Have any of you heard of Justin Towne Earle? Does the last name sound familiar? Well he is indeed the son of Steve Earle but also is an amazing Americana/Country/Folk artist from Nashville who captured my attention at Bonnaroo this year.
This Bloodshot Records artist thankfully kept going after he was fired from playing in his father’s band due to bad habits and overcame them. I may have mentioned him before here on the BHP site but today I was killing some time today and came across the video for “Midnight At The Movies” and was reminded of how much I really love this guy…
Honestly I feel like this guy is a modern day Hank Williams.
I recently found out that Justin Towne Earle will be coming to Cleveland for a December show with Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) and his protege Jessica Lea Mayfield. You can bet your you know what I will be there that night. That is going to be an amazing show to end the year with.
Until then I have my copy of Midnight At The MoviesI will continue to spin here and there as well as the internet to watch countless videos and live performances.
I also found some downloads from his Daytrotter session. I adore his cover of The Replacements‘ “Can’t Hardly Wait”. Click HERE to check it out for yourself as well as a few other great tracks.
Here are a couple videos I found lately that I enjoy…
Further proof that some people out there just SUCK.
Miami’s Poison The Well have just announced that after the first night of their US tour w/ Canadian rock act Billy Talent, in support of their new album The Tropic Rot (out now on Ferret Music), the band has been robbed of both their touring van and all of their instruments and personal belongings.
The band had this to say about what happened:
So this morning we woke up at our delightful Marriott Courtyard hotel (priceline, get into it) and walked outside to get in the van to head to Chicago for our second show of the tour. Only problem, it isn’t there. Either someone is pulling some Merlin shit on us and just waiting for the perfect moment to unveil it and calm our shot nerves, or a talented scumbag stole our van and trailer with literally everything we own inside. Needless to say, we’re crushed. Our most beloved instruments are gone, and trust me, we’re gear nerds.
After a great deal of scrambling and deliberation, we found a way to stay on tour, after a few days off to get some gear and a rental van together. Having something like this happen is the worst thing that can happen to any band short of someone dying, and we’re incredibly stoked to finish this tour with Billy Talent and play every night doing what we love.
Our most sincere thanks to everyone who offered to help us in any way, our friends mean the world to us and everyone who has reached out today is absolutely mind blowing. Huge huge ups to the entire Ferret Records Family (Carl cause hes got the cash and Rick cause he calls the shots), Issac and the entire Indie Merch and Jakprints family, Tour Dog Leasing and Rental (thanks for driving to detroit to come get us), Jimmy and First Act Guitars, Russel Blair and Orange Amps, Derek at Ernie Ball, Tyme Rogers and Tech 21, Evan Obrien and Korg, Scott Uchida and Jim Dunlop, Jon “Shabba on the spot” Linton, John “Badge” Chidley. Some of these people have always helped us out and are further making our lives better. Some of these people barely know us and have helped us this with this shit time.
If you want to help out, we’ll have a limited edition shirt online sometime soon that makes fun of our situation and is awesome, and all proceeds from that will go to wiping away our tears and some new tumbleweeds for the insides of our wallets.
See you in a couple days. Pissed about our gear and passionate about this band as ever.
It’s not every day that you hear about a Wyoming band cranking out amazing, fast-and-fun punk-rock tunes but that is what Teenage Bottlerocket does best. The foursome, hailing from The Cowboy State, ditched the clichéd Wyoming lifestyle, threw on black leather motorcycle jackets, grabbed their guitars, and created some of the catchiest punk tunes I myself have heard in years.
The band recently released their fourth album, entitled They Came From The Shadows, which happens to also be the band’s first release with the independent punk rock label Fat Wreck Chords.
The band intrigued me with their prior release, Warning Device, when I checked it out last year. With Ramones-like similarities, their pop-punk elegance proved attention-grabbing throughout the disc and I found myself won over by one of the more intelligent bands on the punk scene.
How intelligent? Well it just so happens to be that two members of the band are engineers. Another fun little fact: two members are identical twins.
“Skate Or Die” starts off the album with an ode to younger years of tearing it up complete with classic skate references to the Bones Brigade, street skater legend Rodney Mullen, and even some ’80’s lingo like the term “poseur.” I love the fact that this song is all about the old-school days of skateboarding before it went mainstream.
The girl dodging “Don’t Want To Go” tells of missing the show to avoid the girl at the show. This classic high school tale of shunning from the ex is a cool, likable track.
“Bigger Than Kiss” cracks me up as the band verbally assaults the aging Detroit Rock City make-up wearing men, declaring “Ace Frehley can play guitar but he ain’t no f@cking Kerry King” and shouting, “Calling Dr. Love hey get a load of this, Ray beat the piss out of Peter Criss!” The hilarious song continues to brag that Teenage Bottlerocket will one day be bigger than Kiss and by the end of the song the band seems to think they have proved their boast true.
The disheartening “Not OK” is one of my favorite tracks on the album. I can’t help but to relate this song to many times in my past. “Call In Sick” should be the working class’ national anthem. I could only think of ’80’s punk bands like Black Flag while listening to the song, not because of its music but rather its uncomplicated lyrics that tell a truthful story about the feeling many deal with on a day-to-day basis. “Fatso Goes Nutzoid” contains many elements of ’80’s speed punk, especially with the rifling off of the lyrics.
“Without You” is another track I find myself digging over the others and I love the dual vocals along with the fast-paced drumming. The song bums me out, but in a good way, as it describes missing a special someone who no longer is in the picture. It’s songs like this—you know, the ones you relate to— that make me appreciate music all the more.
The songs on They Came From The Shadows are simple but fun and directly to the point. The album seems to end just as quickly as it begins, begging for another listen. I think that is what I love so much about this band: the simplicity. Not one song here exceeds three-and-a-half minutes, but it doesn’t matter to me at all.
It’s nice to see Teenage Bottlerocket skip out on the extra bells and whistles to sound different. They keep it straightforward on this album (and their previous one, for that matter) and make it sound almost too easy. Fans of the Ramones, Screeching Weasel, the Vandals, and even pre-famed Green Day really need to check out this band if they have not already done so.
Look for Teenage Bottlerocket on tour in support of They Came From The Shadows this fall. From what I have heard, this band is amazing live and I know when they roll though my town next month I will be there to witness it for myself. Click HERE for a complete list of tour dates. This is a punk show not to be missed!!!
I would like to announce that the Greg Ginn in-store performance presented by Addicted To Vinyl & yours truly, Broken Headphones, was a success.
Thanks to Pete at Blue Arrow Records, a previously loved vinyl store, music fans were able to catch a free show by Greg Ginn & The Texas Corrugators. The band played for just under an hour two extended versions of their instrumental songs.
Here is a quick video I took with my iPhone 3GS:
Greg Ginn and his band were super friendly and really put on a great show. I have to admit with this being the first time I have coordinated something like this, an in-store that is, I was a little nervous what to expect but it panned out perfectly.
Major thanks to Pete for hosting the event and special thanks to Matt for helping me make this happen.
FYI, Greg Gunn mentioned to me that all his music is available for download free of change. Visit http://www.txcorrugators.com/ and follow the links. If you like what you hear Greg Ginn just asks that you just make a donation to a animal rescue organization of his choosing. That is a deal right there friends…
Here are a couple photos I managed to take with my no-so-good camera.
Here is video I took with my digital camera to give you even more of a taste of the great little session they had:
Mike Doughty, formerly M. Doughty of the 90’s now defunct Soul Coughing is a bad bad man in the best way possible. I’ve been a fan of him for years and am thrilled to see that he is releasing an all new album soon. His 2008 release titled Golden Delicious won me over and I had nothing but nice things to say about it when I reviewed it for Blogcritics.org.
The CD will be released on ATO Records once again. In case you did not know, ATO Records was founded by Dave Matthews back in 2000. Dave Matthews was a huge fan of Mike Doughty’s work and still is for that matter so it only makes sense to see them working together.
As much as I was a fan of Golden Delicious, other die hard fans of his prior solo material did not welcome the album as much perhaps from the more pop feel to it.
This time around Mike Doughty took consideration and decided to pull from his roots in hopes that the older fans will once again appreciate his material. It sounds like more acoustic tracks will appear on the album which I know I myself will enjoy tremendously. I am sure it will be full of humor and weird antics as well.
Mike Doughty had this to say about the upcoming release:
“I tend to take sharp left turns. Every time I put out a record, the audience seems to like what I did two years ago better. You’d think I could shrug it off because that’s what always happens, but it always gets to me.”
He continued by saying:
“The songs on Sad Man [Happy Man] are more arcane and convoluted songwriting-wise, though they’re sparer in terms of instrumentation. Although my choruses are still simple — I love taking phrases and repeating them ad infinitum.”
With Sad Man Happy Man dropping soon I can only wonder how amazing it is going to be. I also am pumped to learn he will be touring again in support of the release this fall and is making a pit-stop in Cleveland. I will finally get to see him again after my drunken 2000 experience when I saw him at the Odeon and remember absolute squat.
That’s not entirely true… I do remember Mike Doughty on stage that night all by himself and he was changing guitars. While grabbing a smaller instrument he mentioned something about it’s size. I screamed “it’s not the size that matters, it’s how you use it!” He chuckled as did most of the fans and replied “size does matter.”
Anyways, I truly believe you have to have a certain type of appreciation for music to enjoy and understand Mike Doughty. I only speak from the truth as some of my friends absolutely worship every move he makes while others cringe at the thought of hearing anything by him because they never were a fan.
Growing up Soul Coughing always caught me in a good way and even as sad as it was to see the band part ways I was happy to see Mike Doughty continue on his own path. I can not wait to hear his next release.
I can’t help but to smile every time I see this video and it’s not just because it makes you feel good but because I know one of the dancers in the video. I won’t go into detail about her but she is an absolute sweetheart…
Mike Doughty Fall ‘09 Question Ball Tour – all dates subject to change OCTOBER 10/8 Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe(2 shows), ages 21+
10/9 Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe, ages 21+
10/10 Toronto, ONT, Canada – Drake Hotel, ages 19+
10/11Toronto, ONT, Canada – Drake Hotel (2 shows), ages 19+
10/13 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
10/14 Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark
10/15 Chicago, IL – Schubas (2 shows), ages 21+
10/16 Chicago, IL – Schubas, ages 21+
10/17 Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall, ages 21+
10/18 St. Louis, MO – Blueberry Hill
10/20 Louisville, KY – Zanzabar, ages 21+
10/21 Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley, all ages
10/22 Athens, GA – Melting Point, ages 18+
10/23 Atlanta, GA – Eddie’s Attic (2 shows)
10/24 Charlotte, NC – Evening Muse
10/25 Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle
10/27 Carrboro, NC – Arts Center, all ages
10/28 Charlottesville, VA – The Southern, all ages
10/29 Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere
10/30 Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theatre, all ages
10/31 New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge, ages 18+
NOVEMBER
11/12 Northampton, MA – Iron Horse (2 shows)
11/13 Cambridge, MA – Regatta Bar (2 shows)
11/14 Newmarket, NH – Stone Church (2 shows)
11/15 Portland, ME – One Longfellow Square
11/17 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Lounge (2 shows)
11/18 Albany, NY – Revolution Hall, ages 18+
11/19 Syracuse, NY – Westcott Theatre, all ages
11/20 Ithaca, NY – Castaways
11/21 Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
11/22 Charleston, WV – Mountain Stage
11/24 Harrisburg, PA – Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, ages 21+
11/25 Towson, MD – Recher Theatre, all ages
