Tally Ho!

Tally ho, faithful friends!  Been away too long, but hope y'all have enjoyed a break from our normally (and nominally) rambling posts.  Today's gonna kick yr sweet tuckus.  Guaranteed.

Today is another round of our series (random, as they are) of The Greatest Song Ever Written (At Least For Today), where we highlight a song, for the sake of the song.  No wordy exposition.  No Mountainesque rambling.  The song is the star.  Of course, we always encourage folks to support the artists' (or their legacies) involved.

It's no secret that we're obsessed with, well, a variety of things.  Country, Truck Drivin' music, Greasy Blues, Trash'n'Sleaze, etc.  But did y'all also know that  we worship at the altar of New Zealand?  Particularly the nascent Flying Nun releases?  Well, now you know.

The Clean are, most likely,  almost as influential as The Velvet Underground.  Brothers David and Hamish Kilgour and Robert Scott crafted  some of the greatest, swirling, droney pop ever laid to wax.  We could spend paragraphs singing their praises.

But, as we said, we're gonna let the song speak for itself. 

So...an organ-drenched, sun-spackled slab of surging Kiwi ecstasy.  And all done under 3 minutes.  The greatest song ever written (maybe for all time)! 


The Clean: Tally Ho (mp3)

Please support yr local, independent drone pop rawk'n' roller!

Damn Old Sun

It's a well known fact we love us some one-man band action 'round this side of the eternal mountain.  And today we've got a madroad driven skull fuck of a record to turn ya all the way up on.  Kick on yr black light, and assemble yr gatefold lp appropriately.

Feller goes by the name of Chicken Diamond, and he hails from North-East side of France (what is it with France and great one-man bands?).  He's got a slab of burnt tire vinyl comin' out on Beast Records, and stompin' our ass into powder.

It's a loud record.  Really, really loud.  In a glorious, fuzzy, xpressway to yr spine kind of way, rattled and raw.  Chicken's voice, a bastard child of Tom Waits and James Leg, wails "sinners in the hands of an angry god"-syle salvation, 'til yr ears are hoarse and yr throat is parched gasping water, lord, water from the sacred well.  Brutal throbbed kick drum pounds sex beat degenerate lust.  And some of the filthiest fuckblues guitar, drowned in a swamp and emerging covered in the goo goo muck of creation.  Tribal, pulsing, very, very evil.  The kind of guitar slime that gives you bad thoughts, reeks of white lightning, and scrapes, scratches and claws at yr soul.

This is not a record yr parents will like.  Not a record the guitar shop dude who likes Stevie Ray and BB King is gonna like.  Not one bit.  This isn't a nice record.  It's a dirty record, mud encrusted with evil intentions, to be played while doing bad things.  Hellfire and damnation.  Sleaze and sin. 

The record is mostly a full on blast of punk blues jet fuel, particularly on tracks like "Bones", "Damn Old Sun", "Factory Smoke", "Damn Old Sun", and "Me and My 44".  You also get some seriously psyched-out droners a la "Come Home", "Power of the Ancient People", and a transcendent cover of "Sister Ray". 

Ultimately the track "Bones", which Chicken Diamond was kind enough to let us share,  is the culmination, a nasty bit of frenzy and hollerin', greased pig running wild in a yard full of naked heehaw honeys, digging up the skulls of Junior K. and H. Wolf, and humpin' 'em silly.

The record comes out in June.  You can pre-order it at Beast Records.  They're only pressing 500 copies of this fucker, so grab yours now.  That way you've got bragging rights down the line when Chicken Diamond conquers the world.

Don't take our word for it...listen below.


Chicken Diamond: Bones (mp3)

Please support yr local, independent one-man bands.

Stop Stompin' On Me

Hooo, boy.  Here's our fourth and final installment covering the artists playing this Saturday's Robert Johnson 100th Birthday Hootenanny at the Abbey Pub, in mighty Chicago, Illinois. We're a co-sponsor of the show, along with Black Oil Brother, and Hellhound Trail Booking maestro, Tony Manno, so we're biased.  But it's gonna be a helluva show, and even better party.  Oh yes!

Today is all about headliners The Black Oil Brothers and Bethany Saint Smith. We've covered the Black Oil Brothers a few times in the past, and we're gonna have a feature on Bethany Saint Smith by her lonesome coming up soon.  So, we're gonna re-post our review of the fantastic album they did together, American Honey. 

It's well worth yr time to read the following, and certainly check out the record, and the show.  Here we go...

Last year we covered a record by The Black Oil Brothers.  Here's what we said then:

"The Black Oil Brothers create an amalgam of Country and Blues not beholden to contemporary "alt" whatever, forging their sound from a deeper well, stripping away the trappings of contemporary naval-gazing to find a purer sound. Strapped to the concrete acreage of the big, big city, the Black Oil Brothers find the wide open spaces of beyond, and the smallness of life lived in overgrown yards and back porches lit by fireflies.  Regret and bad choices made in the midnight hour, then. The kind of Country Blues record we love so dearly."

We didn't focus enough, of course, on the Delta Blues aspect of their sound, and with their new EP, American Honey, featuring the astonishing vocals of Bethany Saint-Smith (or here), The Black Oil Brothers tromp and stomp further into the muddied bottom, sinking their acoustic strum'n'snake oil holler into a midnight last call desperation, dancing loose-stringed and meditative with sex and whiskey running slow and fast, the final nod, the heavy lean, the sweep-me-off my feet, I'm lighter than air and these planked floorboards can't keep me steady.

While the Black Oil Brothers (Tony, Tony, and Timmy) do that voodoo that they do (and it is a hypnotic voodoo)...this new EP introduces  a new element in one Ms. Bethany Saint-Smith.  I'm gonna let one of the Tony's (Manno) tell you how this came to be:

"We met Bethany when we went to NYC for a string of shows a few years back.  She was running sound at Niagara, a bar in the Lower East Side, that we played the first night out there. She took to us immediately, and literally called a bunch of friends while we were playing and packed the place halfway through our set.  We became fast friends and her and her gang followed us around to our other shows that weekend. We ended up jamming at one of the shows, and realized that she has one HELL of a voice pretty quickly. So we kept chatting and chatting, and finally she flew out here last year and we fired through a bunch of tunes in my apartment over a weekend of doing nothing but smoking and drinking a lot of Jack Daniels and Wild Turkey American Honey (hence the name).  We got around to fixing up the tunes, adding some percussion, and decided to put it out.  Bethany has a band out in NYC called Bethany Saint-Smith &the Gun Show, and she also sings for a Rockabilly band called (shit, I forget the name at the moment-she just joined).   She's a firecracker of a chick, and has become a close friend of mine.  We went out there to play with her last December and did a few of these songs, and that solidified our relationship. "

He's right.  Saint-Smith has got a voice equal parts straight-no-chaser whiskey and  straw-dry huskiness, low-murmured and deep, deep soulful, the voice of yr loss and the consequences of yr bad strayin' self.  She's got you in the wee small hours.  Of the night, and of your slow sun risin' morning regret.

Together, the Black Oil Brothers and Bethany Saint-Smith create a burning ember of a torched rickety shack, hard stomped, dusty caked, risin' flooded porch Blues. 


The Black Oil Brothers with Bethany Saint Smith: Stop Stompin' On Me (mp3)


The Black Oil Brothers: Wednesday Afternoon (mp3)

The Black Oil Brothers: Robert From Hibbing (mp3)

Please support yr local show promoters, and the bands they love!

Illinois John Fever

Well, now!  Day 3 of our coverage of the bands playing the Robert Johnson 100th Birthday Bash at the Abbey Pub, here in beautiful Chicago!  Sponsored by our very selves, along with Tony from both  Hellhound Trail Booking and The Black Oil Brothers.  The whole damn nights gonna be a stomping party, dontcha know.  Y'all miss it yr own peril!  Hell, we've got an Amtrak station round these parts.  Git yr tix now!

Today's all about Illinois John Fever,  straight outta Iowa City, Iowa.  They call themselves "...canoe draggin', banjo pickin' music", and that's just about right, consarnit!  Oh, and they've got this description too..."Mix unequal parts hill country boogie (Fred McDowell, Bukka White, R.L. Burnside), early 70's RnR (Stones, Zep, VU), mixed with the in-yr-face variety of American punk (DK, Circle Jerks, Big Black) then splash with vampy craziness inspired by Willie McTell and Eazy-E.".  


Well, hell yeah!  They've been one of favorite bands since seeing them play The Deep Blues Festival a couple years ago (in which they played an iconic moment...see below), and we're super keen on finally gettin' 'em down Chicago-way. 

We're re-posting a previous interview with Illinois John Fever, but with some bonus new material.  The band was kind enough to add a few extra questions to the interview, and plenty of updates!  So read on!

A BRCM Interview with Illinois John Fever


BRCM: What is yr current incarnation? How has yr sound changed over the last couple of years?


Illinois John Fever:  Sean Genell on acoustic guitar and vocals, Donnie Knight on lap-slide dobro, Bobber Hall on drums. We were taking the same approach two years ago with a different dobro player. Then we uplugged the amps and ditched the drum-kit to explore the pre-Blues origins of our style, stripping it back to raw and rural. We didn't know why at the time but there were a lot of strong indicators that this move was essential to our connecting with the origins of Blues and Americana music. This exercise helped us recognize the importance of subtlety and dynamics, two elements that are greatly diminished when playing at louder volumes, and by engaging the past we hope to manifest that original spirit in the music we play today.

BRCM:  Is this yr first Chicago show? If so, what hopes and dreams will be fulfilled by playing here?  

IJF:  Hells yes and we're mighty proud. Chicago is our real hometown: Sean grew up on the South Side where he waded into the mire of mainstream Chicago Blues looking for its roots. But that old thing had long faded with Maxwell Street, and with the old clubs down south Michigan Avenue and Cottage Grove. Frustrated by the gaudy pantomime of commercial Blues he kept searching, looking back into the source of this music and what its influences were, getting back to it's origins. And that was the true beginning of Illinois John Fever.  So on a very personal level we feel like we're bringing the sound back to where it all broke out into the open. Putting something back in the wishing well, as it were. And that said, out of our hopes and dreams we hope to establish a permanent relationship with that long-standing tradition of great music the city of Chicago has brought to the world.

BRCM: At the Deep Blues Festival, you were part of an iconic moment, providing guitar backing and rhythmic flourishes to an impromptu performance by T-Model Ford. Tell us about that moment. How did it come to pass? 


IJF: It's easier bringing the music to the people than it is bringing the people out to the music. We also recognize the roots of this music come from casual settings—from the field, the porch, the afternoon picnic, from the tobacco barn, the living room, the street, etc.—and the importance of experiencing the music that way removes the imaginary line between performers and observers, encouraging the spontaneity of the moment for everybody. So we work hard staying versatile, playing everywhere between the club and the couch, and we came to Deep Blues ready to play as often as we could, wherever we were. That said, the first night was winding down and we'd grabbed our gear to busk in front of the Cabooze, but the manager put us in the beer garden instead. As for T-Model coming to check us out and then asking for a guitar, we were just doing our thing in the right place at the right time, and we're grateful he took us along for the ride. And there's a whole line of people to thank for setting that all up, starting with Chris Johnson. In a larger context, we all experience the inevitability of tradition—that the torches will pass onto those willing to bear them—and that this is really what Chris set into motion by creating the Deep Blues Festival, and in bring all of us together. That man is making history-in-action, you just watch.


BRCM: You're based out of Iowa City. Whence comes the name "Illinois" John Fever. Who is John Fever? Are you feeling ill?


IJF: For the record, none of us goes by John Fever. He’s an archetype, a spirit conjured up. His real name is John McKinney, and we make space for him the way some folks set a place for Elijah, which is an appropriate comparison. As for the ILLINOIS, Lute Tucker earned that growing up in Chicago. But we use it in the tradition of setting bluesmen apart—not through personal nicknames but as regionally distinguished remarks in recording catalogs. So in his full suit, ILLINOIS JOHN FEVER reminds us that we aren’t authors of anything, that we are just transmitters of certain ideas, mere observers of the music.


BRCM: Where do you draw inspiration? Who are your influences?


IJF: Scenes of carnage and fiery revolt are a good place to start. Severed fingers marked with voters’ ink. We celebrate just about anyone righteously standing up in the face of violence. We embrace the totality of the world despite being infinite souls trapped in limited bodies. We listen to a lot of Fred McDowell, Booker White, and Willie McTell, but we’ll listen to everything. This very moment, it’s the Pussy River Bawlers. We like John Jackson and stuff out of Virginia, and Georgia. “Monologue on Accidents” is a vibrant recording of John Lomax grilling Willie McTell on whether he’s ever recorded any “complaining songs.” At Parchman Farm, Lomax’s son Alan recorded D.W. ’Bama Stuart singing “I’m Going Home.” We’re struck by these. But we also love Funkadelic, Royal Trux, Violent Femmes, Big Black, and any afrofunk. Lute Tucker suggests everybody read anything by Chester Himes. Our favorite movie is REPO MAN, and we think sushi is delicious.


BRCM: You're all relatively young, at least so far as Blues musicians go. Some would argue that you have to have lived a "full" life, whatever that means, to really understand the Blues. Do you feel that this is true, or do you find a universal in the form that can appeal along a broad spectrum of ages and experience?



IJF: Understanding the blues is about understanding human emotion. And it’s not so much having experienced one thing or another, but how you respond to the world as it presents itself. With the blues, this becomes personal expression. There’s other details—technical proficiency, adept lyrics, bad-ass street cred. But as with most matters of survival, the ability to respond to the on-going situation is most important. Playing live therefore becomes a living metaphor, and we can appreciate that as well as anybody.





BRCM: What kind of audience do you hope to draw? What will it take to bring your brand of Blues to the masses?


IJF:  Hippies with trust funds. As for the masses, David Geffen would have to put the $15-million on that horse.


BRCM: What is the band's drink of choice?

IJF: In order of volumes consumed: water, coffee, PBR, any proper whiskey.


BRCM: How many roads must a man walk down? And which roads should he take? Is there really a crossroads, or is it just a fork in the road?

IJF: There are as many crossroads as you are able to recognize. Our only problem on the road is our inability to recognize the multiplicity of the crossroads.

BRCM: You're playing the Robert Johnson 100th Birthday Bash at the Abbey Pub. What does Robert Johnson mean to y'all, if anything? 

IJF:  His music is a driving force in the evolution of the Chicago Blues. He is an icon both self-made and commercially speaking, and in that regard he's the most enduring figurehead of the Blues. We strongly identify with the many influences--musically, historically, and spiritually--that Johnson drew upon. So truly it is an honor to be invited to perform at such an auspicious event.

BRCM:  What's next for Illinois John Fever? Did I hear a rumor that there's a new record in the works? Is there a tour planned? Can we get ya'll back to Chicago?

IJF:  For those fans who are hard of hearing, you-all will be happy to hear we're back to writing new material in the amplified acoustic guitars/drums format, and that's going blessedly well. No plans to record right now but we always know when it's time. That said, we've also let go of finishing the 100%-acoustic recording we'd been working on. It was probably going to be called "1927 AD," or something like that, and someday we'll have a hell of a retrospective album to share if anybody ever wants to hear it. Meanwhile, two of us are working extra-hard to hit bottom while the third is still mired in the taxi business. None of that can be bad for the band. Upward, onward. And hells yah: We can't wait to get back to Chicago. It's home sweet home.

After all that, wouldn't you like to hear some tunes?  Well, we've got something special for y'all.  We've got one of our favorite songs by Illinois John Fever, followed by two exclusive tracks, from their upcoming album. Oh, yes, indeed.

Illinois John Fever: 412 March (mp3)

Illinois John Fever: Kokomo (mp3)

Illinois John Fever: North Beach Blues (mp3)

Please support yr local, independent floor stompers and string dusters!

Honest Man Blues

Howdy, folks.  Here we go with another installment focusing on the artists performing at The Robert Johnson 100th Birthday Celebration we have the honor of being a part of, this Saturday at the Abbey Pub, in beautiful Chicago!  The show features Me And The Devil, Illinois John Fever and The Black Oil Brothers with the mighty Bethany Saint Smith. 


In addition to those killer bands, we're pleased to present another feller on the bill, Woodrow Hart, who travels the roads of Americana with a singular vision, and an alternately haunting and stomping style. 


Here's what he's got to say for himself.  It's a fascinating read.  Almost as fascinating as the tunes he plays...


The BRCM Interview with Woodrow (Woody) Hart


BRCM: Tell us about yourself.  What is it that you do?

Woody Hart: Well, my name is Woodrow Hart from Chicago.  I’ve been writing songs and playing them for anyone that would listen since I was a kid.  These days, I play them on my guitar or my banjo and I sometimes have friends play along.

BRCM: Who are your influences?

       WH: I am influenced directly or in spirit by lots of folks.  As a writer especially, the influences are from all over the place.  The great American songwriters like Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt and Jimmie Rodgers that seem to have a song or two for any and every moment in your life you might need a song; and also seem to balance between being a product of their time as well as being timeless.  I think that is important.  I like the writers that are too clever for their own good like John Prine or John K. Sampson.  And I relate a lot to restless writers with multiple personalities like Tom Waits, Dylan & Neil Young.  Beyond that, I look to folks that dig deep into the weird and low down side that some of us have; like Tom Waits, but also bands like the Mississippi Sheiks, The Rolling Stones, the jug bands like Gus Cannon’s Jug Stompers, the Memphis Jug Band, Johnny Cash, Wilson Pickett, Jimmie Rodgers, Common, Howlin’ Wolf and the whole Chess Records movement, Bo Carter, Jay Farrar, Tommy McClennan, Merle Haggard, etc. I like some of the singer/songwriter types floating around these days too, like Cory Branan, The Felice Brothers & Charlie Parr.   I like a lot of the punk rock that has come out of Florida and the Midwest in the last 15 years; a few of the hip hop and indie rock movements of the last 30 years.  I could go on, but really, I’m influenced by most anyone that I can personally relate to that has craft and soul.

BRCM: Are you a banjo player or a guitar player?  And what's up with the trumpet?
 
WH: I’m a guitar player.  That’s my language.  But, I am working on becoming multilingual with the five-string open back banjo as well as playing around on my mandolin and few other things.   As a player, I tend to bang on the thing like Neil Young or Robert Petway or like how Hank Williams would with some of his smaller bands.  For what picking ability I have, I tend to look to the great state of North Carolina; Doc Watson, Blind Boy Fuller and Bascom Lamar Lunsford.
As for the trumpet.  That’s my pal Graham.  He sorts out the chaos.

BRCM: Your first name has an interesting pedigree.  Care to discuss?

WH: My folks give me different explanations for the name.  My mother tells me Woodrow, or “Woody”, is after Woody Guthrie.  My mom played a lot of folk records when I was growing up.  So, folk music, especially great mythical figures like Guthrie, Seeger and Leadbelly were an influence in my life long before I could play anything.  And she says that at the time, she just liked the ring of “Woodrow Hart.”  My Father tells me it’s a good baseball player’s name.  I like both explanations.

BRCM: What is your drink of choice?  

 
WH:  Old Grand Dad Bourbon & any coffee my lovely wife brings home.  She’s got good tastes.

BRCM: Are you more comfortable as a solo artist, or with a band?  

 
WH: I was in bands for years and years, which is a fun way to play and travel.  These days, my friends and I are all more comfortable keeping things open ended.  I love to have friends accompany me on stage and on recordings, but I’m just as comfortable on my own.  I’ve got songs for both occasions.

BRCM: You've spent some time away from Chicago.  How does the rest of the world compare to the "Chicago" experience?  Where do you find the most receptive audience?

WH: Small towns make for the best audiences.  There are less distractions and more personal interactions in all aspects of life in a small town, so of course that translates to performing.  Chicago is a great town too.  It’s filled to the brim and overflowing with stories and characters.  Some good musicians too.

BRCM: You have a strong Country/Folk element to yr music.  Where does this come from, and do you find that these elements combine well with the Blues as part of the fabric of American music?
 

WH: Absolutely.  It all comes from the same place.  As I’ve traveled around the country and come to know the American songwriting and performance traditions, I find it harder and harder to separate anything without using instrumentation, time period or race as reasoning.  Bob Wills does a great version of the Sheiks’ “Sittin’ on top of the World,” Louis Armstrong played on a Jimmie Rodgers’ “Blue Yodel #9”, Hank Williams first learned guitar as a kid from a local bluesman, Ray Charles recorded more than a few Country albums, the Delta blues players followed their audience to the Midwest during the war and invented Rock n Roll and then the young country boys all became rebellious rockers.   I could go on and on, but to answer the question, I feel America is big enough and fortunate enough, even today, to call a lot of different styles of music uniquely American or “Folk Music,” and it’s no trouble to change an instrument, a time signature or song structure when it all comes from a similar place.  I like picking it all apart and putting it back together as a listener, but as a writer and performer, it’s all the same.

BRCM: It's 2:00 AM.  Yr on a back road in the country, travelling miles.  What are you listening to?   

WH: In my scenario, I’m on Doggett Road, turning onto 150 in Guilford County, North Carolina.  It’s 2AM, and I’m looking for a foot stomper.  Probably the great string band with North Carolina roots, Old Crow Medicine Show… “…if I die in Raleigh, at least I will die free…”

BRCM: God or Satan?  

 
WH: Both.  I love a good rivalry.  

BRCM: You're playing the Robert Johnson 100th Birthday Bash at the Abbey here in Chicago next weekend.  What does Robert Johnson mean to you? 

 

WH: Robert Johnson is the great instigator.  From what I’ve heard and read, he was just as fickle and moody and mythical to his peers as he is to historians.   His legend, his recordings, and his 1961 reissue, instigated a lot of the great music that came after.  But I think all that overshadows just how clever of a performer and songwriter he was. My favorite thing about Johnson is that due to circumstance (or perhaps to perpetuate his own myth) he only gave us a handful of songs from his catalogue, but he gave us 2 versions of most of them.  As a songwriter, I can relate to his decision making and/or his lack there of.  Like I said, he was moody.  Also, I think the remarkable thing about his legacy is that it’s only been 100 years since his birth.  That’s nothing. We are all a lot closer to this music than we realize.

BRCM: What's next for you?  You've been doing some recording.  When can we expect a proper record from you?

WH: Well, I’ve gone into the studio three times in the last two years.  Two sessions in Chicago and one session in Alamance County, North Carolina.  Through all of that, I have what I’d call a proper album ready, which should be available sometime this summer.  From those sessions, I also will have an EP, or perhaps a few EPs, that will be available at some point as well.  These are interesting times for recorded music.  More people are hearing more music than ever, and yet it’s all but lost it’s retail value.  So, whatever the medium, it will be available at my shows as well as the internet shortly.  That and shows and traveling; that’s what’s next.  That’s what is always next.  Music is a great excuse to travel and meet people.

You can check out Woodrow (Woody) Hart here and here.   You can also check him out live at The Abbey Pub, this Saturday, when he plays the Robert Johnson 100th Birthday Blowout! 

Woody Hart: Honest Man Blues #3 (mp3) 


As ever, please support yr local, independent guitar slingers and hard luck troubadours.

Me And The Devil

So, here we go.  The next few posts are gonna be focused on the mighty bands playing at The Robert Johnson Birthday Tribute show we have the privilege of being a part of .  It's gonna be a rockin' good night, and we'll expect to see all of you there!

Today's guests are the phenomenal Me And The Devil, a rollickin' hard-stompin' combo, guaranteed to bust yr ass and take you to the very crossroads.  But don't take our word for it.  Guitarist and vocalist extraordinaire Tony French was kind enough to answer a few questions for us.  And, as ever, there's a nifty tune at the end for yr enjoyment.

A Big Rock Candy Mountain Interview with Me And The Devil

Big Rock Candy Mountain: Who are y'all, and what do you do?

Me and the Devil:  We are Me and the Devil and we play the blues!  Live acoustic music is what we are all about, keeping the old stuff alive and creating new songs.  Our line up is Tony French - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar; Mark Verbeck - Lead/Slide Gutiar, Vocals;  Eric McCabe - Harp, Vocals;  and Cody "Goose" Siragusa-  Upright Bass.

BRCM: Tell us about yr personal relationship with the Devil.

MATD: Funny thing about that, we tried to sell our souls to the devil but he said he already owned them.

BRCM: What/Who are yr influences? 

MATD:  Our main influence is pre-war american roots music when blues, folk and country were more entwined.  Bluesmen like Robert Johnson, Son House, and Leadbelly. Folk/Country musicians like Jimmy Rodgers, Woody Guthrie and The Carter Family.  We are an acoustic band but we also have a good dose of first generation electric blues in us from cats like John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Howling wolf.  I could go on and on on this one.   

BRCM: What song best defines Me and the Devil?

MATD: Probably our song Devil in her eyes, it's just a 3 chord song about a no good woman.

BRCM:  Drink of choice for Me and the Devil?

MATD: Whatever anyone else is buying.

BRCM: Yr playing the Robert Johnson birthday tribute show here in Chicago.   What does Robert Johnson mean to Me and the Devil?  

MATD: First off that's where we got our name from, his song Me and the Devil blues.  Robert Johnson is such an important figure for many reasons first is his talent as a musician and songwriter. He had a truly unique quality to his sining and playing, almost haunting.  To me he also represents all the other bluesmen of that era that never got lucky enough to be recorded, he's that mythic bluesman who sold his soul to the devil, lived hard and died young.

BRCM: Have y'all been to the Crossroads?  If so, who did you meet there, and what did you sell?  What did you get in return?

MATD: I was just there a couple of weeks ago, it was a bit strange I found myself standing there thinking wow this is a real place.  Of course I always knew it was a real place but like Robert Johnson it's so mythic it's almost hard to believe it's real.

BRCM: Y'all are Chicago-based.  How does Chicago treat yr brand of  Blues? 

MATD: We always get a great response from audiences but I wouldn't say we're really in the Chicago "blues scene".  The tourist type blues clubs have a formula for success and white boys playing acoustic ain't it.  There is a lot of great roots music going on in the city these days though, we end up playing with a lot of different types of bands from alt-country to rockabilly to bluegrass. 

BRCM: How many angels can dance on the edge of yr guitar pick?

MATB:  Never use picks............or angels.

BRCM: How do you approach yr songwriting?  Which comes first, the lyric or the groove?

MATB: I usually have a rhythm and chord structure and then put lyrics to it but sometimes I'll come up with a lyrical hook then write the music and the verses.  Normally when I bring a new song to the band it's just a skeleton of a song with my rhythm guitar and vocals then everybody jumps in and does their thing and it turns into a complete song.

BRCM: What can we expect from Me and the Devil at the Robert Johnson birthday hootenanny?  And, following that, what's next for Me and the Devil?

MATB: Expect the unexpected! When people think of acoustic music they think mellow and we are anything but mellow. 

Next up on our schedule after the Robert Johnson Birthday show is another exciting show for us, we are opening for T-Model Ford at Reggie's Music Joint on June 1st!

Still not convinced?  Well, check out the following...

Me And The Devil: Tiger Man (mp3)

And, as ever, please support yr local, independent record stores, bands, and live shows!

Shake A Tail Feather

Oh, boy.  Here we go again. Another round of  The Greatest Song Ever Written (At Least For Today),   where we highlight a song, for the sake of the song.  No wordy exposition.  No Mountainesque rambling.  The song is the star.  Of course, we always encourage folks to support the artists' (or their legacies) involved.

Today's Greatest Song Ever Written (At Least For Today) was composed by the very mighty Andre Williams for The Five Du-Tones.  The rest is history, of course, from covers by Ray Charles and Ike and Tina Turner, amongst others.

But the original is the one...A nasty slab of fried-out soul groove and holler, shake yr ass like the morning will never come, and all you've got is sex, sweet sex, baby.  Oh, yes.  This is yr weekend groove, baby, and don't waste it.  'Cuz the sun's gonna come up, and where will you be?


The Five Du-Tones: Shake A Tail Feather (mp3)

Ike and Tina Turner: Shake A Tail Feather (mp3)

Andre Williams: Shake A Tail Feather (mp3)

Please support yr local.   Record Store Day is tomorrow!  Get some bacon-fried wax!  

The Beginning...

So, here it is...The Big Event.  The Black Oil Brothers!  Illinois John Fever!  Me And The Devil!  Woodrow Heart!  At the Abbey Pub!  In Chicago Illinois!  May 7th!  Oh, yes!


It's gonna be a killer show.  Book yr flights, trains and buses now.

We're proud to be a small part of this, in conjunction with The Black Oil Brothers and Hellhound Trail Booking, so come on out...

More to come on each artist...just had to give all y'all an advance notice...

Trouble In Mind

Howdy, happy troopers.  We're back in fine style today.  So much so, that we're almost giddy.

Trouble In Mind is a record label, run out of Chicago, no less,  by Lisa and Bill Roe, who y'all already know from the mighty band (and 'Mountain fave) Cococoma.  Trouble in Mind has been releasing some killer records over the past couple of years, featuring bands like The Liminanas, Wheels On Fire, The Hex Dispensers, Ty Segall, The Mean Jeans, The Fresh & Onlys, Charlie and the Moonhearts, and many, many more.  

They've got a new batch of rekkids out, and Lisa and Bill were kind enough to answer some questions for us.  We'll talk about the new records, and give you a taste, at the end, but for the moment, let's let Lisa and Bill speak for themselves.

The  BRCM Interview with Trouble In Mind Records

  

Big Rock Candy Mountain: Y'all have been on the radar for quite some time now as the band, CoCoComa.  What was your motivation in starting the Trouble In Mind record label?  

Bill: It’s something I’d always wanted to do for many many years... I guess it really started to become a reality when Lisa was pregnant with our daughter Ronnie. CoCoComa was going on ‘maternity hiatus’ & we were really uncertain if we’d even be able to continue the band after she was born (we knew we’d be busy as first-time parents, just unsure as to HOW busy). Finally deciding to start the label was a sort of way to keep music in our lives I guess...

BRCM:  "Trouble In Mind" , as a song, has quite a pedigree.  Was this taken into account when naming the record label?  Do you have a favorite version of the song?

Lisa: I’m not the biggest “blues” fan it the world, so for me it’s never been about a direct connection to the song. We actually went through a lot of ideas for a label name, knowing we were looking for something that seemed to fit with the visual aesthetic we had in mind. Somehow “Trouble In Mind” seemed to fit despite the musical and film connections.  If I had to guess, Bill’s favorite version of the song is probably by Jerry Lee Lewis, seeing as Bill does, or at least used to carry a picture of him in his wallet.

Bill: Still do!

BRCM:  You have a history of graphic design.  Trouble In Mind has a very unique aesthetic approach, seemingly "less is more".  The singles have a very minimalistic packaging.  What is your philosophy towards this end?  

Bill: (Allow me to get nerdy for a second) - When I thought about how our releases were gonna look, I definitely took a long look at our singles collection... the ones that really stood out to me were the ones that were packaged in “factory sleeves” (or PACS: “Period-Appropriate-Company-Sleeves”)... Stax Records, Motown Records, Stiff Records, Atlantic, White Whale, etc... I just thought that visually it was a striking aesthetic. Plus I noticed that everytime I came across one, I pulled it out to see what was on the inner label... so I guess really I wanted people to interact with our records while browsing through record racks... They’d see the sleeve & wonder which record it was & pick it up & look at it. I’ve definitely gotten a lot of good feedback on the design (which is always encouraging) - it’s nice to hear people say that they pick up our releases no matter what ‘cause they see the sleeve & buy it cuz they know it’s good.

Lisa: We were particularly drawn to the sleeves that were from the 60’s which often times seemed like out of touch label artists trying to appeal to the youth market which is sort of one inspiration for the sleeve design that Bill came up with.

BRCM: Trouble In Mind's output over the past (almost) 2 years has been mostly 7" singles/ep's.    Recently you've ventured into full length  records.   How did this come about?  Did you feel strongly about the artists that you wanted to release a full length, or was this a natural transition in the life of the label?

Lisa: Yeah, going into the label initially we thought just singles...which we still plan to keep on churning out, but LP’s are exciting on another level.  It’s kinda like going from dating to being married or something. The opportunity came because we were so in love with The Limiñanas music that strictly from a fan point of view we wanted to hear more more more.  So luckily they agreed to do their debut LP with us, which we are eternally grateful for.  And from there we’ve gotten to put out 2 more amazing debut LP’s by The Wrong Words and The Paperhead and we have lots more in the works. Wax Museums second record which is SOOO GREAT and The Night Beats which rules as well. Both will be coming out in late June.   Then not to go too far into the future, but, we are going to be releasing Mikal Cronin of Moonheart’s debut solo LP for which we’ve heard about ¾ of and with out a doubt it is going to seriously blow minds. He was in studio with Ty Segall and Eric Bauer (the guy that recorded Ty’s last couple of albums) last week and we really think this is going to show Mikal in a new light.

Bill: It’s true - Mikal’s solo LP is seriously gonna rule! Don’t forget the Estrogen Highs LP we’re gonna do soon! (seriously loved their ‘Friends & Relatives’ LP from earlier this year - if you haven’t picked it up - you should!)

BRCM: The inevitable vinyl question.   Your releases have been vinyl-only (with the digital download code for i-pod users).  Do you feel that vinyl is the best way to hear your releases?  Do you believe that the "single" is alive and well,  and you're reflecting the current market, or are you trying to make a statement  about how we listen to music?  

Bill: Well, the single has always been “alive & well” for myself & many others... I just think in alot of cases it’s the perfect format for listening to music on vinyl. DEEP grooves for maximum sound, 2-4 songs so you don’t get tired of a band over the course of a side, PLUS bands (I would hope) are more inclined to put their “A-material” on a single, so the song quality should be top notch! I really don’t prefer singles to LPs or vice-versa... I have PLENTY of both believe me (ha ha)... I wouldn’t say we really know what reflects the current market - don’t care really... we just like vinyl!

BRCM: Your roster of releases is rife with bands from all over the map, both musically and geographically.  Many of these are, what the generic music press would call, "hotly tipped " bands or artists.  How do you convince these bands that a release on Trouble In Mind  is a net plus?  

Lisa: Well, we haven’t begged anyone...not that we wouldn’t, I guess? Typically, we have said “Hey, we like your band. We want to put something out.” And 90% of the time people have said yes. Most every band is already a friend so that might help?  We know we are lucky to get to work with so many great bands and it’s something we don’t take lightly. We do whatever we can to have the bands benefit somehow from releasing a record with us.

BRCM: Do you have a favorite release?  Or is this like asking a parent who their favorite child is?

Lisa: Every single new record becomes my favorite. This is sort of the way it has to work for us since both of us have to agree absolutely 100% that we are in love with the songs or it doesn’t get released.

Bill: Yeah, the 100% thing is sometimes annoying (as I’m sure Lisa will agree) - there’s definitely been bands that one of us has been “They’re totally awesome - we NEED to release this!” & the other just doesn’t feel it at all. Despite that, I definitely feel like it’s helped us keep our focus & keep the quality of releases top-notch.

8.  A quick sidetrack...You've mentioned that CoCoComa is on "indefinite hiatus".  And that you've got a new project called  "The Marble Vanity".  Is there anything you can tell us about the new project?  What should we expect from y'all moving forward, band-wise?

Lisa: In a way it’s been a long time in the making all though the LP came together very quickly.  Bill and I listen to all kinds of music (Bill more than myself) but over the past 3 or 4 years we’ve really become enamored with baroque pop with a lot of the records we love being “studio projects” namely The Millenium, Sagittarius, The Clique then also things like Harumi, That Pretty Things with Phillipe DeBarge record (and The Zombies and The Left Banke of course) and throw in some psych-sploitation and an INDEX rip for good measure.  This winter in Chicago was exceptionally brutal and so we had A LOT of time cooped up in our apartment. At the same time our friend Andrew (formerly of The Hipshakes) was just out of grad school with no job and no apartment so he was staying with us for a bit.  We just started demo-ing stuff out as sort of a fun exercise like “Can I write a song that sounds like the Pretty Things’ “Hello, How do you do?” The answer is NOT REALLY, but the result turned out kinda cool in it’s own way. So as it went on we were kind of like “Hey, a lot this isn’t half bad” and it took this weird turn into something of a concept album which gave it some focus. Then we brought in our “ringer” (Emma from Hollows) who is a classically trained pianist and flautist to play harpsichord and flute to give it that final baroque touch. (SIDE NOTE: Be warned there are bongos on at least 2 songs!) It was lots of fun to make at least.We plan to play at least one live show this summer so watch out!

Bill: It’s our “twinkle-ding-dong” record!

BRCM: Trouble In Mind has 4 brand spankin' new releases out right now.  2 of 'em are LP's.  2 of 'em are 7" singles/ep's.  What can you tell us about these?  

Bill: Well, first off we have 

TIM022: The Wrong Words s/t debut album. GREAT great pop group from San Francisco. The guitarist & drummer, Josh & Layla used to play in a band called ‘White Music’ that we were going to release a single by (but they broke up)... Luckily Josh got back in touch when they formed Wrong Words & sent us more songs (which we loved) that became the single we released last Fall & the start of the LP. Sounds similar to Nick Lowe or Gentleman Jesse, but definitely with their own twist. Plus let’s not forget the RIPPING guitar work! 

Then we have...

TIM023: Alex Cuervo 4-song solo EP. Alex had mentioned something (on Facebook I believe - ha!) about working on solo material & I immediately emailed him about hearing it (since I am a huge Hex Dispensers fan). He sent me 6 songs that were all amazing (4 of which appear on our EP)... we hope to release a whole solo LP someday soon (right Alex?!?!?). It’s definitely in the ballpark of Hex Dispensers, but more new-wavish... Gary Numan, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Adam & the Ants (and some Danzig too - ha!).

TIM024: The Paperhead s/t debut LP is one we’re particularly proud of. These guys sent us this WHOLE completed album out of the blue under the recommendation of Jeffrey Novak (who produced it). They said ‘maybe we’d hear a single or something’ - Ha! We both were immediately blown away by the whole thing & decided right then that we needed to release the LP. These guys are all under 20 years old - so talented! Psych-pop like early Pink Floyd, Soft Machine, July... PSYCHEDELIC! 

Lastly (but not leastly) we have...

TIM025: Jeffrey Novak 4-song solo EP - Jeff & I had been in contact re: the Paperhead LP & he was telling me about all the things he had on deck for release: a 2nd solo LP on In The Red, Cheap Time’s 3rd album (which is already done & is AMAZING, btw) & then a fully completed THIRD solo record which he said he was going to not release. He asked if I wanted to hear it (and I of course said ‘yes’)... we liked it & I asked if we could use 4 of the songs as an EP. That’s sort of when the whole “Solo Series” idea came into being. 

We have a few more people that have agreed to do EPs which I’ll keep under the hopper for now... gonna be great though.

BRCM: What can we expect going forward from Trouble In Mind?  

Lisa: As we mentioned LP’s from Wax Museums, Night Beats and Mikal Cronin though more are in the works.  More singles and more “solo series” EP’s. We have lots of promised things that I think we’ll not talk about till we actually have tracks, but we’re pretty stoked to get to continue to put out stuff by brand new bands that people might not know so well, but also established artists that we are personally fans of.  Having a label is SOOO much work but it’s rewarding in so many more ways than just being in a band. 

Bill: Ditto.

Hooked yet?  Well, you should be.  We feel like Bill and Lisa pretty much laid out why you should care, but if not, they were kind enough to allow a couple or so tunes  for yr enjoyment.  But here's our humble take...

The four new records run a glorious gambit. From the EP's:, the scrunge-out Kinks-sleaze of Cheap Time's Jeffrey Novak to the surging splatter-punk grind of Hex Dispenser's Alex Cuevo.  (both part of the aforementioned "Solo Series").  

The LP's, from The Paperhead and The Wrong Words , deserve their own posts, of course.  Magnificent, and swirling psych 'n' trash (depending n which record yr listening to), filtered through a blender of guitar abuse and  nasty joy.  Each record is completely different from the other, the great thing about Trouble In Mind, but each with a defining vision, and, ultimately, tailor-made for yr Spring and Summer bump'n'grind, hatchback doors open, beer or Mai Tai in hand, and delicious.  

Trouble In Mind is an independent record label, puttin' out some great records.  Please keep that in mind when you download the following samples...if you like the tunes, the records are even better (and they come with download codes).  Keep that in mind, so to speak!

The Paperhead: Back To Those Days (mp3)


The Wrong Words: Summer's Gone (mp3)

Jeffrey Novak: Back At The Bottom (mp3)


Alex Cuevo: 2 Broken Fingers (mp3)

Again...Please support independent labels.  The above tunes are available for purchase, with a nifty record attached.  Something you can hold in yr hands and enjoy beyond an mp3 or cd.  If you don't have a record player, they come with a download code...so you get the best of both worlds.  How keen is that?

Six Pack by Six West

 Big news!  Mark yr calendars for May 7th at the Abbey Pub in Chicago IL. for a little mini-fest in celebration of Robert Johnson's birthday (yes, his birthday is probably the 8th, but it'll be the 8th by the time we're done with the show, so settle down).  The event is co-sponsored by yours truly, The Big Rock Candy Mountain,  in conjunction with main man Tony of The Black Oil Brothers.    Full lineup will be announced shortly, but if you're a fan of this here site, you're gonna be jealous if you don't make it.  Just sayin'.

We're gonna have some actual record reviews and whatnot shortly, including a review of the nifty new Exene Cervenka record, and an interview with one of our favorite record labels.  Just in case y'all thought we forgot.

But today, we'd like to welcome back our world famous Six Pack series.  Six nifty little tunes plucked from our lovely vinyl collection, unadulterated by filtering systems or whatnot.  If it pops and crackles, well, that's just a bonus. And, hey, these are meant to be teasers.  We always encourage folks to check out the bands and their rekkids. 

So whatta we got today?  Oh man, we got some tasty shit. Let's start off with Australia's The Ooga Boogas (featuring members of Eddy Current Suppression) and a slightly Pavement-esque ramble of a tune, keeningly lovely, sad, and funny (from the 7" single of the same name).  "Party Life" by King Hannibal starts off with the line "...You know there was a pimp by my house the other day...".  And it slow-soul burns from there (from his record "Truth").  Then we've got Rob K. (of the Workdogs) and one-man trash king exraordinaire Uncle Butcher with a nasty bit of garbage blues stripper sleaze, "Cat Walk" (taken from their collaboration, "Dictionary of Cool"). 

Breathe for a moment, and then dive into the campfire country sounds of Texas Tea, and their tear-in-my-beer hoedown, "Whiskey and Wine", off their rarities collection "Fire Sides/Last Drinks".   Then, a little Hank Snow never hurt anybody, and his record "Tales Of The Yukon" is a fine example of his Western-via-Canada storytelling, particularly his cautionary tale, "The Face On The Barroom Floor".  We've all been there, I'm sure.

Finally, a bit of  Franco-style pop-psych, courtesy of The Liminanas.  More to say on this band, and their new record shortly.  But it's a fucking great song and record, so there's that.

As ever, the following tunes are in no order as far as quality goes.  Check 'em all out! 

Six Pack by Six West

Ooga Boogas: Sentimental Stranger (mp3)

King Hannibal: Party Life (mp3)

Rob K. and Uncle Butcher: Cat Butcher (mp3)

Texas Tea: Whiskey and Wine (mp3)

Hank Snow: The Face On The Barroom Floor (mp3)

The Liminanas: Chocolate In My Milk (mp3)

Please support yr local independent retailers.  Please consider buying record...they're pretty nifty, sound great, and encourage bands to take a chance that corporately-funded cd's just can't match.