foremost, to me, is a way of teaching myself how I feel about something. And that's the purpose it serves, really, more than anything else." So says ex-Drive By Trucker Jason Isbell of his music writing. Currently based in Muscle Shoals, Ala., Isbell and his 400 Unit [...]
Hey, we saw Justin Townes Earle (name must be written in full) a few months ago parading around the East Village with Jason Isbell (formerly of the Drive By Truckers.) He looked like the above song "Mama's Eyes" sounds -- dark and raw. One of our many motos here at Stark is "that's what we expect out our artists --" not to be too sadistic, but we want our favorites to be drunks, disturbed, do drugs, have promiscuous sex, over extend their welcomes (insert Wild Yaks' drummer at After The Jump here) -- it [...]
photo by Mr T in DC It has only been a few months since I made the move to Brooklyn from Charlottesville, so I thought I'd give a little Cville music shout-out. Although it's a pretty small city, Charlottesville has always had a fairly bustling live music scene. But over the last few years, it had been marred by a ton of turnover with the town's mid-size music venues. The Satellite Ballroom closed, Gravity Lounge shuttered its doors, and Is hardly lasted a year. The Paramount was [...]
This week's Observer includes a piece by Chris Gray describing Jason Isbell as an old soul, and describing the Stones influence on Isbell's latest album, apropos of his show with his band The 400... Continue reading "Giveaway: A Pair Of Tickets To Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit Tonight At Longhorn Saloon" >
In honor of Veterans Day we've decided to compile a few military-related songs to honor the complex nature of our brave vets and the wars they fight. "Ballad of the Green Berets" is the song most fitting, although this Johnny Cash version is a little looser than the Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler original. Plus, Cash was probably high on pills while singing it. LISTEN: Johnny Cash - "Ballad of the Green Berets" If "Ballad of the Green Berets" was the brave call to arms, Jason Isbell's "Dress Blues" is the sad [...]
Here is a quick list of our picks for live music in Austin this week. Simply follow the links to find out more. Wednesday 11/11: Pretty Lights, Alex B, Gramatik at La Zona Rosa Pretty Lights - "Hot Like Sauce" Thursday 11/12: Thao & the Get Down Stay Down at the Mohawk Friday 11/13: [...]
Its Remembrance Day in Canada, Veteran's Day in the US. Having lived in both countries, Canadians take Remembrance Day very, very seriously, much more so than in the US. Perhaps it is because Canada doesn't have a formal Memorial Day like the US does. November 11 is recognized internationally as Armistice Day commemorating the formal end of World War I in 1918. Most people in Canada don bright red poppies on their left jacket lapel, above the heart. Many will read the poem In Flanders Fields [...]
Hopefully this collaboration will be more than just a one-shot deal, for Mark and NQ Arbuckle really bring home the goods. In 2007 the blues singer Bettye LaVette teamed up with the Drive By Truckers to release the stellar Scene of the Crime. Two years later ex-Trucker Jason Isbell teamed up with the 400 Unit to release a spectacular eponymous album. And now, at the end of 2009, alternative country songbird Carolyn Mark finds herself teaming up with NQ Arbuckle and singing a song that contains the line "It's hard being a good man listening to...
Ray Davies Appears at the Orpheum on Saturday Night I didn't get up to as much as I'd hoped last week, but did catch Julian Casablancas and the Happy Hollows at Spaceland. Casablancas didn't do anything to win me back, but most of the crowd seemed really into it. I'll definitely be at Ray Davies this Saturday and I'll most likely check out more of the Happy Hollows tonight. Monday 11/9/09 [Pick of the Night] [...]
Hope everyone had a great time at Fun Fun Fun Fest! We'll have our pics/videos up soon for you all. Here's our concert recommendations for this week in Austin. Monday (11/9) : Cowabunga Babez, Hawnay Troof, Harlem, Pataphysics at Emo's (inside) [ Purchase Tickets ] $5 | Doors @ 9, Show @ 10 The Lovemakers, The Boxing Lesson at [...]
[Birthday shout-out to L.A. musician/producer Aaron Embry today. Meanwhile, there is an enormous confluence of concerts for a Monday night -- here goes:] The first time I saw U.K. punk-rockers the Cribs play in Los Angeles, frontman Gary Jarman bloodied himself on the microphone, and it was love at first gush. It's not likely that Jarman and brothers Ryan and Ross have toned it down any — even with ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr joining them as a fourth member. Their fourth album, the new "Ignore the [...]
Image - Taylor Herron Recommended Los Angeles Shows November 9th – November 15th Monday, November 9th Band of Horses and Warpaint @ Club Nokia Jason Isbell @ Echo The Happy Hollows @ Spaceland Tuesday, November 10th Via Tania, Rachael Cantu and Sonos Quartet @ Bordello Bishop Allen with Throw Me The Statue @ El Rey Theatre Lisa Hannigan @ Troubadour Dead Meadow with The [...]
he Works Progress Administration is not quite a supergroup (well it, is but...), instead they claim that it's an expandable collective, centred around Glen Phillips of solo and Toad the Wet Sprocket fame, Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek, and Luke Bullett who was a member of Lyle Lovett's large band. The WPA also features many other performers, including Sara Watkins (fiddle), Benmont Tench (piano), Greg Leisz (various), Pete Thomas (drums), and Davey Faragher (bass). The self-titled album also features some of the best album art/liner notes I have ever seen. Here is what frontman Glen Phillips had to say about [...]
South Carolina based roots rock band American Gun have a new album coming your way, Devil Showed Me His Hand the bands third full length (there is also a "demo" album - that you can get through eMusic ), the album will be available from December 1st and gets released in a collaboration with the Jangly Records collective and the bands own label [...]
New Recordings 28/10/2009 David Ford - Rescue Rooms Nottingham 20/10/2009 AA Bondy - Academy 3 Manchester 17/10/2009 Richard Hawley - Philharmonic Hall Liverpool 11/10/2009 Richard Hawley - Albert Hall Nottingham 24/09/2009 Otis Gibbs - The Maze Nottingham 24/09/2009 Chuck Prophet - The Maze Nottingham 16/09/2009 Richmond Fontaine - Academy 3 Manchester 16/09/2009 Al James - Academy 3 Manchester 13/09/2009 Josh Ritter - Bridgewater Hall Manchester 12/09/2009 Ray Lamontagne - City Hall Sheffield 10/09/2009 Okkervil River - The Rescue Rooms Nottingham 07/09/2009 Josh Ritter - Brudenell Social Club Leeds 06/09/2009 The Low Anthem - The Deaf Institute Manchester 04/09/2009 [...]
new music from vampire weekend – cousins + music video
Friday Five: Surf Songs
Beach House: Norway
No Curve Allowed (Grading This Week's New Tracks)
