The Gobblers Knob

I have been very clear (or not, probably not) in the past that I have grown weary of musical-genre labels that either fail to make much sense, or simply don’t really define much (”Red-Dirt” anyone??).  Having said that, I have recently began espousing a labeling philosophy that I think suits me just fine.  If the band or CD in question has a generally “Country” vibe to it, then fine, the term “Country” will be added to the label.  Obviously I can’t stop there, as that term encompasses everything from Kenny Chesney and Pretty-boy Urban to Hank Sr. to Nickel Creek to Todd Snider to Poco to even parts of The Rolling Stones catalog.  I like to customize the “Country” term by adding a word that illustrates the personality or key traits of the song, artist or album in question.  For example, I think there is an exciting “Country with Tattoos” movement afoot in Texas right now (the movement isn’t new, by any means, but the name is).  The Mother Truckers, Heybale, and The Texas Sapphires represent that rockin’, swingin’ honky-tonkin’ country sonic, but each band sports a bunch of ink, and I think that in a large way, that represents the attitude behind each bands perspective.

Now that you understand the key process behind my thoughts of this extravagant and complicated labeling system, I present to you….“Country with Muscle”.  Sounds simple enough, and it means exactly what it sounds like it means.  Rockin’ Country where men talk about drinkin’, drivin’ (sometimes at the same time, sorry), hatin’, fightin’, cheatin’, and yes, even lovin’.  The key difference here is when the bands that fall under this label sing about lovin’ (or any of the subjects mentioned above), they do it with drums that seem to pound a bit louder, voices that ring just a tad rougher, and lyrics that sound just a tad grittier than your typical “Country”.  There have been great examples of “Country with Muscle” released recently.  Bleu Edmondson’s Lost Boy, Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward’s The Lonesome Dirge, and most recently, Reckless Kelly’s phenomenal Bulletproof, are sterling works that showcase what I am explaining here.  Two recent releases that showcase the swagger and sweat that a disc requires to join the ranks of the aforementioned releases are John D. Hale Band’s Lost and Back Porch Mary’s Time of the Broken Heart.

John D. Hale Band, originating from Jackson, Missouri, plainly and simply bring it.  Opening the album with “Heartbreaker”, Hale is asking a chick “why are you so cruel?” as he warns, “you’re gonna get whats’ coming to you”.  Hale’s vocal possesses a nasally twang that almost seems as if he is straining to reach the full potential of the notes he looks to emphasize, this attempt is a great example of the “muscle” this album contains.  As a rule, I don’t happen to think covering Lyle Lovett is a wise idea, but Hale and the boys make “L.A. County” their woman, as the opening notes recall Lovett’s original, but then Hale’s vocal takes a bouncing turn into a more countrified territory versus the folkier terrain that the original travelled. Perhaps the song that sums up my argument for this band to be included into the “Country with Muscle” genre is the heist-rocker, “Pistol in Each Hand”.  This tale of guns, desperation and contraband, augmented by crashing cymbals with thunderous drum-beats in the chorus reminds me of the more memorable crime tales that have been documented in song over the last few years, Robert Earl Keen’s “Road Goes on Forever”, Charlie Robison’s “Desperate Times”, and sure, even “Copperhead Road”.  Each of these tales focus on a guy that is experiencing some sort of panicked decision to alter his reality with actions that require guns and/or avoiding the law in a violent manner.  More tales of life from a small town perspective help round out this album and provides us with a band from outside of the Lone-Star State that would fit ever-so nicely into the musical landscape here.

Back Porch Mary, coming from Austin, TX also adresses the same masculine subject matter, as Hale.  The disc opens with “This Band”.  I can’t tell if Mike, the lead singer, is lamenting his circumstances or celebrating them (probably the latter), as he sings that “no good girl will ever talk to me, ‘cuz all I got’s this band”.  The songs on Time of the Broken Heart address love and the opposite sex, but again, not in a “I just gotta cry” kinda way.  Tracks such as “Harsh Light of Day” and “I’m to Blame” show the side of the manly narrator in an apologetic mood, after suffering from loss. By retracing steps that shouldn’t have been made, we get a glimpse into many of the same mistakes that guys make all the time as relationships suffer.  The disc picks back up when the train-track rhythm of the rockabilly song ”I Won’t Look Back at You” reminds us that us guys like to end a relationship and move on as often as we like to sit and wonder what went wrong.  When Mike sings, “it’s not for me to do“, we know that this is a dude that isn’t overly worried about how this girl has made him “cry and scream“.  Word of BPM’s live show has traveled far and wide and it is the up-tempo tracks such as “That Song” and “Other End of the Road” that have given these guys a rep that is one of a rocking band that also represents “Country with Muscle”.

Man, I gotta tell ya, when the stars align, they really help produce a great night.  With an 11 month old son at home, it is rare that Mom and Dad have an adult night out, let alone catch a show that starts after 7pm (which means we don’t catch as many gigs as we used to).  For this July 4th, we decided to ship the little concert-blocker to Grandma’s and enjoy the evening of July 4th at Hank’s in McKinney to see one of my newer favorites, The Jackson Taylor Band.

Taylor is a great example of an artist that has been around for while, put out a few discs, and still, I wasn’t overly-familiar with his work.  After hearing “Lonely” played on KHYI, and then reading a positive review of that very song on my fave country music site, I knew it was time to delve deeper.  I emptied my E-music acct, by downloading Dark Days, and it has been my default soundtrack to the time I spend outside grilling and drinking (usually at the same time, kids don’t try that without an adult around).

Back to the parent’s night out.  The missus and I enjoyed some good grub on what must be the only patio in town to compete with Love & War in Texas-Plano.  Almost completely covered, while allowing the elements to enter in from the sides of the venue, I felt as though I was sitting in one of the finer examples of what a true Texas Music venue should be.  Great sight-lines, well-placed stage, and even more well-placed bar made me embarrased to be on my first trip to this venue.  JTB hit the stage around 9:45 and immediately busted out material from the Dark Days album.  The band all display an impressive array of tattoos, (most notably the “Honky Tonk Hero” tat that Taylor himself wore) and they even played an excellent version of Social Distortion’s “Highway 101″, but there isn’t any mistaking this outfit as anything but a Honkin’-Tonkin’ Country Band that uses each night as a chance to resurrect the vibe and spirit of the old Armadillo World Headquarters.

Mickey & the Motorcars have done a great job at escaping the big-brother shadow of Reckless Kelly.  Their album, Careless, is easily one of the best Texas discs I have heard over the last couple of years.  They are getting ready to release their new disc, Naive, and they are previewing a track from the album.

Go to the band’s Myspace and click on “GROW OLD” to hear it….

I have recently spent a solid amount of time listening to albums from various bands that call themselves Country, Roots-Rock, and even Alt-Country.  As I listen to these albums, I find myself breaking down each song to analyze the components that make the album fit within the boundaries that the band itself defined by labeling their own work.  There are also the bands that don’t worry about telling you what kind of vibe they are going after, they just go after it and you are able to hear for yourself without the help of a press release or myspace page.  For the bands that blend various styles so seamlessly, it can often prove to be futile to break down each individual element as it can cause one to miss the true big picture that the disc is presenting to its listener.

The Mother Truckers from Austin, TX have indeed crafted an album that forced me to sit down, shut up and appreciate the entire work for what it truly is - a solid, rollicking, Rockin’-Country effort.  Much in the way that Wes Anderson’s film, The Royal Tenenbaum’s is considered by most to be a comedy (a fantastic one at that), the movie contains many elements of heartbreak, sadness, loneliness and even deception.  Even with a bounty of heavier, darker material that formed these characters so vividly, the film shines as a comedic work of art.  This same rule applies to “Let’s All Go to Bed,” The Mother Truckers second disc.  The record boasts some phenomenal Rockers (”Dynamite“, “I’m Comin’ Over“) along with some soulful Honky-Tonkers (”When I Get My Wings“), playful Honky-Tonkers (the title track and “Kaki’s Song“), and even some peaceful Folk-tunes (”Quiet Night” & “Let’s Stay Outside“).  Given this tremendous range of styles, the disc at no point comes off as schizophrenic, rather its identity as a Country-Roadhouse-Rock Champ is clearly defined.

Enough can’t be said about the chemistry of hubby/wife combo Josh Zee and Teal Collins.  Regardless of which spouse is singing lead and who joins in on the harmony, this album is a great example of a band that succeeds in every aspect of recreating the vibe and sounds of their much talked-about live show.  This is apparent within the album’s first four tracks.  These cuts set the tone on hyper-drive as the beats seem to literally jump off the speakers (not literally of course, that would be hard I suppose).  With “I’m Coming Over,” Zee shouts “Let the bombs drop/let the music play/let me do my dance, ’til they blow me away“.  I can’t help but wish it was me that was jumping around at the front of the club, pounding my beer on the stage during one of their gigs.

The Mother Truckers “Let’s All Go to Bed”, joins the new disc from The Band of Heathens (not to mention the upcoming, insanely awesome disc from Reckless Kelly), as prime examples of the high quality talent that the city of Austin continues to showcase on a nightly basis.

Dallas has a couple of decent record stores.  Among those, however, Good Records on Greenville Ave. stands heads and shoulders above the others in just about every way. Good Records amazing selection, featuring Indie, Import & Local music of all genres is merely one aspect of why it’s such a great find.  If you are into Vinyl, they offer both hard-to-find items and the new releases, from Wilco, Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes, White Stripes & Hymns to go along with local faves Polyphonic Spree, Bosque Brown and The Backsliders.  Perhaps you’re into seeing bands in an intimate, loose in-store setting?  Perhaps you enjoy free beer and eats whilst enjoying said in-store gig? Then again, Good Records is well beyond “good” for your needs.

Coming up, Saturday April 19th is Record Store Day.  Good Records will be throwing down what might be the best party of any trading post celebrating this hallowed occasion.  Not only will there be free beer, food, goody bags, t-shirts and other schwag but the line-up of talent is enough to make parts of me tingle.  Doug Burr, The Theater Fire and Bridges & Blinking Lights are all on before 2pm.  The Fine Line has even more details with a full line-up.

If you don’t live in DFW, find out where the nearest record store is to you and go to it!  Go to the in-store gigs and support the bands, go to the store and buy the new releases that not only come out on Vinyl, but these days, generally include a free code to digitially download the cd also (like this new Texas release)