#lonesome dreams my BELOVED (album name)

[catzgam3rz]

86

86. Time to Run - Lord Huron

[hotfuss]

day and age! (if it was already asked then BB or ITM)

thank you molly! idk where you got this impression i love d&a so much, it’s a mystery 🤔

i’m doing both bc you know i can’t take decisions

battle born

the first song from this album I heard: runaways do I own the album?: yes, battle born deluxe edition my beloved my favorite song: battle born and flesh and bone my least favorite song: from here on out a song I didn’t like at first, but now do: flesh and bone (didn’t like is too strong, but i thought it was only fine but look at me now with flesh and bone brain worms to the point i wrote about it in the zine!) a song I used to like, but now don’t: here with me, i’m my defense i was in a long distance relationship so the lyrics Don't want your picture / On my cell phone / I want you here with me were highly relatable my favorite lyric: bro... all of flesh and bone but i’ll quote only some highlights: Somewhere outside that finish line / I square up and break through the chains Cut from the cloth, of a flag that / Bears the name of "Battle Born" (This could decay) / This could decay / Like the valley below / Defences are down / The stakes are high... the ending verse??? absolute masterpiece??

We used to look at the stars and confess our dreams / Hold each other to the morning light / We used to laugh, now we only fight / Baby are you lonesome now? / At night I come home after they go to sleep  / Like a stumbling ghost, I haunt these halls / There's a picture of us on our wedding day / I recognize the girl but I can't settle in these walls

Maybe a thief stole your heart / Or maybe we just drifted apart / I remember driving / In my daddy's car to the airfield / Blanket on the hood, backs against the windshield / Back then this thing was running on momentum, love and trust That paradise is buried in the dust

I can see the time drippin' down the clock / We've been trying to hear that ancient refrain / It's the one that knows just when our heads are down / And reminds us of the place from where we came Many doors, knock on one / Standin' still, time is raging / Staring down the mouth of a hundred thousand guns / And you're still here, you're still here Deep in the night, I feel the presence / Of something that was long ago told to me / There is a hand, guiding the river / The river to wide open sea / And deep in my heart, in any game, / On any mountain, no I'm not afraid / Standing on stone, you stand beside me / And honour the plans that were made

And may your limits be unknown / And may your efforts be your own And if they drag you through the mud / It doesn't change what's in your blood (Over rock, over chain, over trap, over plain) / When they knock you down

When you shine you're a hilltop mansion / So how'd you lose the light? / Was it blown by the wind, / In the still of the night? When they break your heart / When they cause your soul to mourn / Remember what I said / Boy you was battle born Come on show your face / Come on give us one more spark / Sing a song of fire / Lest we fall into the dark You never live, / You never learn / You never shine / If you never burn

I've been living in a fantasy / Slip and slide ahead trip heaven / Self-denial is such a wonderful and powerful thing / But I'm not the one When you self-destruct you wind up looking for a glimmer of hope Just how thick is your skin? / Just how sharp are your teeth? / Oh, you've got a lot to learn / Is there somewhere else that I can win / Is there something else to start over again / From the summit's edge to the cutting room floor / I will be afraid no more overall rating out of 10: 10/10 bb deserved better tbh imploding the mirage

the first song from this album I heard: caution do I own the album?: yep! my favorite song: my god and my own soul’s warning my least favorite song: ugh... maybe blowback for the slightly yeehaw sound? a song I didn’t like at first, but now do: running towards a place a song I used to like, but now don’t: caution, too overplayed my favorite lyric: If you could see through the banner of the sun / Into eternity's eyes Like a vision reaching down to you / Would you turn away? / What if it knew you by your name? / What kind of words would cut / Through the clutter of the whirlwinds of these days?

But she's gonna break out, boy, you'd better know that / It's just a matter of time She fights back / Breathing in the blowback Can you cast out a demon? / Can you wrangle the wind? / Will you stay when she's breathing the blowback again?

They say no one's gonna save you / You've gotta make it on your own / But I called from the dark / And you picked up the phone / On my back in the raging blue / I looked up, and you cut right through

Give me a song that I may sing / That cuts like a canyon and rides on a wing The moment we met / Burst like a star / Onto the canvas of the skyline Purple and gold / We're in this together / I ain't never letting go

Don't talk to me about forgiveness / My God, just look who's back in business / That weight that dragged you down / It has been made light / And I'm at the top of my lungs / 'Cause big love cannot be understated / Don't push, control is overrated / I know that if we stick together / My God, it's like the weight has been lifted

Reach for the summit / Of an ancient design / On the verge of eternal / On the heels of divine / If you stumble and fall (If you stumble and fall) / If the way can't be found (If the way can't be found) / We'll just follow the moon, to the stars / To the sun, to the ground / And around, and around / And around / In the light, in the heat / Through the folds, and the bends / And again, and again / And again

overall rating out of 10: 10/10

send me an album!

[hillbillyhippiemusicreview]

Going to the Woods: A Look At Live Music in a COVID World

Laurel Cove.

Simply hearing a name so lovely elicits visions of grandeur; however, gazing your eyes upon this venue in person is more breathtaking than any figment of the imagination. Full of mystique and tucked deep in the lush woods of the Appalachian Mountains in Pine Mountain State Resort Park, Laurel Cove is an enchanted location perfect for a musical escape—and that’s exactly what Bell County Tourism director Jon Grace has made his mission throughout the latter part of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of the “Laurel Cove Socially Distant Mini Series,” Jon has brought several fabulous acts to the stage in one of the most picturesque hollers in the state. Pineville, Kentucky is on the road to become one of the top music destinations in the area and for perfect reason: the dedication to not only the tunes and visitors’ enjoyment, but also exceptional attention to safety during a pandemic, has certainly put the area on the map for other establishments and venues to follow as a model in these uncertain times, as the music industry struggles to find its footing among capacity restrictions, lack of funding, and unfortunate shutdowns. When asked how the miniseries came to fruition, Jon remarked:

"We’ve been wanting to utilize Laurel Cove for a few years now and every time, have had bad luck strike. Last year with our first Laurel Cove Music Festival, we got rained out and had to move it inside. This year, COVID-19 prevented us from doing a full-scale festival. However, when we reviewed the Kentucky Safe at Home mandates for Events and Venues, we found that Laurel Cove could be a perfect spot for us to host some reduced capacity, socially distanced events. We created a detailed safety protocol plan that was approved by the Kentucky Parks Department and have been able to host a handful of shows over the late summer and fall. It's been extremely rewarding on a few fronts...first and foremost to see that people appreciate and have positive reviews of our safety plan and that they follow it so well. Our compliance has been absolutely amazing. Also, just being able to finally showcase this beautiful venue to everyone. Having events during a pandemic are WAY more detailed and more difficult to plan, but it was worth it and then some. We appreciate everyone who has come out this year.”

The first show in the sequence of events featured a jaw-dropping lineup comprised of Arlo McKinley, John R. Miller and the Engine Lights, and Dave Shoemaker, with an appearance by John Clay. It was the album release show for Arlo’s first record with Oh Boy Records, and it was the perfect evening of tunes and fellowship. Despite the forecasted rain, spirits were high and the excitement to be in the presence of live music again was permeable, oozing from attendees to performers in an almost emotional osmosis and filtering down to everyone involved behind the scenes. I made the trek from Alabama to be on location for the monumental occasion, and it was at this moment surrounded by friends and fellow music lovers engrossed in the magic of the forest that I became enamored with the area and its atmosphere. Show-opener Dave Shoemaker echoed my sentiments:

“It was an honor to be standing in front of a crowd again, let alone a sold-out crowd for Arlo’s album release of Die Midwestern. I felt really fortunate to have so many friends and family in attendance for such a big night, in what I believe is the most beautiful and natural venue in the state. Everyone was very respectful of the social distancing guidelines, and I think everyone in attendance had a wonderful night of music. Kudos to Brother Jon Grace and Jacob Roan for taking the chance and bringing live music to Southeast KY during these trying times.”

Rather than dancing on “Hardwood Floors” like many did pre-COVID, concert goers once again grooved outdoors to the sweet, lonesome sounds of Lost Dog Street Band, Matt Heckler, and Charles Wesley Godwin for the second concert in the miniseries set at Laurel Cove. When I believe its impossible for Jon to concoct yet another stellar lineup, he somehow blows my mind once again—and this show was no exception. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this event; however, when attendee Stephanie Meg shared her thoughts with me I felt as if I had experienced the evening alongside her:

“Walking into Laurel Cove for the Charles Wesley Godwin, Matt Heckler and Lost Dog Street Band show was quite literally a breath of fresh air during all of the restrictions that have pummeled the music industry during the last 6 months. It was a beautiful, early fall evening, and I was surrounded by trees, mountains, and like minded music folk who were there for the same reason as I was, to fill our souls that had been deprived of the live music scene that truly gives us energy. The spaces were blocked off so that groups could sit together while being distanced from other groups. Masks were required when entering and while walking through the venue, but as soon as you were in your spot, they could be removed to enjoy the fresh mountain air.  The acoustics were amplified through the wilderness while three of my favorite Appalachian artists took the stage, and I sang along and danced in my spot from the first note to the last. I couldn't have asked for a better experience (under the existing regulations), and I hope to return to soon!”

 Following the phenomenal lineup of the second concert in the series was the inaugural event for Black Mountain Management, a Kentucky-based management agency featuring a roster of astronomical talent including DeeOhGee, Nicholas Jamerson, and Eric Bolander. Deemed “Going to the Woods,” the concert was a showcase full of adventure as a kickoff for their artists and new operation. Unfortunately, prior to showtime, Nicholas Jamerson became ill and was unable to perform; however, members of his backing band, the Morning Jays, are also members of the incredible group Brother Smith, and they happily stepped up to bring their easy-listening brand of tunes to echo throughout the forest. Unlike at the first show in the series, the rain did not hold off, though attendees danced in the downpour and sang their hearts out—the mountains were positively alive with the sound of music and reverberating with joy. When asked why Laurel Cove was chosen as the prime location for their first event, co-founder of Black Mountain Management Tiffany Finley said:

“Black Mountain Management’s mission is to highlight top-notch regional talent and hosting the launch event at an amazing (and possibly overlooked or undiscovered) KY venue seemed perfect. We felt like once folks discovered a place like Laurel Cove - they would fall in love.  The same is true for the artists we represent.”

The final concert in the “Laurel Cove Socially Distant Mini Series” will surely rock the venue like never before, as The Steel Woods, 49 Winchester, and Dalton Mills take the stage on October 17th for an evening of some of the best southern rock and folk tunes Appalachia has ever heard. Hearts will be touched and faces will surely be melted with that level of talent all in the same place, and while I am deeply saddened to miss it—I vehemently urge readers to grab your tickets and experience those three sensational acts in one of the most lovely venues in all of America. It is surely an unforgettable experience and you will long for the chance to return. Eric Bolander summed up the mutual feelings shared by attendees, performers, and staff alike:

“Jon Grace's efforts are clearly driven by his deeply ingrained passion for genuine live music. This is only matched by his work ethic.  Jon, and his amazing crew, did everything they could to make a safe socially distant event that made folks feel comfortable and safe.  I'm honored and humbled to be able to call him, and many others in that region, friend! #blackcherrymafia”

After my time spent in the area and speaking with attendees and artists, it is quite clear to me that all are unanimous in their their appreciation of Jon Grace’s dedication to live music and their admiration of the venue’s allure. I personally have been rendered spellbound a time or two immersed in the aura, perched on a bench amongst the trees, gazing upon the reflections of the acts in the pond as they shared their gifts with those in their presence. Words simply cannot do it justice.

Recently, sitting by a waterfall in Alabama restless with a heart full of wanderlust, I penned the following lyrics:

“Like an uncut agate in an untamed stream You were the jewel of the mountain in an Appalachian dream More beautiful than all the hollers and the hills Nothing could compare to the way you made me feel”

Perhaps rather than writing about a person, I was writing about my beloved Laurel Cove. Go visit her sometime—you’ll see what I mean.

Peace, love, & music,

Lyssa

----------------------------------

*This is an independent review. The Hillbilly Hippie Music Review was not compensated for this review.

*The opinions expressed are solely that of the author(s).

[sinceileftyoublog]

Live Picks: 10/15

Kelsey Waldon

BY JORDAN MAINZER

Country, punk, somewhere in between.

Kelsey Waldon, Schubas

Of the current crop of “high and lonesome” country artists, Kelsey Waldon certainly has the pedigree, as the first artist to sign to John Prine’s Oh Boy Records in 15 years. With her album White Noise/White Lines, she dives headfirst into the descriptor’s spirit, making an album that argues that you find yourself when you’re by yourself. 

Co-produced with Dan Knobler and filled out by a formidable four-piece band and guest fiddle and Wurlitzer players, Waldon’s record is as much a showcase for her traditional drawl as it is her ability to paint a picture of the ability--or lack thereof--to escape. It’s an album rooted in time and place, both ambiguous and specific. Take the title track: “Black snake crawlin’ through the soy beans, summertime / It’s hotter than a child should ever know,” Waldon sings over hazy, disorienting guitars. You may have never been to where she’s talking about, but you can picture it, smell it, feel it. The song ends with a recording of a chant from members of the Ada, Oklahoma Chickasaw Tribe that Waldon met during a solar eclipse. The heat and the sounds are part of them and that location just as where she’s from in rural Kentucky is part of her. On “Kentucky, 1988″, she sings, “This is my DNA / I wouldn’t have it any other way / When things got rough, we did not complain,” not as a sense of stubborn pride but of a society unavoidably ingrained in you, for better and for worse.

It’s the strength of her roots--and roots in general--that shapes Waldon’s views on fate. On the short, acoustic strummed “Lived and Let Go”, she argues for living in the moment instead of planning too much. “What will all the little children say? / When they wake up to find their dreams too far away,” she sings, before smiling, “When you leave, hope your stone says you lived and let go.” “An idle mind is the devil’s playground,” she warns on waltz “Run Away”, arguing that acting in self-sufficiency rather than wallowing in your lonely sorrow helps you thrive. On bourbon drinking anthem “Very Old Barton”, she sings, “You are the real thing when you are alone.” Alcohol is the catalyst for the surfacing of the truth that lies inside you, how your background affects your perceptions.

It’s closer and cover of Ola Bell Reed’s “My Epitaph” that really ties together the record. Over Mike Khalil’s tremolo electric guitar and Brett Resnick’s longing pedal steel, Waldon finally confronts death. “Where that I’m going, I won’t be alone,” she sings, convincing enough to make non-believers weep, again reminding us to live our lives by the grace of God or whatever we believe in. Nate Felty’s drum roll brings the song and album to its final crescendo as we reflect on what Waldon’s told us--though if we’d have followed her instructions, we’d have been acting based on her wisdom the whole time.

Album score: 8.3/10

White Noise/White Lines by Kelsey Waldon

Local singer-songwriter David Quinn opens.

B Boys, Empty Bottle

B Boys, the Brooklyn trio of Andrew Kerr, Brendon Avalos, Britton Walker, are as succinct as their band’s name and that of their latest record Dudu. Recorded by Gabe Wax and mixed by Andy Chugg, it manages to interpolate dance-punk, power pop, post-punk, sludgy fuzz, and funk all while remaining true to the band’s minimalism. Inevitably comparable to Parquet Courts, B Boys juxtapose shouted, sometimes harmonized vocal chants with wiry, anxiety-addled instrumentation, often managing to capture that nervous dread in song with much fewer words than PC. “Prove it!” “Guilty!” they shout on “Pressure Inside”, obtuse but with the potential to capture the zeitgeist and our collective mindset because of it.

The instrumentation on the record, more specifically the interplay between lead guitar, bass, and drums, is impressive, as the guitars slink along with the vocals on “No” and criss-cross in off-kilter patterns over the chugging drums and bass on “Instant Pace”. The complex stop-starts of “I Want” are just as worthwhile as the fuzzy hooks of “On Repeat”. “Can’t Stand It” manages to stay relaxed as Avalos laments “waking up to my ever changing moods.”

As much as B Boys are self-aware in their absurd postmodernism--there’s a song on here called “Another Anthem”, for goodness sakes--they ultimately do find time to be serious. The penultimate “Taste For Trash” is the best song on the record, on the surface silly but an ultimately sort of moving rant about how we poison the earth and ourselves. “I’ve got no taste for trash! / It kills everything / It’s inside me,” Avalos screams. When the words ring true, why flower them? B Boys present the gutter in all of its horror.

Album score: 7.2/10

Local art rock band The Knees and experimentalists Aitis Band open.

Liz Phair, Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Tonight, Liz Phair discusses her memoir Horror Stories with renowned music critic Jessica Hopper. Phair also recently announced that she’s releasing a new album next year helmed by producer Brad Wood, who worked on her beloved 90′s records, and featuring Exile in Guyville guitarist/engineer Casey Rice. She’s already shared a song, “Good Side”, from the album sessions. Never mind the catchy, chugging beat and flanging guitars; the song is more notable for its instantly iconic opening lines: “There’s so many ways to fuck up a life / I’ve tried to be original / Done plenty more wrong than I ever did right / Still I’m not a criminal.”

[blackkudos]

Osunlade

Osunlade (/oʊ.sᵿn.ˈlɑː.deɪ/; born March 13, 1969) is an American-born musician and music producer.

Biography

Osunlade was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He composed music for Sesame Street during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Afterward, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked with artists such as Patti Labelle and Freddie Jackson. After a stint there, he moved to New York, where he founded Yoruba Records because of The continued need to create the music i wanted. To date he has worked with such artists as Roy Ayers, Nkemdi, Salif Keita, and Cesária Évora. In 2006, he released an album titled Aquarian Moon, in 2007, he released an album titled Elements Beyond on the revived Strictly Rhythm Records, and, in 2009, he released the album Passage. He is a priest of the Yoruba religion of Ifá. Because of his beliefs, Osunlade's music has a deep spiritual root in Yoruba traditions that are also reflected in the name of his record label, album covers, and also the titles of some of the tracks he has remixed such as "Obatala y Oduduwa" and "Yemeya."

Discography

Singles

1999 "Native Tongue"

2000 "Beats de los Muertos Vol. 1"

2000 "Power to Conquer/Aldeia de Ogum", as Latina Café

2001 "Cantos a Ochun et Oya"

2001 "Diamant"

2001 "Rader Du/Blackman" (with Wunmi)

2001 "The Deep"

2001 "Versatile Family Sampler"

2002 "Obatala Y Oduduwa"

2002 "Native Tongue Revisited" (with Jaffa)

2002 "Beloved"

2002 "Pride" (with Nadirah Shakoor)

2002 "New Day", as Atelewo

2003 "Chimes of Freedom", as Atelewo

2004 "The Year of the Monkey"

2004 "Pride (Remixes)" (with Nadirah Shakoor)

2004 "Same Thing" (with Maiya James)

2005 "The Fifth Dimension"

2005 "New Day/Macaco", as Atelewo

2006 "Flow/Sokinsikartep"

2006 "I Don't Know"

2006 "Everything in its Right Place" (with Erro)

2007 "April"

2008 "Momma's Groove"

2008 "My Reflection" (with Divine Essence)

2012 "Envision" (released on Defected Records)

Appears on

2000 Ebbo - "The Way"

2001 Stephanie Cooke - "Here with my Best Friend"

2001 Masters at Work feat. Lynae - "Life Is But a Dream"

2003 Lonesome Echo Production - "Soul Galactic"

2003 Siji - "Feelslike"

2004 Sin Palabras - "Yemaya"

2004 Siji - "Sanctuary"

2005 KB - "El Musica"

2006 Isoul8 feat. Rasiyah - "Speak Your Word"

2007 Afefe Iku - "BodyDrummin"

Production for other artists

1991 Gerardo - "Rico Suave", "Fandango" (programming, composer, additional production)

1992 Patti LaBelle - "All Right Now"

1993 Me 2 U - "Alone Wit U", "Want U Back"

1993 YT Style - "You'll Never Find Another"

1994 BlackGirl - "90's Girl" (original version), "Nubian Prince"

1994 Freddie Jackson - "Was It Something"

1994 Eric Gable - "Process of Elimination"

1996 Eric Benét - "Femininity"

1997 Martha Wash - "Come"

1999 Marie St. James - "Closer I Get"

1999 Eric Benét - "Poetry Girl"

2000 Musiq Soulchild - "Mary Go Round"

2001 Eric Roberson - "Change for Me"

2002 DJ Jazzy Jeff feat. Erro - "Rock Wit U"

2003 Vivian Green - "Emotional Rollercoaster"

2003 Larry Gold - "Just a Dream"

2004 Wei Chi - "Dream"

2005 Nadirah Shakoor - "Just a Breath Away"

2005 Frank-I - "Let the Record Play"

2006 Nadirah Shakoor - "Love Song"

2006 Malena Pérez - "Praise the Day"

2006 Bah Samba - "Tired Little One"

2007 The Piscean Group - The Piscean Group

2007 Mellow Madness - "Now Your Calling"

Albums

2000 Yoruba Records: El Primer Año

2001 Paradigm

2006 Aquarian Moon

2007 Elements Beyond

2010 Rebirth

2011 Pyrography

2013 A Man With No Past Originating The Future

2014 Peacock

Mixed compilations

2002 Offering

2005 Re-Offering

2006 Soul Heaven (with DJ Spen)

2008 Passage

2009 Mix the Vibe: King Street Goes Yoruba

2012 Defected presents Osunlade In The House

2014 Atonement

Wikipedia

[phooll123]

New top story from Time: John Prine, Legendary Singer-Songwriter, Dies From Coronavirus at 73

John Prine, the resilient singer-songwriter who imbued his tales of American working-class life with both bleak despondence and uproarious wit, died on April 7 from complications of the coronavirus. He was 73.

On March 20, Prine’s wife Fiona announced that she had tested positive for the virus. Prine himself was hospitalized six days later and intubated shortly thereafter, leading his family to share the news of his critical condition in a Twitter post. On March 30, Fiona announced that her husband was stable but added, “that is not the same as improving… He needs our prayers and love.”

Over half a century, Prine churned out heartfelt and unforgettable songs like “Angel From Montgomery,” “Sweet Revenge” and “In Spite of Ourselves,” gaining the respect of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler and many other music legends. After starting his own label in the 1980s, he became a symbol of fierce independence for younger musicians who longed to forge their own way, whether in between genres or outside the major label system.

Prine endured two bouts with cancer that forced him to re-learn how to sing and deepened his idiosyncratic voice. But he pressed on, achieving his highest-selling album in 2018 and criss-crossing the country to perform and impart wisdom onto younger musicians. This summer, he planned to tour North America and Europe.

He was an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. He was invited to perform at the Library of Congress by U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser in 2005. In 2015, Kacey Musgraves wrote a song saluting him and his iconoclastic spirit: ”I ain’t good at being careful / I just say what’s on my mind / Like my idea of heaven / Is to burn one with John Prine.”

With a heavy heart, but deep love and gratitude for his gift he gave us all- Goodbye, John Prine. https://t.co/kGkNJYl3hI

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) April 8, 2020

The Singing Mailman

Prine was born in 1946 in Maywood, a blue-collar suburb of Chicago; he was the grandson of a Kentucky miner and the son of a tool-and-die maker. As a young man he served in the army in Germany, working as a mechanical engineer, before heading back home to become a mailman. The mentally unstimulating job allowed him to dream of a music career and write songs in his head while on his route: “Once you know you’re on the right street, there really wasn’t that much to the job,” he said in 2014. “There wasn’t much to do but use your imagination.”

Prine began playing open mic sessions at Chicago bars, where word-of-mouth buzz about his wrenching lyricism quickly spread. One night in 1970, the movie critic Roger Ebert walked into the Fifth Peg where Prine, still a mailman, was playing a set that included soon-to-be-classics like “Angel from Montgomery” and “Sam Stone.” Impressed, Ebert penned Prine’s first ever review, writing, “You wonder how anyone could have so much empathy and still be looking forward to his 24th birthday.”

The next year, the country superstar Kris Kristofferson saw him play at another club. “It must’ve been like stumbling onto Dylan when he first busted onto the Village scene,” Kristofferson said later. He invited Prine to New York, where the pair shared the stage at the Bitter End in front of an industry crowd. The next day, Prine signed to Atlantic Records.

Musical Shapeshifter

Prine quickly enmeshed himself in the ’70s folk scene and became revered among musicians for his songwriting prowess. He brought to life despondent war heroes (“Great Society Conflict Veteran’s Blues”), lonely elders left behind by society (“Hello in There,” “Angel from Montgomery”), towns destroyed by corporate greed (“Paradise”). “Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree,” Dylan said in 2009. “And he writes beautiful songs.”

Musically, Prine’s sound pulled from country, roots, and rock and folk traditions. “I never fit in with straight country. I never really fit in with rock ’n’ roll,” he told GQ in 2018. While his sonic explorations mystified his label and country radio stations—his ’70s Atlantic albums never climbed above 66 on the Billboard 200—they instead became beloved by a rising generation of songwriters who refused to be pinned into one lane.

“I know the record companies had no idea what to do with John Prine,” John Mellencamp, who was scuffling as a failing rocker named Johnny Cougar at the time of Prine’s rise, said in 2017. “And he said, ‘To hell with it. I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do.’ And he did. John taught me a lot, whether he knew it or not.”

Soon enough, artists across genres began covering Prine’s songs. Bruce Springsteen covered “Paradise”; Bette Midler covered “Hello in There”; Johnny Cash sang “Sam Stone.” Bonnie Raitt and Carly Simon would each make “Angel From Montgomery” their own.

Eventually, the walls between genres began to come down, paving the way for Americana, a catch-all term for musicians drawing from many traditions. More recently, Prine has become a mentor to a younger flock of rulebreakers, from Musgraves to Sturgill Simpson to Brandi Carlile. Justin Vernon, who performs as Bon Iver, called Prine his favorite songwriter and led a Prine tribute concert at his own festival Eaux Claires in 2017.

It hurts so bad to read the news. I am gutted. My hero is gone. My friend is gone. We’ll love you forever John Prine.

— Margo Price (@MissMargoPrice) April 8, 2020

“Right now it seems like, without changing anything I ever did, I fit right into the Americana thing because it’s stuff mixed together: all different American musics mixed together,” Prine said in the 2018 GQ interview.

The Original Indie Rocker

Prine was nearly as influential as a businessman as he was as a musician. Years before “indie” became a term, Prine was fed up with being creatively stifled by labels and decided to found his own, Oh Boy Records, in 1981.

“People thought we were crazy for starting a record company,” he told Billboard. “They thought I was really shooting myself in the foot.”

Prine sent out records through the mail and relied on crowdsourced funding. But the gambit worked: fans sent in a large enough volume of checks for Prine to record his next album without the need for a label’s advance.

Oh Boy Label now stands as the oldest independent record company in Nashville; in 2015, it became a family business, with his wife, Fiona Whelan Prine, serving as a managing partner and his son Jody Whelan as director of operations. Oh Boy also set a template for the rising crop of artists, from Chance the Rapper to Jack White, who chose to take their music into their own hands.

RIP John Prine. The real deal. Great American singer/songwriter that found the heart and humor in even the darkest of human stories through song. Genius. Very heavy loss.

— marc maron (@marcmaron) April 8, 2020

Late Career Resurgence

The last two and a half decades have not been easy for Prine. In 1998, he was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer, resulting in a surgery that removed a piece of his neck and nerves on his tongue. The surgery deepened his voice to an unrecognizable growl, but Prine took intensive speech therapy and adapted. In 1999, he recorded a duets album that included the song “In Spite of Ourselves” with Iris DeMent, which became one of the biggest hits of his career.

In 2013, Prine was diagnosed with lung cancer and had part of his lung removed. He rebounded and started touring again, taking a younger generation of singers like Jason Isbell and Margo Price on the road with him. In 2018, he hit his commercial peak, when The Tree of Forgiveness hit #5 on the Billboard 200. That album was voted as one of the year’s best by the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop Music Critics Poll. Earlier this year, Raitt presented Prine with his lifetime achievement award at the Grammys, calling him “my friend and hero.”

On his final album, Prine showed off his comedic sensibilities to their fullest, especially on the song “Lonesome Friends of Science,” which bemoaned Pluto’s planetary demotion.

Poor ol’ planet Pluto now /

He never stood a chance no how /

When he got uninvited to the interplanetary dance /

Once a mighty planet there, now just an ordinary star /

Hangin’ out in Hollywood in some ol’ funky sushi bar.

And on “When I Get to Heaven,” Prine contemplated his own mortality with a lofty, personalized vision of heaven. “I’m gonna get a cocktail: vodka and ginger ale,” he sang. “Yeah, I’m gonna smoke a cigarette that’s nine miles long / I’m gonna kiss that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl / ‘Cause this old man is goin’ to town.”

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2VfphsA

[newstechreviews]

John Prine, the resilient singer-songwriter who imbued his tales of American working-class life with both bleak despondence and uproarious wit, died on April 7 from complications of the coronavirus. He was 73.

On March 20, Prine’s wife Fiona announced that she had tested positive for the virus. Prine himself was hospitalized six days later and intubated shortly thereafter, leading his family to share the news of his critical condition in a Twitter post. On March 30, Fiona announced that her husband was stable but added, “that is not the same as improving… He needs our prayers and love.”

Over half a century, Prine churned out heartfelt and unforgettable songs like “Angel From Montgomery,” “Sweet Revenge” and “In Spite of Ourselves,” gaining the respect of Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler and many other music legends. After starting his own label in the 1980s, he became a symbol of fierce independence for younger musicians who longed to forge their own way, whether in between genres or outside the major label system.

Prine endured two bouts with cancer that forced him to re-learn how to sing and deepened his idiosyncratic voice. But he pressed on, achieving his highest-selling album in 2018 and criss-crossing the country to perform and impart wisdom onto younger musicians. This summer, he planned to tour North America and Europe.

He was an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. He was invited to perform at the Library of Congress by U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser in 2005. In 2015, Kacey Musgraves wrote a song saluting him and his iconoclastic spirit: ”I ain’t good at being careful / I just say what’s on my mind / Like my idea of heaven / Is to burn one with John Prine.”

With a heavy heart, but deep love and gratitude for his gift he gave us all- Goodbye, John Prine. https://t.co/kGkNJYl3hI

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) April 8, 2020

The Singing Mailman

Prine was born in 1946 in Maywood, a blue-collar suburb of Chicago; he was the grandson of a Kentucky miner and the son of a tool-and-die maker. As a young man he served in the army in Germany, working as a mechanical engineer, before heading back home to become a mailman. The mentally unstimulating job allowed him to dream of a music career and write songs in his head while on his route: “Once you know you’re on the right street, there really wasn’t that much to the job,” he said in 2014. “There wasn’t much to do but use your imagination.”

Prine began playing open mic sessions at Chicago bars, where word-of-mouth buzz about his wrenching lyricism quickly spread. One night in 1970, the movie critic Roger Ebert walked into the Fifth Peg where Prine, still a mailman, was playing a set that included soon-to-be-classics like “Angel from Montgomery” and “Sam Stone.” Impressed, Ebert penned Prine’s first ever review, writing, “You wonder how anyone could have so much empathy and still be looking forward to his 24th birthday.”

The next year, the country superstar Kris Kristofferson saw him play at another club. “It must’ve been like stumbling onto Dylan when he first busted onto the Village scene,” Kristofferson said later. He invited Prine to New York, where the pair shared the stage at the Bitter End in front of an industry crowd. The next day, Prine signed to Atlantic Records.

Musical Shapeshifter

Prine quickly enmeshed himself in the ’70s folk scene and became revered among musicians for his songwriting prowess. He brought to life despondent war heroes (“Great Society Conflict Veteran’s Blues”), lonely elders left behind by society (“Hello in There,” “Angel from Montgomery”), towns destroyed by corporate greed (“Paradise”). “Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree,” Dylan said in 2009. “And he writes beautiful songs.”

Musically, Prine’s sound pulled from country, roots, and rock and folk traditions. “I never fit in with straight country. I never really fit in with rock ’n’ roll,” he told GQ in 2018. While his sonic explorations mystified his label and country radio stations—his ’70s Atlantic albums never climbed above 66 on the Billboard 200—they instead became beloved by a rising generation of songwriters who refused to be pinned into one lane.

“I know the record companies had no idea what to do with John Prine,” John Mellencamp, who was scuffling as a failing rocker named Johnny Cougar at the time of Prine’s rise, said in 2017. “And he said, ‘To hell with it. I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do.’ And he did. John taught me a lot, whether he knew it or not.”

Soon enough, artists across genres began covering Prine’s songs. Bruce Springsteen covered “Paradise”; Bette Midler covered “Hello in There”; Johnny Cash sang “Sam Stone.” Bonnie Raitt and Carly Simon would each make “Angel From Montgomery” their own.

Eventually, the walls between genres began to come down, paving the way for Americana, a catch-all term for musicians drawing from many traditions. More recently, Prine has become a mentor to a younger flock of rulebreakers, from Musgraves to Sturgill Simpson to Brandi Carlile. Justin Vernon, who performs as Bon Iver, called Prine his favorite songwriter and led a Prine tribute concert at his own festival Eaux Claires in 2017.

It hurts so bad to read the news. I am gutted. My hero is gone. My friend is gone. We’ll love you forever John Prine.

— Margo Price (@MissMargoPrice) April 8, 2020

“Right now it seems like, without changing anything I ever did, I fit right into the Americana thing because it’s stuff mixed together: all different American musics mixed together,” Prine said in the 2018 GQ interview.

The Original Indie Rocker

Prine was nearly as influential as a businessman as he was as a musician. Years before “indie” became a term, Prine was fed up with being creatively stifled by labels and decided to found his own, Oh Boy Records, in 1981.

“People thought we were crazy for starting a record company,” he told Billboard. “They thought I was really shooting myself in the foot.”

Prine sent out records through the mail and relied on crowdsourced funding. But the gambit worked: fans sent in a large enough volume of checks for Prine to record his next album without the need for a label’s advance.

Oh Boy Label now stands as the oldest independent record company in Nashville; in 2015, it became a family business, with his wife, Fiona Whelan Prine, serving as a managing partner and his son Jody Whelan as director of operations. Oh Boy also set a template for the rising crop of artists, from Chance the Rapper to Jack White, who chose to take their music into their own hands.

RIP John Prine. The real deal. Great American singer/songwriter that found the heart and humor in even the darkest of human stories through song. Genius. Very heavy loss.

— marc maron (@marcmaron) April 8, 2020

Late Career Resurgence

The last two and a half decades have not been easy for Prine. In 1998, he was diagnosed with squamous cell cancer, resulting in a surgery that removed a piece of his neck and nerves on his tongue. The surgery deepened his voice to an unrecognizable growl, but Prine took intensive speech therapy and adapted. In 1999, he recorded a duets album that included the song “In Spite of Ourselves” with Iris DeMent, which became one of the biggest hits of his career.

In 2013, Prine was diagnosed with lung cancer and had part of his lung removed. He rebounded and started touring again, taking a younger generation of singers like Jason Isbell and Margo Price on the road with him. In 2018, he hit his commercial peak, when The Tree of Forgiveness hit #5 on the Billboard 200. That album was voted as one of the year’s best by the Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop Music Critics Poll. Earlier this year, Raitt presented Prine with his lifetime achievement award at the Grammys, calling him “my friend and hero.”

On his final album, Prine showed off his comedic sensibilities to their fullest, especially on the song “Lonesome Friends of Science,” which bemoaned Pluto’s planetary demotion.

Poor ol’ planet Pluto now /

He never stood a chance no how /

When he got uninvited to the interplanetary dance /

Once a mighty planet there, now just an ordinary star /

Hangin’ out in Hollywood in some ol’ funky sushi bar.

And on “When I Get to Heaven,” Prine contemplated his own mortality with a lofty, personalized vision of heaven. “I’m gonna get a cocktail: vodka and ginger ale,” he sang. “Yeah, I’m gonna smoke a cigarette that’s nine miles long / I’m gonna kiss that pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl / ‘Cause this old man is goin’ to town.”

[davedimartino]

NEW THIS WEEK 02.02.09

After that fabulous Superbowl show--just imagine, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson and Faith Hill all in one place--and next week's Grammy Awards, I, like you, think this may be the most exciting week in music history!

And indeed, it's this week--when the movers and shakers congregate in Los Angeles for their beloved awards--that they'll be anticipating the sales figures of this week's new releases, arguing whether it's likely Melinda Doolittle will outsell Cannibal Corpse, and discussing what exactly that whole "digital download" thing is in the first place!

Sure, there may be a few fistfights, and sure, some record label folks won't feel comfortable having to hitchhike home due to ongoing budget cuts, but one thing’s for sure: When it comes to this week's new releases--just like next week's Grammys--everyone's a winner, baby!

 The Fray: The Fray (Epic) From seemingly out of nowhere comes the Fray, the Denver-based band whose rise to international stardom came with their smash single "How To Save A Life," which most people who stayed home and watched TV heard on Grey's Anatomy, while other, more popular, people went out and enjoyed living! Well, their new album's here and it's at least as good as that last one--in fact, I'd suggest it's even better--and if you like melodic rock with hooks galore, this is precisely the album you need to pick up this very minute! In fact, if you're so inclined, please go here this Wednesday (Feb. 4th, 2009) to watch a live videostream of the band performing live at Webster Hall! It's all coming together marvelously!

 Dierks Bentley: Feel That Fire (Capitol Nashville) You know what? When I think of the grand tradition of Country Music, I think of names like Hank, Waylon, Willie, and Dolly. Sadly, the name "Dierks" doesn't really roll off the tongue quite so easily! But, of course, what's in a name? Give up? Letters! And yes, letters have been written left and right about Mr. Bentley's growing fanbase! Many have suggested that the already enormously popular rising country star--who was nominated for a Grammy for his prior Long Trip Alone--may at this very moment be reaching his artistic zenith! With its catchy title track and the interestingly titled "I Wanna Make You Close Your Eyes" I wouldn't be at all surprised! Get in on the action!

Melinda Doolittle: Coming Back To You (Hi-Fi) I think the entire world would be stunned if American Idol "reject" Doolittle decided to make her very first album a tribute to Bob Dylan's 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan--and title it after her favorite song by Leonard Cohen, Maxine Brown and Mungo Jerry respectively! Luckily, that's not the case at all! But sure enough, in the grand Idol tradition, she's singing two Robert Johnson covers here! All in all, that's quite a last name!

 Wynonna: Sing: Chapter 1 (Curb) Referred to by some as the album that "has become known as Wynonna's musical DNA"--hopefully they weren't biochemists!--Sing: Chapter 1 is country star Judd's seventh solo album and an ambitious one at that! Drawing from all the music that's ever inspired her, including multi-genre classics like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," "Anyone Who Had A Heart," "I Hear You Knocking" and "Ain't No Sunshine," the disc is well-sung, well-intentioned, and well, out now! Rumors that a miniature stuffed Big Bird was repeatedly hurled in the air during the cover photo session are simply not well intended! Wynonna is tops in my book!

 Leona Lewis: Spirit: The Deluxe Edition (J) Certainly one of 2008's major success stories was that of charming Leona Lewis, who's likely to win an award or two this Sunday, and in turn has recently awarded us with this "deluxe" edition of her solo album--newly bedecked with a bunch of music videos and four previously-unreleased-in-the-U.S. tracks, including her UK #1 smash cover of Snow Patrol's "Run." As an additional bonus, the album comes with an album cover featuring a great new picture of the singer! Hey, she's quite attractive!

 Willie Nelson And Asleep At The Wheel: Willie And The Wheel (Bismeaux) Country legend Nelson's pairing with Western Swing champs Asleep At The Wheel was long in coming; apparently the team-up had been suggested by distinguished record producer Jerry Wexler way back in the early '70s, but it never came to be. If you're a fan of either artist--or Western Swing--you'll likely love this collection of classics; if, on the other hand, you dislike all three, you should check out some of the latest DVDs at Blockbuster! I love this thing!

 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: He's Just Not That Into You (New Line) I'm completely into any movie that includes italics in its title--heck, I just listened to Lisa Loeb's Cake And Pie last week--and I suspect this album will greatly appeal to fans of this movie! Just look at the line-up of artists: The Human League, R.E.M., the Replacements, the Cure, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lily Allen--it's a chick-flick attendee's dream come true! So I guess those rumors about this film being based on a sex therapist's diagnosis were simply nasty and nothing more! Let's go see it!

Graham Nash: Reflections (Rhino) A 3-CD collection by any solo artist might seem excessive, but in the case of Graham Nash--whose career began with the Hollies in the '60s and then fully bloomed in Crosby, Stills & Nash and their various permutations--it really just scratches the surface. The man who supplied the high harmonies and pop hooks to CSN&Y--he was writing "Marrakesh Express," "Our House," and "Teach Your Children" while his good pal David Crosby was singing about almost cutting his hair--Nash is a sturdy and economical writer, and his work in this collected context sounds surprisingly impressive.  You should buy it!

Asa: Asa (Downtown) Very impressive American debut by a young French/Nigerian singer (pronounced Ah-Shah), this disc skirts the boundaries between pop and R&B and shows a worldly collection of influences--American R&B, Jamaican and African among them--displaying a serious artist at work. Classic rock fans with poor vision: there is no "I" in this name. Palindromically spectacular!

 Cannibal Corpse: Evisceration Plague (Metal Blade) A long-awaited CD/DVD set by everyone's favorite Brutal Death Metal band, this features great tracks like "To Decompose" and the surprisingly thoughtful "Skewered From Ear To Eye" and--ultimately--is a joy through and through! "I think it's the tightest and most musically competent record we've ever done," notes Corpse member Alex Webster. "Not that the other ones weren't competent…" Oops! Out of room!