Yet More Music That I Like: Part of a Continuing Series

Filed in National by on October 11, 2011

Discoveries, new and old. Plus new music that SOUNDS old.  I just LOVE doing these infrequent posts, hope you like ’em as well:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnVSUH6_oBY&feature=related[/youtube]

Alabama Shakes: “I Found You”. Can’t believe that they’re unsigned.  If I had a label, I’d sign ’em.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlwzdQRfM-4[/youtube]

Nikki Lane: “Gone, Gone Gone”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu3put3QmYk[/youtube]

Texas Tornados: “Mendocino”. Doug Sahm, Freddy Fender, Augie Meyers and Flaco Jimenez. My kind of supergroup.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcYhmOhf96g[/youtube]

Crooked Still: “Half of What We Know”.  Simply gorgeous, from one of America’s most talented ensembles.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX5T9GvSnbY[/youtube]

The Mar-Keys: “Last Night”. The Stax/Volt band before Booker T & the MGs. Both Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper cut their teeth here.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja_Hkk9j2nM[/youtube]

Hey, Rosetta: “Bandages”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkcOCAZK8Z8[/youtube]

The Mountain Goats: “Cotton”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-hmqY2Md4I[/youtube]

Camper Van Beethoven: “The Day Lassie Went to the Moon”

The drugs are kicking in, so I think we’ll let the Farfisa organ take us out…:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHF558u6Q_8[/youtube]

Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs: “Wooly Bully”

I guaran-Goddamn-tee ya that these songs have never been played in this order anywhere ever before! All Hail El Somnambulo!


Tags: ,

About the Author ()

Comments (16)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Miscreant says:
    October 12, 2011 at 8:49 pm

    Great stuff. I appreciate it. Alabama Shakes is new to me. Her voice rocks. A slightly similar vibe to Carolina Chocolate Drops.

    I just discovered Crooked Still a couple of weeks ago. Bluegrass with some bitchin Cello. What?

    http://blog.kirkebykvalitet.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Crooked-Still-Aint-No-Grave.mp3

  2. John Young says:
    October 12, 2011 at 8:58 pm

    The SHAKES are coming to Wilmington next week!

    http://www.reverbnation.com/show/5605533

    ALONG WITH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlPGyVmFGvw

    the North Mississippi Allstars: http://www.nmallstars.com/tour-dates/

  3. El Somnambulo says:
    October 12, 2011 at 8:59 pm

    Alabama Shakes was new to me as well, although I don’t see the Carolina Chocolate Drops connection. To me, the Shakes are my kind of southern soul band whereas the Carolina Chocolate Drops are well worth seeking out as by far the best (only?) champions of the black bluegrass tradition.

    As for Crooked Still, Jonathan Takiff at Philly.com wrote that they give Alison Krauss and Union Station a run for their money. And we don’t have to choose. We can love them both!

    Thanks for checking it out. While I write for free on the blog, I consider the political and policy stuff my bread and butter, but I have a ball introducing people to (what I think is) great music.

  4. Miscreant says:
    October 12, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    Believe it or not, my latest discovery is James McMurtry:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_SakvKz3bM&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL3AEF632085F3637C

    You libs would like Cheney’s Toy.

  5. El Somnambulo says:
    October 12, 2011 at 9:05 pm

    Holy bleep! Thanks, John. Come to think of it, that makes sense, since I’m pretty sure that The North Miss. All Star show is part of the 20th anniversary celebration of David Dye’s World Cafe on WXPN.

    I first found out about the Alabama Shakes last week as they were featured as one of the World Cafe Next’s artists to watch. So, the World Cafe connection is there.

    Think I’ll head down for that one, if it isn’t sold out. Who else wants to go?

  6. Miscreant says:
    October 12, 2011 at 9:13 pm

    “As for Crooked Still, Jonathan Takiff at Philly.com wrote that they give Alison Krauss and Union Station a run for their money. And we don’t have to choose. We can love them both!”

    Years ago, I used to go to a little place called The Globe in Berlin, MD to see Alison Krauss & Union Station before they hit the big time. They would appear there 2-3 times a year. The place seated about 42 people, and you could actually have a conversation with the band between numbers. Others who were regulars there were:
    Chris Smither
    Cosy Sheridan
    Richard Shindell
    Reverend Billy C. Wirtz
    David Wilcox

  7. El Somnambulo says:
    October 12, 2011 at 9:22 pm

    We libs also like, in fact REALLY like:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbWRfBZY-ng

    Come to think of it, not a bad theme song for OWS.

  8. El Somnambulo says:
    October 12, 2011 at 9:27 pm

    I’ve had Chris Smither at the Arden Gild Hall twice. All he needs is his guitar, a wood board to tap his feet on, a chair, a mic, and his voice. He puts his audience into a joyous trance. I love the guy. If you’ve never seen him, he ain’t gettin’ any younger, you know.

    And the Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, he’s OUT THERE in a GOOD way. Excuse me while I go trolling for vids…

    Never cared much for Richard Shindell, though. Overrated, IMHO.

  9. El Somnambulo says:
    October 12, 2011 at 9:37 pm

    Ladeez and gentlemen, the Rev. Billy C. Wirtz:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdyffrZxGP4

  10. Miscreant says:
    October 12, 2011 at 9:38 pm

    HA! I distinctly remember Smither’s big ass black shoe slapping on that board. At The Globe, the front row was about 4 feet from the performer.

    Never bothered to look at Shindell’s ratings. He’s one hell of a nice guy. I always liked his ability to tell a story. Met him, and his (pregnant) wife, at the Globe. she was in the audience before the show. You’d have thought she and my wife were sisters by the end of the evening.

  11. Miscreant says:
    October 12, 2011 at 9:44 pm

    Good video. Holy sheepshit, he’s finally showing his age. I remember laughing so hard I was sore the next day. We bought his ‘prayer cloth’ with the six fingered hand.

    Good times.

  12. El Somnambulo says:
    October 12, 2011 at 9:58 pm

    As for Chris Smither, if these two songs don’t make you a believer, which they should, his live shows will:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xSOODkGJ64&NR=1

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8t-i606WA8

  13. Miscreant says:
    October 12, 2011 at 10:23 pm

    No Love Today is my favorite Smither tune. Learned what a merliton is.

    This tune, however, is very timely.

    http://cdn1-13.projectplaylist.com/e1/v1_0_0/bSFUFDlcvKtxEr6vnudtOzRM17QKtXmAQbTrd4Cf9WWMcAIsR4mK79PSQ0MthTuzTajHD9vEkcJpEUlr3mYiRDnddEsJu8u5vSHLpu5hxyc=?e=1318558450&h=63b95396e3ced6618dbd84c5636f6311.mp3

  14. cassandra m says:
    October 12, 2011 at 10:32 pm

    Wow.

    I’ve seen Chris Smither and Richard Shindell at the Globe and really, really love Smither. Saw him a bunch of times at the Upper Merion concerts when I first moved here.

    Is it the Alabama Shakes here next week? If I can manage to not go anywhere I could be in…..

  15. Miscreant says:
    October 13, 2011 at 12:17 pm

    See how much we have in common, Cassandra?

    Love,
    Miscreant

  16. John Young says:
    October 13, 2011 at 8:13 pm

    http://transparentchristina.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/musical-interlude-elsommnabulostyle-netde-dl/

«
»