High Noon Saloon

Last Drinks

2010-02-19T21:59:00.000+11:00

As of today, High Noon Saloon will 'close it's doors' forever. This is something I've been thinking about for sometime, and I already feel better for it. I'll outline my reasons below, but first I want to sincerely thank all my patrons for their support and comments over the past 18 months. I will continue blogging about music over at Three Chords & The Truth, but as you will see the intent will be significantly different to the Saloon.

Now to my reasons: High Noon Saloon was created with two main purposes in mind - to share some of my collection with like-minded folk out there, and to encourage a bit of cohesion in the Australian alt.country/Americana scene.

Of the first purpose, that quickly fell by the wayside as more and more artists and promoters contacted me requesting to submit review material. Having been a music journalist in a previous period of my life, I welcomed the opportunity to get back into the game. However, I was soon reminded of why I got out of the game in the first place: clogged mailboxes (virtual and physical), more crap music than good, and expectations to get reviews done and posted with enough lead-time before the actual release. Such tasks soon became a chore rather than a pleasure, and with other, more pressing factors in my life (namely work and family), the last thing I needed/wanted is extra pressure. After all, this whole blogging thing is s'posed to be fun, not tiresome.

Of the second purpose... well it'll take a more concerted effort from someone with more time on their hands. The Australian music industry, as I see it, is years behind other markets in terms of using virtual media to promote their wares. Only two local labels got behind the Saloon and offered review material (thank you Laughing Outlaw and Plus One). All the others simply refused to engage. Of all the artists I contacted seeking permission to post exclusive content, only The Gin Club and Hat Fitz were accommodating. Even The Fumes track I posted was based on implied consent (the band said it was OK) as their management simply refused to reply to my emails.

Additionally, I have found the direction of the Saloon to be stifling. Though the Saloon focuses on alt.country/Americana, my personal listening tastes are far more varied. True, it's my blog and I can post what I want to, but after I've spent all my spare time listening to and reviewing new Americana stuff, I have no time or energy left to write about something that I actually want to write about.

Three Chords & The Truth, on the other hand, will enable me to post what I like, when I like; be it country, folk, blues, punk, metal, hardcore, hip-hop, electronica, noise, ambient, pop, and so on and so forth. So drop by and visit me sometime. Hopefully you'll dig the change and decide to stay a while.

I want to thank everyone for their support, but specifically I thank the following people who I regard as friends, though some I've never met; Dan @ Safety Pin Design, Simon @ Beat Surrender, Andy @ RMDVille, Amanda @ Flop Eared Mule, Matt @ A Truer Sound, Nelson @ A Fifty Cent Lighter & A Whiskey Buzz, Sven @ Beasts of Bourbon's Twangsville, the girls at When You Awake, Ronnie Fauss, and anyone else who has participated in making the Saloon enjoyable while it lasted.

So for the last time....

Raise a glass!

See y'all over at Three Chords.

Whispering Pines - Family Tree [Independent]

2010-02-14T21:01:00.000+11:00

BBQ, beer and songs: the three ingredients that brought California's Whispering Pines together just over eighteen months ago. It's this relaxed, Sunday afternoon approach that shines through on Family Tree, their independently released debut.

Taking their name from the classic tune from The Band, Whispering Pines is very much a throwback to a time when the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd ruled the earth. Many of the songs have that back-porch swagger with some nice blues harp, slide guitar and a strong, but appropriately loose rhythm section.

The opening and title track sets the overall, relaxed pace of the album, with very little urgency displayed throughout. Swampy slide and moaning vocals invites comparisons to Led Zeppelin and Skynyrd's more bluesier moments

The ironically titled 'Brand New Beat' is probably the stand-out tune here with it's upbeat pace and vocals that recall Jagger's early days.

At track 3, however, 'Stars Above' is a risky move. Seven-plus minutes of slow-paced, blues-inspired rock that fails to build any momentum may lose any listeners who were just settling in and preparing to be taken to the next level. Not that it's a bad tune, but I am concerned that the poor placement by detract a few would-be listeners. That it's followed by a moody, farewell song in 'This Town' doesn't help the cause either.

'Grapevine Blues' picks things up with that familiar swampy sound and rockin' beat, again recalling the likes of Zeppelin and Skynyrd. 'Crazy Mama' on the other hand is a blues-inspired rollick that rolls along like a smoky haze rolls into itself before dissipating into the ether.

With very few modern influences evident, Whispering Pines is likely to appeal to fans that yearn for a sound of days past, free from new-millennium contamination.

Raise a glass!

Rich McCulley - Starting All Over Again (independent)

2010-02-13T15:44:00.005+11:00

The lonely, sad-looking figure of Rich McCulley on the inside cover of his latest and fifth album, Starting All Over Again, is understandable in its context. Dedicated to two former confidants (Duane Jarvis and Amy Farris - both artists in their own right and both of whom passed way in 2009) the album is reflectively titled, as McCulley tries to push forward despite such great losses.

Brimming with bittersweet melodies, and filled with an equal mix of heartache and hope, the album treads a musical path somewhere between Americana and pop, Tom Petty meets Fountains of Wayne.

Kicking off with a Jarvis co-authored soundtrack to a summertime's drive along the coastline, 'Tell Me, I'm Listening' sees McCulley cruising the open road, daydreaming about a girl who 'hangs the stars so high'.

'Who'll Hang The Moon' is a song about Jarvis, his music, and his positive outlook on life despite cancer slowly taking him over. This tune is also the first of three on the album co-written by Grant Langston.

'Not the One' - another Langston-assisted track - tells McCulley's story when he heard about his friends death (though which friend is not clear).

Todd Herfindal of The Meadows also puts his signature on three tracks, themselves primarily contemplative and low-key. One of these tunes 'Just a Few Miles to Go' is a bit more upbeat in both structure and lyrics: "It's getting better, don;t you know, you can almost see the light at the end of the road."

McCulley rounds the album off in an appropriately plaintive manner with 'Starting All Over, with a hint of hope with a new year and a new decade ahead of him.

Raise a glass!

Dawn Landes - Sweet Heart Rodeo (Cooking Vinyl)

2010-02-04T23:38:00.007+11:00

Though Dawn Landes claims she is not referencing The Byrds' classic album of 1968 in the title of her new album, one has to wonder if she chose the title simply to challenge the old guard. Throwing down this gauntlet however, may present it's own challenges as listeners struggle to get past the title.

Those that choose not to judge an album by its' title though will be rewarded with what is essentially a remarkably good album and one that sets even more challenges, musically speaking.

To clear any confusion up, Landes states the title is in fact a reference to her grandmother and the boy she pursued as a young lass at the local rodeo. So it's not surprising that many of the songs here are cute and innocent, and generally upbeat and positive.

From the get-go Landes makes her proclamation. She is not, as some have have expected, a mere wallflower to husband Josh Ritter. Rather, Landes songcraft uses a varied palette to paint expressions of relationships in their gestation period.

'Young Girl' shows a feisty and, some may say sultry, Landes, with a throwback rock n' roll swagger backed by a swinging beat. The backing vocals, organ and handclaps gives the opening track an early seventies authenticity.

'Money in the Bank' is a gentle and fragile tune, with a vocal delivery taken straight from Chan Marshall's Idiot's Guide. The brass section in the chorus adds weight and prevents the track from floating off into the distance without purpose.

The title track is another sultry offering, this time with a dark and twisted combination of pedal steel and mandolin. The song picks up the pace though, with some neat harmonica placement and baritone backing vocals taking the listener to the dusty and violent rodeo stalls.

Landes toys with cheap keyboards on more than one occasion on Sweet Heart Rodeo, inviting the ire of detractors. Sometimes it works - the cutesy, Casiotone-based 'Clown' being the prime example - but other times it falls flat, primarily on the psychedelic throwaway 'Love'.

Inexpensive keys again form the basis of 'Wandering Eye' - another whimsical and love-drunk tune that trips along unsteadily, it's fragility cute and endearing, whilst the brief 'Dance Area' recalls the melodic, hazy days of Mazzy Star.

Though ill-titled, Sweet Heart Rodeo is likely to be the breakthrough album for Landes and of this years' finest.

Watch the video to 'Young Girl' on Stereogum.

Saloon News: Cowboy Junkies, Skipping Vinegar Girl & Suburban Home

2010-02-03T22:35:00.012+11:00

Cowboy Junkies have donated an unreleased cover of Ryan Adams' 'In My Time of Need' to The Right Track: Tunes to Target Cancer. Each month artists from across the globe donate unreleased tracks to the site, which are then made available as a FLAC or mp3 download. Money raised through the sale of these tunes goes to TargetCancer - a group dedicated to providing outreach and advocacy for those living with rare cancers. Other donors this month include Buffalo Tom, Ween and Weezer, amongst others.

Australia's Skipping Vinegar Girl are set to release their new single from their as yet untitled forthcoming album. 'One Long Week' was recorded in the week leading up to Christmas '09, and like their debut album is an international affair. Produced by Nick Huggins (Whitley) in Melbourne and mixed by Brad Jones (Josh Rouse) in Nashville, the new track shows growth for the band with it's concise song structure and typically whimsical pop sensibilities. In support of the single the band will be hitting the road. Listen to the new tune here, and see the band as the travel the countryside (see dates on the right).

Following on from the success of Suburban Home's Raising Hell & Living Cheap mixtape, the punk/country/folk/indie label is set to do it again with Greetings from the Left Coast. Fans can get 5 FREE copies of the latest mixtape simply by paying for the postage. Suburban Home encourage you to keep one copy for yourself and share the others with your mates. Artists will include Drag the River, Two Cow Garage (covering The Beatles), Glossary, Justin Townes Earle and more. Pick up Greetings from the Left Coast here. If you missed out on the first installment, Nine Bullets have made it available as a free download, in keeping with the spirit of the mixtape series and the label's philosophy.

The Shants - Russian River Songs EP (High Scores & Records)

2010-01-31T11:59:00.004+11:00

Based in Oakland, CA, The Shants are an understated four-piece who use the low-key elements of Crazy Horse and Pavement as their canvas. Recorded in one or two takes, Russian River Songs is a genteel affair, with sub-par production and loose arrangements that occasionally meander into psychedelic territory. The tunes are punctuated by the off-key and apathetic vocals of Skipp Allums, the laid-back approach of the rhythm section (Carver Cordes of The Dedications and Adam Burstein on bass and drums respectively).

The bio compares them to Richard Buckner, Whiskeytown and Son Volt, but in my view listeners would have a hard time picking these influences. Instead, you'd be looking at the lo-fi explorations of Beck, the occasional vocal stylings of Gomez and the cinematic soundscapes of Japancakes - albeit with half-arsed production.

Raise a glass!

Saloon News: Drive-By Truckers, Greg MacPherson, Lisa Hannigan

2010-01-30T20:45:00.015+11:00

You'd have to be living under a rock - or be without internet connection - this past week not to know that Drive-By Truckers have released a track from their upcoming album The Big To Do. Scheduled for release on ATO Records on March 16, The Big To Do will be the band's eighth studio effort, and the first since leaving New West last year. Download 'This Fucking Job' here. Furthermore, the Truckers recently teamed up with Shake It Records to record and release the second 7" in a series honouring the work of Eddie Hinton. Check the label site for ordering info.

Canada's Greg MacPherson will be releasing his new album on March 30 through Smallman Records. MacPherson has previously released three albums and an EP through the G7 Welcoming Committee, but has been somewhat quiet since his landmark album Night Flares in 2005. Smallman describe MacPherson as something between Steve Earle and The Weakerthans - the latter not a surprising comparison since a number of Weakerthans have appeared on MacPherson's albums. There's also a good ounce of The Clash and Bruce Springsteen in MacPherson's sound. In other words: street-level, working class rock with a punk attitude. Download 'First Class' here.

PopWreckoning has an exclusive Lisa Hannigan video available at the moment. Some of you may know Hannigan through Damien Rice's work, as she has been his constant recording and touring companion. In 2006 Hannigan and Rice visited Fingerprints record store for an in-store performance which was committed to tape and released as the Warts and All EP. Late last year Hannigan returned to the scene of the crime to perform and record her own material. Live at Fingerprints is available digitally and exclusively through ThinkIndie.

Heavy Metal Saloon

2010-01-28T22:49:00.007+11:00

"It seems to me that, for my generation, country music serves the same function as death metal does for people thirty years younger." - Nick Hornby, '31 Songs'

Confession: I was a teenage headbanger. Indeed, I was a teenage headbanger right up until about the age of thirty. My first favourite song was KISS' 'I Was Made For Loving You'. I would've been all of five when it was released. I collected the trading cards that retained the bubble-gum smell long after the flavour had disappeared from the gum itself. On the flipside of the cards was a portion of a bigger picture, so that when one had the whole collection you also had one kick-arse KISS poster. Of course, I never even came close to completing the picture and so had to be content with only a handful of gum-smelling pictures of Gene Simmons and his legendary tongue

When I hit high school I was re-introduced to metal by a classmate who was going through an AC/DC phase. I borrowed all his LP's and made a mixtape much to the bemusement of my mum who was a heavy rock fan in her youth. My mum showed me her deteriorating copies of Led Zeppelin's IV and Deep Purple's In Rock - records she later bestowed upon me for safe keeping.

It was about this time that my uncle moved in to share a room with me. He returned home from Moonshine Records one day with the 2xLP version of Priest... Live! having bought it on a whim. He wasn't taken by it, but I loved it immediately and so began a lifelong interest in all things metal. This episode was soon followed by introductions to Metallica, Slayer, Venom, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies, Kreator and so on and so forth.

I loved the fact that it all felt like one big secret between me, my friends, and a few random, older kids I'd see around town dressed in denim jackets and long hair. I got a great kick from seeing Faith No More's Billy Gould wear Napalm Death shirts on stage. I'd stay up til 3am on the weekends just to see the same Kreator, Metal Church and Watchtower clips repeated on Rage. I started and joined a few metal bands (none that ever succeeded whilst I was involved), ran a little zine and even did some radio presenting spinning loud and aggressive tunes from my own collection to an audience of... well... very few I s'pose.

However, after more than 15 years of listening, playing, spinning and reviewing every conceivable sub-genre of metal, I began to tire of the whole thing, stumbled upon Lucero and Drive-By Truckers and altered my life forever.

My 13 year old son now carries the torch listening to bands with indecipherable logos, and incomprehensible vocals. And that's the way it's s'posed to be. This music is not made for 9-5ers like me, who have to pay a mortgage, worry about their kids' future, and try a little bit of DIY on the weekends. It's for obnoxious and obstinate teenagers who question the world into which they're forced, and long for a more exciting world beyond the bedroom and boredom of suburbia.

But every so often, that metal kid within me raises it's bangin' head, grabs the air-guitar and pushes the volume to eleven. For those times, I present you with a bag of metal tunes I found at the back of my hard-drive going to waste.

Tracklisting: 01 Brutal Truth - Blind Leading the Blind // 02 Acid Bath - Toubabo Koomi // 03 Entombed - Albino Flogged In Black // 04 Theory of Ruin - Asleep at the Wheel // 05 Mastodon - Blood & Thunder // 06 Made Out Of Babies - Ire Fire // 07 Zeni Geva - Implosion // 08 Neurosis - Saturday Night Holocaust // 09 Hillbilly Devilspeak - Courtney // 10 The Haunted - No Compromise // 11 Amen - The Price Of Reality // 12 Old Man Gloom - Hot Salvation // 13 Nailbomb - Wasting Away // 14 Danzig - Mother // 15 Hell n' Diesel - Tears for the Wicked // 16 5ive - The Baron // 17 Fudge Tunnel - Sunshine of Your Love // 18 The Mushroom River Band - Simsalabim // 19 My Dying Bride - Heroin Chic // 20 Night In Gales - Nailwork

Raise the chalice!

Justin Townes Earle Announces Australian Tour with Jason Isbell, Covers Dolly Parton with Dawn Landes

2010-01-27T19:41:00.006+11:00

High Noon favourite, and true southern gent Justin Townes Earle has announced another Australian Tour - his third in two years. This time though, he be bringing ex-Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell with him to savour the sights.

Earle will be performing at Bluesfest (along with The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Matisyahu, et al) before hitting the road, including a number of regional stops along the way. See here for dates and ticketing info.

Furthermore, The Trip Wire this week posted a stream of Earle and Dawn Landes covering Dolly Parton's 'Do I Ever Cross Your Mind'. Incidentally, the new Dawn Landes album, Sweetheart Rodeo, is fantastic and will be reviewed here shortly. In the meantime, click the link below to hear Justin & Dawn do their twang-thang.

Raise a glass!

I See Hawks in L.A. - Shoulda Been Gold: 2001-2009 [American Beat/Collectors' Choice]

2010-01-25T06:25:00.002+11:00

A decade after their formation on a front porch in a neighbouring LA suburb, and country-rock outfit I See Hawks in L.A. take a moment to reflect on their achievements, and err.... the public's failure to recognise a hit song when they hear one.

Wryly titled, Shoulda Been Gold is a retrospective of sorts, taking the 'non-hits' from each of their four albums and packaging them with a few rarities and new recordings.

Rooted in sixties/seventies country-rock (Flying Burrito Brothers, Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Buffalo Springfield, etc...) with touches of psychedelia, ISHILA are a few decades late to the party. Such fashionable lateness may explain their inability to produce a hit, however it's this refusal to modernize their sound that is likely to resonate with alt.twangers the world over, many of whom long for days gone by. Such critical success - though not paying the bills - ought to make up for any commercial failures.

Throughout their ten-year history, ISHILA have set themselves apart from the crowd with their penchant for observational humour ('Raised by Hippies', 'Texarkanada', 'The Salesman'), drawing comparisons to Wagons, while the political and social commentary of 'Byrd from West Virginia' and 'Highway Down' highlights their serious side.

For the novice, it is barely possible to distinguish between the older tracks and the new, such is the consistency of ISHILA. For the entrenched fan however, new tunes such as the title track and opener 'Sexy Vacation' ought to keep you going until the next album-proper.

Raise a glass!

Paul Masson - Paul Masson EP [independent]

2010-01-22T09:45:00.005+11:00

Singer-songwriters are a dime-a-dozen at the minute. It seems every bloke (and let's face it, most are blokes) in a plaid shirt whose ever had his heart broken has picked up a guitar to tell the world of his woes. Mostly we don't care, but sometimes we do. Good singer-songwriters, on the other hand, are hard to find. They lurk in local pubs, have shitty little myspace pages, and next to no money to promote their craft.

That the Saloon gives me the opportunity to be exposed to such unknowns is often all the reason I need to keep doing what I do.

In 2009 I was introduced to Ronnie Fauss - an amazing artist from Dallas who plays understated and, to an extent, self-deprecating country/folk heavily influenced by Todd Snider, Neil Young and the late, great Townes Van Zandt. I reviewed his EP and single here.

I reference Fauss now because Baltimore-based Paul Masson reminds me of why I'm a music fan in the first place - much in the same way Fauss does.

Masson's debut and independently financed and produced EP is a fine slice of alt.country that captures the colours of life's dreamy moments and applies them to a canvas of hurt and regret.

The performances here have been recorded live with few overdubs, making an intimate listening experience. Masson's vocals are full of heartfelt warmth, a little whiskey-soaked around the edges, and a sincerity that major-label financing often kills.

'Gold' is probably the standout track, with it's clunky Harvest-era Neil Young sound; plodding bassline, a little banjo-picking, some heart-wrenching lapsteel, and a sing-along chorus. 'Gold', according to Masson, is about "money and the troubles it brings us", whereas the Hank Williams-esque 'Red Morning Sky' is a pondering of the Earth's destruction; topics not usually covered by heart-broken, plaid-shirt wearing singer-songwriters. But then again, it's the ones that break the mold that usually inspire the most.

The EP closes with an unlisted track. It's almost a capella, save for a few quietly strummed notes, and showcases Massons' malty vocals. There's something in this track too that reminds of Springsteen - though to pinpoint it would be impossible.

Masson's music compels the listener to think beyond what is expected, and at the same time, bathes us in a sound familiar and warm. Such a feat is the sign of a true artist.

Raise a glass!

Hit & Misc. Vol. 4

2010-01-18T14:45:00.006+11:00

In my ever-continuing quest to clean my hard-drive of years of random mp3 downloads, I am compiling the salvageable into Hit & Misc. mixtapes. These mixtapes are primarily for my own use (they sit in my car amongst the myriad of other mixtapes made by friends, AmericanaUK reviews discs, monthly music exchange comps I take part in, and various other shit), but I offer them to you from the goodness of my own heart.

For the most part I remain oblivious as to where I got most of this stuff from (probably respective myspace sites, epitonic.com - remember that site? - and the occasional compilation album). Some of the acts I know nothing about - County Road X for example are otherwise unknown to me, whilst others are non-album tracks of artists I love (ie: the live Tex, Don & Charlie tune). Suffice to say though, that after years of laying dormant in my 'misc.' folder, these tunes now get regular listens on my way to work, making the days more bearable.

Tracklist: 01 Tex, Don & Charlie - Fake That Emotion (live) // 02 Matt Walker & Ashley Davies - I Listen To The Night (live on Recovery) // 03 John Butler Trio - Recognise Me // 04 Blue King Brown - Reasons Why // 05 Vika and Linda - Set on Freedom // 06 Jimmy Little with Chris Bailey - Cottonfields // 07 RL Burnside - Good Thing // 08 Sam Shinazzi - Breakdown // 09 Ben Kweller - Sundress // 10 Patty Griffin - Rain // 11 Matt Boyer - You Can't Take // 12 Otis Gibbs - East Texas Sutra // 13 Old Crow Medicine Show - Gospel Plow // 14 Derrin Nauenditch - Strange Feeling // 15 Casey Cyr - Summer of Love // 16 Sixteen Horsepower - Hutterite Mile // 17 County Road X - Nkisi // 18 Garth Brooks - Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old) (live)

Raise a glass!

Freedy Johnston - Rain on the City [Bar None]

2010-01-04T23:10:00.004+11:00

If you've ever wondered what Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) would sound like fronting Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, you need look no further than nineties singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston. Freedy had a minor hit in '94 with 'Bad Reputation' (a tune covered by Death Cab) and released a string of albums on Elektra, many of which were critical successes, if not commercial. Employing the production services of Butch Vig and T-Bone Burnett and being touted by Rolling Stone as one of America's finest songwriters, it's a wonder that he continues to fly beneath the radar. However, that lack of attention and subsequent pressure allows Freedy to focus on his art instead of shifting units.

This past decade has seen minimal output (live albums, cover albums, demo albums) as Freedy loosened Elektra's stronghold, fought with the IRS and went though a relationship breakdown. Such hard times would spell the end of a lesser man's career. However, what hasn't killed Freedy has made him stronger, and he's back with a remarkably catchy album due for release on January 12, 2010.

This time Richard McLaurin (Justin Townes Earle, Alison Moorer, Slaid Cleaves) is behind the mixing desk giving Rain on the City a crisp sound and a feeling like you've just woken from a solid sleep, ready to take on the challenges of the day.

A pop album in the purest sense of the word, Rain on the City isn't short on melody or hooks, reeling you in from cruisy opening track 'Lonely Penny' with it's quaint use of ukulele, accordion and pedal steel. However it's the second track 'Don't Fall in Love with a Lonely Girl' that really gets things going with it's punchy, southern-rock guitar riff and Gibbard-like annunciations.

'Venus is Her Name' is a potential hit, with it's jangly musings, recalling the magic of early-Counting Crows, before fame and comfort robbed them of any artistic merit.

Likewise 'Livin' Too Close to the Rio Grande' has a hook perfect for those summer Sundays cruising along the beach road, window down/stereo up. It also encapsulates his struggles this past decade in the line "Between the wife, and the ex-, and the government/ I ain't ever met a dollar that wasn't spent."

'Central Station' brings it all down a few notches as Freedy ponders the death of his father, in a delicate and sorrow-filled tribute.

Overall, Rain on the City is likely to be considered worth the wait amongst Freedy's fanbase, and with a little exposure may in fact turn a few newcomers his way.

'Don't Fall in Love with a Lonely Girl'

High Noon Salute to Hank & Townes

2009-12-30T11:33:00.009+11:00

On January 1, 1953 the world lost one of the greatest songwriters ever to grace this earth. Hank Williams - the first real superstar of the the twentieth century - only graced our presence for a mere 29 years, but his name, music and legend has lived on and influenced subsequent generations. His legacy is his music. Often autobiographical in nature, his tunes told us of his southern Baptist upbringing, an over-involved mother, an equally hostile marriage, and struggles with alcohol addiction. Through his music Hank attempted to purge himself of his demons and, in doing so, find some inner peace. Unfortunately that peace never came, and he died in the back of Cadillac on the way to a show in Ohio.

Forty-four years later to the day, the world lost the only other songwriter that could hold a candle to the work of Hank; Townes Van Zandt. Shunning a life of wealth and comfort, Townes skipped town at an early age to play the traveling troubadour. Like Hank, Townes also wrestled with his relationships with women and turned to the bottle to ease his pain. Unlike Hank, Townes' songs were adorned with characters and told stories of the America he observed. However, one doesn't need to dig too deeply to discover that these characters were often a disguise for Townes himself. In December '96 Townes injured himself falling down a flight of concrete stairs. Fearing the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, Townes refused to treatment until a week or so later when he was hospitalised and received hip surgery. Townes checked out against doctors orders on New Years Eve , and died the next day aged 52.

In recognition of this important date in music's history, I present you with a double tribute to serve as a musical memorial. I've deliberately veered from the usual suspects (no Steve Earle or Guy Clark here) in an attempt to expose you to a few lesser known covers.

Side Hank: 01 Beck - (I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle // 02 Seasick Steve & Amy LaVere - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry // 03 Keiran Kane & Kevin Welch - Ramblin' Man (live) // 04 Tom Petty - Lost Highway // 05 Johnny Cash - On The Evening Train // 06 Lucinda Williams - Cold, Cold Heart // 07 Hank Williams III - I'm A Long Gone Daddy // 08 Townes Van Zandt - Honky Tonkin' Side Townes: 09 Vetiver - Standin' // 10 The Wilson Pickers - Tecumseh Valley // 11 The Lemonheads - Waiting Around To Die // 12 Thomas Denver Jonsson - To Live Is To Fly // 13 Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Pancho & Lefty (live) // 14 Steve Von Till -The Spider Song // 15 Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Nothin' // 16 John T. Van Zandt - My Proud Mountains

Raise a glass (or 2).

High Noon Round Up '09

2009-12-22T21:28:00.026+11:00

As promised, here's the top 20 list for 2009 as voted by me for The Bird List. There's been some great albums this year, many of which I've discovered through my work here and the work of like-minded bloggers across the globe. Unfortunately these lists are finite and so I couldn't include everything. So I've assisted the culling process by excluding live albums, compilations and re-releases.

Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies (Bloodshot)
Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine (Secretly Canadian)
Austin Lucas - Somebody Loves You (Suburban Home)
Cory Branan/Jon Snodgrass - Split EP (Suburban Home)
Scott H. Biram - Something's Wrong/Lost Forever (Bloodshot)
Antony & The Johnsons - The Crying Light (Secretly Canadian/Spunk)
Lucero - 1372 Overton Park (Universal Republic)
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (Dew Process/Universal)
Wagons - The Rise and Fall of Goodtown (Spunk)
Jeff Lang - Chimeradour (ABC Music/Universal)
Dave Rawlings Machine - A Friend of a Friend (Acony/Shock)
Gabriel Sullivan - By the Dirt (Fell City Records)
Ben Kweller - Changing Horses (ATO/Shock)
Paul Dempsey - Everything is True (EMI/Capitol)
Ronnie Fauss - New Songs for the Old Frontier, Vol 1 (FTG Records)
Todd Snider - The Excitement Plan (Aimless Records/Shock)
Steve Earle - Townes (New West)
The Blackwater Fever - Sweet Misery (+1 Records)
Seasick Steve - Man from Another Time (Warner Music)
Charlie Robison - Beautiful Day (Dualtone)

Please consider purchasing these albums through Redeye, Birdland or Mojo, or alternatively via the artist or label directly.

To mark the end of the year I've compiled a round up of some of the best tracks from the aforementioned albums, plus some.

Tracklisting: 01 Paul Dempsey - Out The Airlock // 02 The Blackwater Fever - Better Off Dead // 03 Ben Kweller - Fight // 04 Dave Rawlings Machine - I Hear Them All // 05 Austin Lucas - Shoulders // 06 Boca Chica - Valentine // 07 Antony & The Johnsons - Epilepsy Is Dancing // 08 Mumford & Sons - Winter Winds // 09 Wagons - Goodtown // 10 Cory Branan - Walk Around // 11 Justin Townes Earle - The Killed John Henry // 12 Gabriel Sullivan - Me & The Dog // 13 Jeff Lang - Edge of the Light // 14 Steve Earle - Lungs // 15 Scott H. Biram - Sinkin' Down // 16 Lucero - Smoke // 17 Malcolm Holcombe - You Have It All // 18 Charlie Robison - Feelin' Good // 19 Todd Snider - Bring 'Em Home // 20 Ronnie Fauss - The Last // 21 Magnolia Electric Co - Whip-poor-will // 22 Seasick Steve - That's All

Raise a glass!

Boca Chica - Snow Angels

2009-12-19T23:19:00.003+11:00

Christmas is almost upon us and I'm resisting the subtle urge to post a season-related mix. I'm certain y'all can get your twang-related Christmas mixes from a myriad of other like-minded blogs, or, if you're really keen, you can battle the Christmas-shoppers at your local JB to pick up the new Bob Dylan album to keep you in the spirit over the next week or so.

If, like me, you're a bit of a humbug, then this little tune may be sufficient. Boca Chica are a two-piece from Pittsburgh and released their second album Lace Up Your Workboots earlier in the year. It was an album the duo described as 'orchestral twang pop' and was compared to a mix of Neil Young and Neko Case. Read my review here.

To wish you the best these holidays, Boca Chica have generously provided Saloon patrons with an appropriately-themed song titled 'Snow Angels'. It's taken from a Christmas comp. they did for Indiecator Records, which features the likes of Woodpigeon and Candy Claws. According to Hallie Pritts of the band, "It's less country than we usually roll, but it is about water freezing in your toilet because you have no heat in your house, which is actually something that happened to me a few years back."

Now, such winter-related dilemmas aren't an issue for those of us downunder at Christmas time, however a great many still sing 'White Christmas' at the Myer Music Bowl each December, so - in the spirit of goodwill and all that shit - I think we can excuse Boca Chica's Americentric faux pas this once.

Merry Christmas, from High Noon Saloon and Boca Chica.

'Snow Angels'

John Butler Trio - One Way Road (single)

2009-12-19T00:41:00.004+11:00

John Butler is an anomaly. Defying all the odds, this US-born, staunchly-independent, tree-huggin' blues-virtuoso has been accepted into mainstream Australia despite his feral appearance and leftist politics. Dubbed "the million dollar hippie", Butler has almost single-handedly redefined the Australian music industry with his refusal to sign to a major record label, and developing a business-model that holds community development as one it's core values.

From his own JB Seed arts grants program, to his work with remote Indigenous communities and his outspoken views on the plight of refugees, his success has occurred in a landscape that is still waking from ten years of conservatism and in defiance of an upward trend towards nationalism.

Where John Butler Trio sat with 2007's Grand National however was a bit awkward. Writing from a more personal perspective, Butler's work saturated mainstream airwaves creating surreal situations such as suburban soccer-mums entering meet n' greet contests when he rolled through town. Butler's audience had quickly graduated from the passing traffic of lunch-dates to the stadiums filled with an ideologically mixed audience who, had they been anywhere less positive (say, Bondi in 2006) - would be tearing each other limb from limb as they fought over politically charged issues such as the environment and immigration.

However, it'd be fair to say that Butler has undergone a slight re-evaluation process these past 12 months. Ridding himself of his trademarked dreadlocks, he also stepped out on his own and recorded a live solo EP for charity. Soon after he announced the dissolution of the Trio as we knew it in order to explore new musical paths.

The result of this shift will be upon us in the new year with the album April Uprising. To warm us up to the change the Trio has released the first single 'One Way Road'. It's a similar strategy Butler employed for his Sunrise Over Sea album and the associated 'Zebra' single: release a catchy pop song drenched in roots positivity in the hope that it'll form a major part of radio-listeners summer soundtrack.

'One Way Road' us a decent attempt to copycat previous successes, however it lacks the crucial catch cry (even if 'Zebra's catch-cry was gibberish: buh, buh, bada-buh).

'One Way Road' reminds me of the positivity and bounce employed in The Spin Doctors' early singles. It's hard not to bop along to it, even if you haven't picked up all the words.

Track 2, 'I'm Ready' is a bit of a dub-influence throwaway track, where the demo of 'Johnny's Gone' is a reminder of the celebrations many of us had when Howard finally fell.

'One Way Road' is available via download or in the physical format.

The Bird List 2009

2009-12-15T22:21:00.001+11:00

The Bird List. A bird's eye view of the combined top 20 lists of what we like to call a "loose confederation of like minded bloggers". This is the inaugural year. It's been a patchy one! But what we do have is a decent idea, and what we feel is an interesting list. So Here it is. The best albums of the year as voted on by 30 of the web's leading aficionados of twanglike music.

1. Justin Townes Earle - Midnight at the Movies
2. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park
3. Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses - Roadhouse Sun
4. Buddy and Julie Miller - Written in Chalk
5. Dave Rawlings Machine - A Friend of a Friend
6. Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away
7. Todd Snider - The Excitement Plan
8. Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
9. Band of Heathens - One Foot In the Ether
10. Tom Russell - Blood and Candlesmoke
11. Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit - Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
12. Corb Lund - Losin' Lately Gambler
13. Charlie Robison - Beautiful Day
14. Drive-By Truckers - The Fine Print
15. Steve Earle - Townes
16. Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day
17. Wrinkle Neck Mules - Let The Lead Fly
18. Magnolia Electric Co. - Josephine
19. Guy Clark - Somedays The Songs Write You
20. Those Darlins - Those Darlins
20. Miranda Lambert - Revolution

Contributing Blogs: A Fifty Cent Lighter, A Truer Sound, Alt-512, Amber Waves of Twang, Americana Rock Mix, Americana Roots, Beat Surrender, Because Whit Happens, Country California, Country Music Pride, Farce The Music, For The Sake of The Song, Front Porch Musings, Heartworn Highways, High Noon Saloon, It's Great To Be Alive, Kim Ruehl (No Depression), Juli Thanki, (The 9513), Romeo Sid Vicious, More Cowbelle, My Aimz Is True, Ninebullets, Sounds Country, The Gobbler's Knob, There's Always Someone Cooler Than You, This Mornin' I Am Born Again, Twang Nation, Twangville, Freight Train Boogie, When You Awake
Special thanks to: Truersound, Sounds Country, Romeo Sid Vicious, and David Attaway

I'll be posting a 2009 Round Up in the coming weeks, in which I'll announce my Top 20, and give y'all the opportunity to listen to my fave tunes of the year.

Mumford and Sons - Love Your Ground EP

2009-12-14T16:57:00.006+11:00

As 2009 draws to a close, it's time to reflect upon the final year of the decade and consider what caught our aural attention. One of the surprise hits of the year surely has to be Mumford & Sons - the folk/pop quartet from London who appeared to land in the studio from nowhere, with a lifetime of heartache behind them, but with a keen pop sensibility.

As it happens, Mumford & Sons had already released three EP's before the folk throwback 'Little Lion Man' hit mainstream airwaves, one of which I present here for y'all listening pleasure.
Love Your Ground is four tracks of banjo-pickin' and foot-stompin' goodness. Opening with an earlier version of 'Little Lion Man' the listener can hear mainman Marcus Mumford's pain a little clearer given the raw production.

The remaining three tracks didn't make it to Sigh No More which will undoubtedly make physical copies of this EP a sought after gem.

Raise a glass in the comments section.

Neil Young - Dreamin' Man: Neil Young Archives Performance Series #12 (Reprise)

2009-12-05T15:36:00.005+11:00

Whether by accident or design, Neil Young long ago cemented his reputation as one of the more difficult musicians to work with. Regularly shifting release dates, shelving announced albums, and taking artistic directions that appeared to wantonly alienate his fanbase, the logic of Neil Young is worthy of a psychological study in itself.

And as we close Neil's fifth decade in the industry he again throws us a few curve-balls. Firstly, he postponed his Archives boxset yet again, to allow for the release of Fork in the Road. Archives was later released - following a 20-year wait - however a few naysayers were clearly disappointed with its' plethora of previously released material, including the most recent, individually-released Archive volumes.

Last month came remastered versions of his first four solo albums on CD and LP, and now he's thrown Dreamin' Man into the mix. However, unlike volumes 0-2 of the Archives series which looked at late sixties/early seventies recordings, volume 12 jumps ahead a few decades to the early-nineties.

Culled from various live performances in 1992, Dreamin' Man is a collection of songs that eventually made their way onto Harvest Moon. As such Dreamin' Man is what Harvest Moon would sound like unplugged... retrospectively.

The concept however unintentionally detracts from the greatness of Harvest Moon. Neil, live and unaccompanied is Neil at his best. And even though 'Natural Beauty' was a live cut on Harvest Moon, Neil's chosen a longer, and arguably superior version which begs the question why wasn't it used first time 'round? But again, Neil moves in mysterious ways.

The only true letdown here is that Dreamin' Man's cherry-picked nature prevents the flow and consistency that a full performance provides.

Nonetheless, given that there has been so much focus on his early career, it's refreshing to hear nineties-Neil, in an intimate environment.

Click here for sneak peak of the first track from the album.

Songs: Ohia - Howler 3"

2009-11-27T22:24:00.004+11:00

Don't say I don't do nothin' for y'all! Following on from a request for more Molina-based rarities, I present you with Howler: a 3" CD that was the first in a series of subscrition-only EP's by Absalom Records in 2001.

Howler sees Molina test the patience of even his lo-fi fans, with the one, 13-minute+ track that uses subtle, reverbed guitar, his usual vocal musings, and a cheap-ass looped casiotone complete with a tacky drum machine beat.

Interestingly, there is some very doo-wop-sounding picking, which all but disappeared from his work until this years' Josephine.

Raise a glass!

More Neil Young Archives...

2009-11-14T15:45:00.006+11:00

When it rains, it pours.

Earlier this year Neil Young surprised the world by finally releasing the first volume in his Archives series, nearly twenty years after it was first announced. Now before the year is out (December 8 to be exact), Reprise are set to release Dreamin' Man: Neil Young Archives Performance Series #12. The album is a complete live performance Harvest Moon drawn from various solo acoustic shows he performed in 1992 before the actual release of the studio recording. Dreamin' Man will also be released on vinyl on January 12, 2010.

Click here for sneak peak of the first track from the album.

In addition, Reprise will also re-release the first four solo Young outings (Neil Young, Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, After the Gold Rush, and Harvest on November 23. Each re-issue has been re-mastered from the original analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering Studios in Hollywood, CA, and are being reissued on both vinyl and CD.

The individual albums are being issued on 140 gram vinyl to retail, however they will also be available as a box set pressed on 180 gram vinyl. The box sets will be individually numbered in gold foil stamp and strictly limited to 3,000 units worldwide.

The four albums will also be released on 24 karat gold CDs, packaged in Gary Burden designed cardboard wallet packs. The four gold CD albums are housed in a numbered slip case, limited to 2,500 worldwide.

The box sets and gold vinyl be be available only through www.becausesoundmatters.com and www.neilyoung.com.

In other news, Neil Young has been declared MusiCares “Person of the Year” for 2010, recognising the work he does for Farm Aid, and the millions of dollars annually for physically and mentally impaired children via Bridge School concerts.

Young will receive the award on January 29th, right before the Grammy Awards. Proceeds from the annual GRAMMY Week gala dinner and concert honoring Young will provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn to in times of financial, medical and personal need.

Skipping Girl Vinegar - Sift the Noise (Popboomerang/MGM)

2009-11-07T07:59:00.006+11:00

In the current digitised climate where the music of the iGeneration is created through GarageBand and uploaded to myspace quicker than it takes to microwave popcorn, it's refreshing to see a band that nurtures not only the aural product, but the visual and tactile aspects of presentation also.

Named after Australia's first animated neon sign, Skipping Girl Vinegar are a Melbourne-based four-piece that slip neatly into the alt.folk/alt.pop sub-genre, and who, after four years of traveling and recording, quietly released their debut album last year.

The packaging of Sift the Noise cannot be passed by. Housed in a small, calico library-bag complete with draw-string, the actual CD packaging is designed like an old library book - hence the carry bag. A plain, darkened red cover has the album title and tracklist embossed, while a call number on the spine gives it added authenticity. Open the double gatefold and on the left you have a library date card, stamps indicating when the item was borrowed. The middle cases the vinyl looking CD, and the right-hand side has the 'table of contents'.

The first of two booklets is gridded, designed like an old, well-used notebook: a curioso you might only now find at a charity book fair for a dollar or two. Lyrics have been added in typewriter font complete with pencil notes and scribblings and more date stamps,which I assume is an indication of when the tune was written and/or recorded. The second booklet gives more detailed information, such as the journey of the band and the album (from Melbourne to Nashville), the usual credits, photographs of the band members in the studio and live settings, and random shots of telephones and letterboxes.

Designed by the vocalist/guitarist Mark Lang, this exquisite attention to detail in the packaging reflects the band's sound, and gives the listener a fair indication of what to expect once the CD goes into their player of choice. I should add, that if your player of choice is a computer, then the visual aspect is extended as you are treated to an animated video for the title-track and first-single, itself a work of visual stimulation using old techniques.

The only risk an artist runs when putting so much into the physical presentation is that the music will fail to live up to expectations. And to be honest I prepared myself for such an event as I listened to Sift the Noise for the first time. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed.

Pre-dating the Mumford & Sons debut by 12 months, Sift the Noise opens with a rollicking, banjo-driven number that is ably supported by handclaps and harmonies. After such an uproarious beginning, the title-track brings it all back to earth with it's folky, sing-along style, recalling the the folk-pop sensibilities of fellow countrymen Old Man River, Augie March and The Gin Club.

'Fighting with Gravity' is more indie-pop than folk, with Lang employing a slight Thom Yorke-style vocal in the opening moments. The chorus contains the infectious hook, before a Beatle-esque coda takes it to unexpected heights.

'Sinking' as another tune that'll appeal to the Augie March/Mumford & Sons fans, with it's foot-stomping beat and Hammond-sounding keys. Again the infectious sing-along chorus invites the listener to travel the journey with the artists, and again the hand-clapping adds a down-home feel.

Running at just over half-an-hour the visit seems over before it began. However, this ensures the quartet don't overstay their welcome, and promises of repeat listens are embraced.

Raise a glass.

Gabriel Sullivan Giveaway

2009-11-06T20:37:00.004+11:00

Gabriel Sullivan live @ The HangArt

The HangArt | MySpace Video

Earlier this week I received a package from Gabriel Sullivan's dad, thanking me for for the review I posted of his son's album, By the Dirt. Sullivan Snr also threw in additional copies of said album for me to giveaway at will. As you will duly read, By the Dirt is a phenomenal start to a young man's musical career. With obvious nods to Tom Waits, and an astute feel for vintage country and blues By the Dirt is an album the defies Sullivan's relative young age.

To score yourself a copy of By the Dirt simply be one of the first two to email me at highnoonsaloon[at]ihug.com.au with "GABRIEL SULLIVAN FKN RULES!!!" in the subject header, and your name and address in the body of the email.

Sorry, competition is now closed. Congratulations Charlie & Sven.

Cory Branan - The Flophouse Sessions 121, Nov 20 2008

2009-10-23T11:57:00.003+11:00

One of my favourite releases this year has been the Cory Branan/Jon Snodgrass split from Suburban Home. Branan's songs, whilst quaint in their sentimentality, are weighted with depth and honesty, exposing some home truths along the way.

Branan's story-telling is akin to Todd Snider's, in the way that he uses humour to lighten his tales of tortured love. Vocally Branan sits somewhere between Snider and fellow punk-troubadour Ben Nichols, while the songs often veer into unexpected territories only to wind up back at the chorus, somehow pulling it all together.

I originally found this recording on archive.org, but the tags were all over the place, so I've cleaned them up for y'all. It's also available as one file at bandinboston.com: the site that hosts the Flophouse Sessions.

Raise a glass!

Ronnie Fauss - I Can't Make You Happy EP

2009-10-18T09:14:00.004+11:00

Earlier in the year Ronnie Fauss sent me his debut album (New Songs for the Old Frontier, Vol. 1) for review, which I applauded here. It was a quaint album, with a creative mix of depth, emotion and humour. Not surprising then that his iTunes-only follow-up EP treads a similar path, establishing Fauss' musical identity.

Three songs; opening with the title-track that sees a gentle, breathy melody floating above the delicate strumming, referencing Bob Dylan both lyrically and musically. There are moments where Fauss stretches his vocal ability, giving the song a sense of vulnerability and resignation.

Track two, 'One Eye Open', is the stand-out number here. A toe-tapping tune with sinister lyrics, it gets you bouncing along before you realise the character's just about to kill his brother-in-law. The chorus and overall storyline takes cues from the likes of Todd Snider - turning tragedy into a great tune. And really, how can one resist a foot-stomping murder-song complete with hand-claps and mandolin solo?

'Another Song' rounds this teaser off - a veritable bingo of who's who in the americana/singer-songwriter scene. See if you can pick Fauss' influences through lyrics like this: "Bob sings of poets who've never found their home / Lyle sings of cowboys and the praries that they roam / Todd sings of frat boys and how much they love beer / Me, I'm singing another song that you will never hear."

If you were impressed by New Songs... this new EP will confirm your belief in Fauss' songwriting and the potential he has.

Gabriel Sullivan - By the Dirt [Fell City]

2009-10-17T23:17:00.003+11:00

Debut albums are not meant to be this good. Debut albums are supposed to be full of promise for what is to come, but with flaws the size of canyons. Debut albums are a mere curioso for artists we've grown to love once they've honed their skills and their songwriting talents have matured following years of recording and touring experience. Clearly no-one told Tuscon native Gabriel Sullivan this rule, as his debut is so good there's little room for improvement on any sophomore and subsequent albums. Though I'd hate for him not to try.

By the Dirt is an album brimming with confidence and depth usually reserved for seasoned performers. Drawing from a diverse palette of American jazz, country, rock n' roll and blues By the Dirt is a collection of desolate, post-industrial tales of death, spirituality, loneliness, drunkenness, and general riff-raff.

The influences are strong - namely Tom Waits and Nick Cave - to the point that some will level accusations of imitation towards Sullivan. However it's what Sullivan does with those influences, the way he mixes them together, that makes him the extraordinary artist he is bound to become.

Opening with a very Mule Variations-era sounding 'God's Filling Station', Sullivan bellows and croaks like a doubled-over Waits, while the music loosely lopes along like a late-night inebriate. An industrial percussive section combines with distorted blues-harp and banjo-picking in an veritable junkyard of instrumentation.

The dark and smooth, late-night jazz feel to the title track adds to the comparisons with Sullivan crooning about our insignificance in the grand scheme of things. Meanwhile Calexico's Joey Burns throws his weight behind Sullivans talents, appearing on 'Sewer Cats'; a slow-moving, Cave-like ballad, complete with mournful piano, haunting strings and Sullivans whiskey-soaked vocals.

Sullivan throws in a couple of covers (Chris Gaffney's 'The Gardens' and Rainer Ptacek's 'Life is Fine') providing references further afield than the obvious. That Sullivan manages to build these songs into the album whilst retaining his clunky and desolate jazz/blues style is testament to this mans' talents.

Given the brilliance of By the Dirt it's difficult to imagine where Sullivan may go to from here. For now though, I'm happy to revel in this debut masterpiece.

Lucero - 1372 Overon Park [Universal Republic]

2009-10-12T22:56:00.004+11:00

Lucero's That Much Further West was a defining moment for me. That album, along with the Drive-By Truckers Dirty South provided the much needed entry point into what I came to know as Americana. It is in part because of these two albums that High Noon Saloon exists, and for that I am forever indebted to both bands.

That said, I have been increasingly disappointed with the direction that both bands have taken post those albums. Until now. For whereas the past two Lucero albums (2005's Nobody's Darlings and 2007's Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers) have been uninspiring and lacklustre, 1372 Overton Park makes up for these transgressions.

Named in honour of the house the the Lucero boys have inhabited over the years, 1372 Overton Park is an album that re-invents the band and in doing so, Americana. Firstly, the band have been signed to a major label providing them the opportunity to spend some serious dollars on a producer, which they did in hiring Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly, Chuck Ragan). Secondly, the band employed the services of Jim Spake (Al Green, Cat Power, John Hiatt) to arrange the brass section, taking Lucero's preformed punk-meets-twang style and adding a convincing Memphis soul sound to the mix.

I would also hazard a guess that vocalist/guitarist Ben Nichols' foray into the solo world with last years' The Last Pale Light in the West album has given him pause for thought into how the songs need to be able to stand on their own merit, and not rely on the tried-and-tested formulas of songs past.

Opening up with 'Smoke', Ben and co. make the intentions known. A rollicking number, Nichols' unique Cobain-esque vocal style works beautifully along side the E-Street type horn section, whilst the following track ('What Are You Willing to Lose') keeps up the pace but throws in a Booker T styled organ solo for extra fun.

'Sixes and Sevens' also follows this recipe of fusing Memphis soul with punk rock, and makes one wonder what the Rolling Stones could do nowadays if only they remained relevant.

As the Americana movement is beginning to become recognised within the wider music community, Lucero (along with peers Austin Lucas, Magnolia Electric Co, Justin Townes Earle and Scott H. Biram), are redefining any definition the genre may have rested upon.

Guy Clark - Somedays the Song Writes You [Dualtone]

2009-10-10T22:06:00.018+11:00

In all the interviews I've seen or read with Guy Clark, he's come across as a rather intimidating individual. Accomplished luthier, best friend to Townes Van Zandt, mentor to Steve Earle, co-conspirator with Jerry Jeff Walker, covered by the likes of Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, recipient of AMA's Lifetime Achievement Award - the man is larger than life and an icon in the country and alt.country scenes alike. Here's a guy who's seen it all and survived to write songs about it - very good songs, in fact.

Clark lives and breathes songwriting. He and Townes were pivotal to the outlaw troubadour scene of the seventies and challenged each other in their songwriting abilities. More revered than contemporaries Neil Young and Bob Dylan, Clark knows all the tricks in the book because he damn near wrote the thing. He has selectively passed some of these tricks onto those worthy of his wisdom. Indeed Justin Townes Earle recently told a Sydney audience that one of the tips Clark bestowed upon him was to "not let the truth ruin a good song".

With that in mind, I find it incredibly difficult to be a 'critic' when reviewing Guy Clark's latest album, Somedays the Song Writes You. I mean, in comparison to Clark, what the hell would I know?

Clark writes songs the same way he build guitars: with dedication, affection, and attuned attention to detail. He inhabits his own songs, choosing to write what he knows. However, whereas in the early part if his career Clark's troubles and pleasures weren't too unlike the everydayman, his subsequent career has seen him become once-removed from Joe Punchcard resulting in songs that, whilst we can appreciate them, only his music-making peers can truly relate to.

This is most evident on the "title" track ('Somedays You Write the Song'), as well as 'The Guitar' and to some degree 'Maybe I Can Paint Over That'. These aren't bad songs at all. But unless you're a songwriter (or an artist like his wife) they fail to connect.

'All She Wants Is You' is something most of us can relate to (ie: love), whilst 'Wrong Side of the Tracks' references the part of town all of us have visited once or twice. Damn, some of us have never returned from our first visit there.

Of course, Clark covers another Townes tune in 'If I Needed You', as he continues to pay tribute to his friend and occasional foe. And no-one knows Townes' tunes better than Clark - not even Steve Earle whose Townes album has been met with, shall we say, a varied response.

So while Somedays... may be indicative of an ageing, comfortable songwriter, Clark is a songwriter like no other and therefore each and every album is worthy of respect.

Boca Chica - Lace Up Your Workboots

2009-10-03T22:14:00.007+10:00

Self-described as 'orchestral twang pop', Boca Chica is centred around the delicate songwriting of Hallie Pritts, and have previously been cited as a cross between Harvest-era Neil Young and Neko Case, and thus appealing to to the sensitive side of Americana fans. The comparisons are well-founded, as Lace Up Your Workboots explores the finer points of life and relationships using indie-pop and alt-folk as its' medium. Fans of Iron & Wine and Jolie Holland would also find Boca Chica's work enticing.

Opening up with the bluegrassy 'Lake Erie', the amalgamation of musicians from Philadelphia and Pittsburgh use banjo, strings, vibraphone and a basic percussive set-up together with images of shorelines and death to convey a darkly sweet folk song.

'Workboots' is the most Neil-sounding with it's menacing chorus-line underpinned by a folk-rock rhythm, however it's 'Valentine' that stands out as the albums highlight. Starting off with simple finger-picking and the sugary vocal line "It was a sweet night in the summer time / The street lights they glisten so bright", a simple percussive element is added to the second verse as the subject ponders her foolishness in love. A flute melody adds an airy effect prior to the full string section building the song into a magical musical moment.

The basic folk structure of the final song, 'The Hourglass Waltz' descends into a repetitive jam, interspersed with samples of creaking doors, tweeting birds, and electronic squelches which, when combined with the vibraphone, reminds this listener of the early work from American Analog Set.

Lace Up Your Workboots is a surprise find for me, not being at all familiar with their first album, but one that is likely to stand out as one of the years' best.

Raise a glass!

Reader Mixtape: Songs in the Key of Eh

2009-09-30T23:18:00.012+10:00

A few months ago Rob, a Canadian living in Melbourne, kindly emailed me with words of encouragement and offering to make me a lil' mixtape of some of his country's finest artists. The sniff of a mixtape got me excited so I suggested we do it properly and post it for the benefit of all.

Little did I expect him to take such care with both the tracklisting and the presentation. I mean, not only has he created some fine artwork to make your coverflow look neat, but he's also designed a back cover for those that prefer the physicality of a burnt CDR.

As Nick Hornby will testify, there is a delicate art to the mixtape. It's an artform Rob has perfected here, by including familiar artists such as The Tragically Hip and Kathleen Edwards, and familiar songs reinterpreted (Neil Young's 'For the Turnstiles' and Cheap Trick's 'Surrender'), in amongst new and emerging artists such as Adam Puddington and Kelly Sloan.

To my ears though, the best tracks are those by indie-country outfit Cuff the Duke, the Texan-sounding redneck twang of Brock Zeman, and the self-styled death country of Elliott Brood, who sound like an indie-pop version of A Silver Mt Zion.

Tracklist: 01 The Tragically Hip - Wheat Kings // 02 Matt Mays & El Torpedo - On The Hood // 03 Adam Puddington - Deer In The Headlights // 04 Cuff The Duke - Blackheart //05 The Brothers Chaffey - Good Woman // 06 The Be Good Tanyas - For The Turnstiles // 07 Luke Doucet and the White Falcon - Blood's Too Rich // 08 Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine // 09 Kelly Sloan - Sophia // 10 The Deep Dark Woods - Hang Me, Oh Hang Me // 11 The Wailin' Jennys - The Devil's Paintbrush Road // 12 The Fiftymen - For the Sake of My Pride // 13 Blue Rodeo - Til I Am Myself Again // 14 Blackie & The Rodeo Kings - House of Soul // 15 Kathleen Edwards - In State // 16 Kate Maki - First Impression // 17 Elliot Brood - Write It All Down For You // 18 Brock Zeman - 50 Dollar Bill // 19 OX - Surrender // 20 The Sadies - 1000 Cities Falling (Part 1) // 21 Justin Rutledge - The Suffering Of Pepe O'Malley Pt. IV

Raise a glass!

The Band of Heathens - One Foot in the Ether (BOH Records)

2009-09-18T17:09:00.006+10:00

In 2006, a friend shared with me a live album from The Band of Heathens. It wasn't a bad little number: a good mix of Creedence-styled swamp, and classic Texan-based country-rock. It failed to blow me away though, and I went my way and Band of Heathens went theirs. Since then, the outfit have self-released a second live album, as well as a debut studio recording which went on to top the Americana Music Association Radio chart. This of course put the band in a good position to tour further afield and win a new audience with every town they visited.

Such experience brings maturity, and The Band of Heathens have now capitalised on this success with the release of the follow-up, One Foot in the Ether. Again, the band have chosen to self-release the record despite being offered a multi-album deal from a multinational record label. And whereas some may criticise the band for turning this opportunity down, their actions show great character and a real belief that their music will speak louder than any high-gloss marketing campaign.

As such, the album is aptly titled; as the band continue to dwell on the periphery of the country-music scene - a habitat they appear comfortable in.

One Foot in Ether explores a number of different lyrical concepts band musical trajectories. 'What's This World' could easily have gone onto a Shane Nicholson album with it's strong hook and laid back approach, whilst 'Shine a Light' is more gospel-oriented a'la The Blind Boys of Alabama.

Squeezed between these two tracks is the Waits-ian 'Golden Calf' with it's clunky, industrial rhythm, and gospel back-ups.

Their version of Gillian Welch's 'Look at Miss Ohio' is a bluesy, drunken, sing-a-long quite distant from Welch's sympathetic original.

And then there are the JJ Grey & Mofro moments like 'Talking Out Loud' and 'Say'.

It's a diverse album which will keep it from becoming droll, and one whose appeal will grow with each listen.

Raise a glass!

Malcolm Holcombe - For the Mission Baby (Echo Mountain)

2009-09-16T09:48:00.003+10:00

From what I can gather, Malcolm Holcombe has been making music for as long as I've been alive. So why haven't I heard of him before? It may have something to do with my ignorance and spending my formative years in a closet of thrash and death metal. But it may also have something to do with Holcombe's approach to his music. In much the same way that Terry Allen treats his music as art, (as opposed to a commodity that is packaged, shipped and sold for the sake of some inane motive like making a living), Holcombe too creates music that is so intense and intricate that calling them mere 'songs' is to do an injustice to his art.

But despite his longevity, his apparent rabid fanbase, the man is still a mystery to me. There's no Wikipedia entry, and the bio on his website is somewhat enigmatic (and outdated). I can see his debut was recorded (but never released) for Geffen in 1996, though he had been performing for years prior. I read that he has struggled with drugs and alcohol, only to survive and dedicate his sobriety to his art/music. The story reminds me of the likes of Tom Waits and Steve Earle, and interestingly, the similarities don't end there.

With a vocal rasp comparable to Waits, and a bottom-end twang like Earle, Holcombe may be the very embodiment of left-of-centre Americana. One could also compare Holcombe's story-telling/song-writing abilities to the likes of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Levon Helm and Todd Snider.

Much like all the aforementioned artists, Holcombe's rough n' ready approach will appeal to the common, working man, but again like his peers, it's his deeply poetic lyrics that'll inspire the well-educated.

His gritty delivery often belies the gentle sentimentality within his observations and, musically speaking, he accentuates this well when he adds string or mandolin accompaniments, to his otherwise straight-forward approach.

If, like me, you're hitherto unfamiliar with Holcombe's work, you may wish to tread cautiously as his discovery will lead you onto the path of seeking out his back catalogue. If, however, you're already a fan of Holcombe's music, chances are you've marked the release date on your calender already.

Raise a glass!

Jeff Lang - Whatever Makes You Happy [bonus disc]

2009-09-12T23:32:00.007+10:00

Jeff Lang - Australia's premiere blues guitarist and major influence on folk-hero and household name, John Butler - has announced details of his new album (scant as they are), Chimeradour.

Scheduled for an October release, the album was recorded by Mark Opitz - better known for his work with high-profile rock icons AC/DC, INXS and Cold Chisel. Grant Cummerford joins Lang on bass again, whilst Danny McKenna plays drums - an instrument missing entirely from Lang's 2008 album Half Seas Over.

Jeff is about to embark on a nationwide tour in support of the album and will have Canada's Jill Barber in tow, who is also celebrating the release of her new album, Chances.

So anyways.... in 2004 Jeff released Whatever Makes You Happy - an album containing two of Jeff's greatest songs: the monotonic and freight-like 'The Save', and the frenetic and wild 'The Road Is Not Your Only Friend'.

Some versions of Whatever... came with this bonus disc. Containing two lengthy jam/rehearsal outtakes, it's interesting to hear Jeff playing off the cuff and interspersing Tom Waits songs with his own compositions. In addition to this, John Butler sits in on a Jeff Lang/Robert Johnson medley, making this a rare recorded moment.

Raise a glass!

Tom Russell - Blood & Candle Smoke (Shout! Factory)

2009-09-12T23:13:00.009+10:00

With more twenty albums behind him Tom Russell is nothing short of a living legend. But where other artists may rest on such titles of reverence, Russell has teamed up with Calexico and created an impassioned and decidedly contemporary album.

Adept at storytelling, Russell sells us experiences from an American writers' perspective, though this time there's a Tex-Mex song providing the soundtrack, following hearing Calexico's work supporting Bob Dylan on the I'm Not There soundtrack.

He tells us how Nina Simone's music has been like a friend to him during times of struggle and triumph; he provides an insight into his pre-musical career as a criminologist; and he recalls his experiences in 1960's Africa in 'East of Woodstock, West of Vietnam'.

And where Russell lacks an experience he creates characters for the occasion, as can be seen in 'Crosses of San Carlos' and 'The Most Dangerous Woman in the World'; the latter inspired by Springsteen's Nebraska.

The backups of Gretchen Peters are reminiscent of a time when Emmylou added colour to the songs of Gram Parsons, though Russell's delivery is more akin to that of Guy Clark's.

Recorded at the Wave Lab (Calexico, Neko Case, Iron & Wine), Blood and Candle Smoke is another fine album from another seasoned performer.

Raise a glass.

Scott Warren - Quick Fix Bandage (Jangular Music)

2009-09-03T17:51:00.003+10:00

There's a common rule applied in the industry which suggests artists should kick off an album with their strongest track to hook the listener in. The problem with this rule is, if the artist doesn't have the songs to back up the expectations raised by the opening track, the listener quickly gets bored as each song appears to be worse than the one previous.

Los Angeles singer-songwriter has considered this, and whilst opening with a song that hooks the listener from the get-go, is able to follow-up on the promise with an album full of subtle hooks and memorable melodies.

Stepping out from his usual outfit - indie rockers Signal Hill Transmission - Warren maintains an indie aspect to his songwriting and recording techniques, but adds a whole new melodic dynamic.

To draw a direct comparison would be to reference the widely unknown Jesse Sprinkle and, in particular, his work as The World Inside. Cleverly melding indie rock with a pop sensibility, Warren whimsically explores life's finer details with toe-tapping sing-alongs.

More obvious reference points would be Toad the Wet Sprocket, Ben Lee and even a little Gold-era Ryan Adams.

Given the power-pop angle a lot of the record takes, it may not be surprising to learn that Fountains of Wayne's Brian Young is backing Warren up on the drums (sharing the job with Tommy Rickard of Michelle Shocked).

Tracks such as 'Same Old Scene' and 'Don't Tell Me' take on a decidedly laid-back alt-country sound whilst 'Sign the Dotted Line' is heavily indebted to the Toad-sound.

The album closes with a cover of America's 'Sister Golden Hair', and provides one of those moments where you realise a song you always disliked, ain't so bad in someone elses hands.

The album is available directly from Warren's website.

Raise a glass.

The Drones - Nail it Down (Live)

2009-09-02T22:35:00.006+10:00

This post is for my friends in the good ol' U.S.A., who may be looking for a night out this September.

Combining the immediacy of Bad Brains, the obstinance of the the Bad Seeds, and the discord of Crazy Horse, The Drones have made their mark on the Australian musical landscape with their near-legendary live shows and critical recordings, the latest of which Havilah sees the band mature and take more risks in song structure and development.

September 9 - Bell House - Brooklyn, NY
September 15 - Schuba's - Chicago, IL
September 16 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
September 17 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
September 18 - Cafe DuNord - San Francisco, CA

Earlier this year, The Drones recorded a live album at the Hi Fi Bar in Brisbane, and are set to release the album before years' end. As a teaser, the band have okayed 'Nail it Down' for preview.

The Drones - Nail it Down (Live)

Old Californio - Westering Again [Californio Records]

2009-08-26T23:28:00.005+10:00

Had you spent your early-twenties in Topanga Canyon in the late sixties chances are you would've heard music like this emanating from every run down shack, possibly being performed by the likes of Neil Young, Jerry Garcia and Brian Wilson.

San Gabriel Mountaineers Old Californio delve into this era of American musics' heritage and come up trumps. Westering Again carries a distinctive West Coast aura; a romantic, laissez faire attitude of being carried on the wind and what will be will be.

Vocalist Rich Dembowski is pivotal in delivering this overall feel, with a voice that is smooth but laidback to the point that Bob Dylan occasionally springs to mind ('From the Mouths of Babes').

That said, the supporting instrumentalists do well not to over-complicate their arrangements, with some basic chord structures and song patterns allowing the addition of vocal melodies, trumpets, piano or accordion to colour the compositions just nicely.

The band branch out from the canyon though, and on 'Warmth of the Sun' visit the country rock of their southern compatriots (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Drive-By Truckers), whilst the album closer, 'California Goodness' could be a druggy Wilco b-side.

Raise a glass!

Justin Townes Earle - Live at High Noon Saloon, Aug 22, 2009

2009-08-26T19:37:00.005+10:00

How could I not post this? Justin Townes Earle at the High Noon Saloon, Madison WI.

Recorded last weekend as part of the Bloodshot beer-b-q campaign, Justin played alongside The Bottle Rockets, The Waco Brothers, Ha Ha Tonka and other Bloodshooters of note. Yet again, JTE is in fine form (I'm yet to hear a dud recording of Earle, Jr) as he plows through his repertoire from his two albums and EP, as well as live standards ('Your Biscuits') and new additions ('Ain't Waitin', 'My Start Won't Start' & 'Close up the Honky Tonks').

Drawing from the spirit of Hank Williams, George Jones, and his namesake Townes Van Zandt, Justin reinterprets old-time country through punk-tinted lenses.

Justin will be touring the country in Sept/Oct with Wagons in tow (not sure if Cory Younts will be accompanying him), in what could be the gig of the year. Get tickets while you still can.

Credit goes to Andy over at RMDville for highlighting this link, which comes courtesy of Internet Archive.

Raise a glass!

Stephen Brodsky - Spiral Sounds EP

2009-08-21T15:16:00.006+10:00

In 2002, Cave In frontman Stephen Brodsky released his second album Ole Sunday on Magic Bullet - a label which continues to straddle the fence between hardcore and indie, much in the same way as, say Suburban Home does. The album was a hypnotic excursion into lo-fi acoustic, and a big leap from his solo outing Expose Your Overdubs, which was more like a collection of unfinished thoughts put down on demo tape.

Dopamine Records released the LP version, and with it came the exclusive Spiral Sounds CDEP featuring five tracks of simple, catchy, lo-fi indie/acoustica in true Brodsky style.

Following their short-lived experiment with a major label in 2003, Cave In returned to their true home of Hydra Head, recorded/released the disappointing Perfect Pitch Black and promptly disappeared.

With many members getting involved in various side-projects, Brodsky continued his solo career and released Octave Museum (also on Hydra Head). Octave is the most mature of his solo records, with a concise fusion of pop and psychedelia, and obvious nods to The Beatles.

It was with open ears that I received the news recently that Cave In had reunited, recorded (once again for Hydra Head) and released their latest 12", Planets of Old (stream it here), which sees a significant Old Man Gloom influence creep into Cave In's Jupiter-era sound.

But for High Noon readers, Brodsky's solo work is probably of most interest.

So to Brodsky, we raise a glass!

Matisyahu - Light (Epic/Sony BMG)

2009-08-19T22:09:00.004+10:00

2006: The War in Iraq enters it's third year. Israel launches an attack on militanats in Gaza. Saddam Hussein is sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. Pope Benedict XVI criticises the Islamic faith whilst touring Germany. George W. Bush and John W. Howard still occupy the highest seats of their respective lands.

As the world spins terribly out of control under conservative and zealot governments, a voice in the wilderness is heard. Matisyahu - a soft spoken, Hasidic-Jew from the guts of New York - declares the battle-cry of his generation. It's a call to arms heard across the world on alternative music stations that dare play a message of positivity amidst the global political turmoil.:

"Young man control in your hand/Slam your fist on the table/And make your demand/Take a stand/Fan a fire for the flame of the youth/Got the freedom to choose/You better make the right move."

Matisyahu's message is one of righteous anger, calling for peace between warring tribes. His push for interfaith harmony (he has worked with Beastie Boy and reknowned Buddhist Adam Yauch; Christian nu-metallers POD, and Muslim beatboxer Kenny Muhammad) saw him attract an audience made up of disaffected believers from a variety of faiths, challenging traditions and stereotypes, upsetting the status quo of their respective religions.

With a path laid before him by the likes of Michael Franti and Arrested Development, Matisyahu funneled his politcially-positive message into a unique fusion of reggae, hip-hop, ska and rock. Getting Bill Laswell in to produce the album was a meeting of minds and a moment of genius.

We are now in 2009 though. Both Bush and Howard are mere memories (albeit painful ones). The war in Iraq is officially over and the troops are starting to return home. The head of the Catholic church continues to offend everyone, but otherwise we are now living in a very different world. The headlines today are more likely to be about the GFC than the 'axis of evil'. And as such, Matisyahu's music also takes new directions.

Whereas Youth was a very organic affair, centered around the more structured elements of jazz and reggae, Light attempts to blur the lines between the organic and the electric, the rock and the reggae. And Whereas Youth was a cohesive album from start to finish, Light takes the listener on multiple journeys, through different styles not necessarily mashed together like before.

Matisyahu's intentions are once again clear on the opening track though. 'Smash Lies' sees a collision of laptop electronica and a reggae-heavy version of hip hop (think Promoe), whereas the first single 'One day' is a brilliant pop song that is delicate like PM Dawn, but direct like Spearhead. Again there is no mincing of words; "All my life I've been waiting for/I've been praying for/For the people to say/That we dont wanna fight no more/There'll be no more wars/And our children will play."

'Darkness Into Light' employs some hard-biting verses before launching into a Fishbone-esque chorus - a band Matisyahu cites as a major influence.

Elsewhere, the Franti-esque positivity shines through on tracks like 'On Nature' and 'We Will Walk' which builds into a high-adrenaline, ragga-bent sing-along song of devotion.

Granted, the reggae purists will wince at Miller's gall. In the final wash though, Light has the ability to inspire and motivate a dejected generation who are just now waking to the mess left behind by Bush & Co.

Raise a glass.

V/A - A Condensed History of American Country, Blues & Folk

2009-08-14T18:40:00.007+10:00

I was recently asked to make a mixtape for a friends' teenage son who's not into the same kind of music his emo-mates are. The only information I had to go on was that this kid liked Dylan & Zeppelin.

In true High Noon fashion, I chose to make a difficult task even harder by attempting to condense 100 years of American music into 78 minutes. Of course, I couldn't include everyone (no Todd Snider, no Creedence, no Emmylou), but I don't think I did too badly. And by all reports, the kid loves it.

Tracklisting: 01 Blind Lemon Jefferson - Black Snake Moan // 02 Blind Willie McTell - Broke Down Engine Blues // 03 Memphis Minnie - When the Levee Breaks // 04 Robert Johnson - Crossroad Blues // 05 Son House - Am I Right or Wrong? // 06 Leadbelly - Packin' Trunk Blues // 07 Woody Guthrie - I Ain't Got No Home in this World Anymore // 08 The Carter Family - Wabash Cannonball // 09 Jimmie Rodgers - Blue Yodel #1 (T for Texas) // 10 Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues // 11 Bob Wills - Texarkana Baby // 12 Buck Owens - Down on the Corner of Love // 13 Johnny Cash - Big Love // 14 Lightnin' Hopkins - Shotgun Blues // 15 Townes Van Zandt - Waitin' 'Round To Die // 16 Guy Clark - LA Freeway // 17 Gram Parsons - A Song For You // 18 Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City // 19 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Ohio // 20 Steve Earle - The Devil's Right Hand // 21 Gillian Welch - Caleb Meyer // 22 Tom Waits - Hold On // 23 Old Crow medicine Show - Wagon Wheel // 24 Charlie Parr - 1922 Blues // 25 Justin Townes Earle - They Killed John Henry

Raise a glass!

Lucero - Demo

2009-08-13T23:58:00.003+10:00

Judging by the 6-track sampler that comes when pre-ordering the new album, Lucero's 1372 Overton Park may be their finest hour since That Much Further West. Truth be told, I'd begun going off the band, after the lacklustre efforts of their two most recent albums, but Ben Nichols' solo outing of last year - Last Pale Light in the West - provided me with hope.

Named after the house Nichols' has inhabited for too long, Overton's production is far superior to their recent output, due in part to an increased budget since shifting to Universal. And the mix of 50's/60's rock n' roll and 70's punk swagger is just right.

The album's due for an October release, so in the meantime lend your ears to this shitty lil' demo I found at the back of my hard-drive (right between some miscellaneous, incorrectly-labelled mp3's and random photos of family picnics).

I'm not too sure how I originally happened upon this demo, or whether it's been released in some official form. Perhaps the bigger Lucero fans out there can help me out with the details.

Until then, and until Overton, let's raise a glass!

Earl Pickens and Family - The Joshua Tree

2009-08-01T01:16:00.005+10:00

Apart from shifting units in the multi-millions and forever cementing U2's place in pop-music history, The Joshua Tree was an album that was influenced heavily by American blues, country and folk traditions. For a band proud of their '3 chords and the truth' background, The Joshua Tree was perfect in almost every way; honest, direct, passionate, simple, emotive.

So why, after 22 years, would a little known hillbilly act from Philadelphia want to take on the task of covering the whole album? Well, according to Earl Pickens, the answer is also very simple; the songs.

Of course, Pickens can ill afford Brian Eno and a mansion as a recording studio, so he opted for a live home recording and invited his neighbours and friends over to help with the task. And whilst it fails to match the brilliance of the original, it does allow us to hear the songs anew.

Given the roots of the original tunes, it's probably not surprising that the majority easily adapt to being alt-countrified. 'With or Without You' particularly sounds very Dylan-esque, complete with blues-harp, a lone acoustic guitar and some gentle harmonies.

'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' lacks the spirituality of the original, which I suspect is partly due to the absence of a gospel section. Nevertheless, it still comes across as a strong song in it's own right.

Perhaps my favourite track off the original album is 'Bullet the Blue Sky'. With Clayton's menacing bassline, Mullen's straight-forward drumming, The Edge's slide guitar and Bono's scowl, 'Bullet...' is a sneering attack on American foreign policy and miltiary intervention of El Salvador. Unfortunately, that anger fails to translate when the instruments are traded for banjo, fiddle, and brush sticks.

Given the current glut of cover and tribute albums (Steve Earle's Townes, Phospherescent's To Willie, The Lemonheads' Varshons), it would be easy to label write The Joshua Tree off as little more than novelty. But in the end, the songs are just too good, and Pickens delivery too sincere.

Raise a glass.

www.earlpickens.com

The Lonely H - Concrete Class (The Control Group)

2009-07-31T23:20:00.002+10:00

The recent success of Kings of Leon may not have kick-started the Southern Rock Revival some of us may have been praying for, but that hasn't stopped The Lonely H from pushing that same rusted barrow.

Despite their relatively youthfulness (3 of the 4 are under 21), the Seattle quartet are road-worn and already up to their third album. Their experience in the studio and on the road is evident on Concrete Class, as is their parents' record collections.

Recorded on analog tape, Concrete Class is a smooth blend of classic seventies rock (Skynyrd, Eagles, Creedence, Seger, Springsteen, Aerosmith, et al), a dash of folk singer/songwriter (Dylan, Young) with a sincerity and insightful that defies their age.

The self-referential 'Singer' is perhaps the most Eagles-like track off the album, complete with a classic lead melody and lyrical-images of an America long forgotten.

'Diggin' a Hole' could easily be a Seger leftover with it's sax interlude and rockin' chorus, whereas 'Phoenix' is a piano-based tune about family, geography and how the two intertwine.

Opening track 'Right Down On Me' hooks the listener with it's simple but effective guitar line and some nice banjo-picking for added effect. At the other end of the album though, 'Strike a Chord' sounds more like a Wings track with it's piano/guitar interplay.

Overall, Concrete Class is a strong album from start to finish. Some may argue that the band are too derivative and unoriginal. I however apply the old adage; "If it's not broke, don't fix it".

Raise a glass!

Scott H. Biram - Live on KAOS Radio, May 9, 2009

2009-07-24T21:27:00.007+10:00

Austin, Texas native Scott H. Biram embodies everything I love about music. Taking as much influence from Leadbelly as he does AC/DC, Biram infuses his own brand of gosepl-country-blues with a DIY punk ethic and a metal attitude.

Like Bob Log III raised on a diet of early-Metallica, Biram's tunes are often a passionate, but near violent exorcism of emotion and opinion. Biram's past albums have been peppered with the staples of Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rodgers as well as original compositions about trucks, beer, women and chickens (sometimes all in one song).

However this years' Something's Wrong/Lost Forever (Bloodshot Records) is a slight side-step, both in recording and subject matter. Whereas his previous efforts has seen Biram simply set-up in the studio and press record, Something's Wrong... employs a number of overdubs and other studio trickery to add colour, and in doing so creates a different experience from what the listener will get at a live show.

The passion is still there, but now instead of just one man and his visceral guitar attack, one can hear Hammond, seventies-inspired guitar solos and even a little percussion -though it's still Biram's foot-stomping that keeps time. 'I Feel So Good' even features a full band as Biram invites The Black Diamond Heavies in to help him out.

In support of the album, Biram dropped into KAOS Radio and recorded 5 tracks - 3 of which are from Something's Lost... (The rest of the set is made up of a brand new tune, and a Bill Monroe cover)

Raise a glass!

V/A - Waffles in the Shape of Texas: A High Noon Saloon Compilation

2009-07-15T17:19:00.007+10:00

Following on from the success of A Truer Sound's guest mixtape, Smothered, Covered & Peppered, I've returned the f(l)avour with a covers comp. all my own.

Hear Todd singin' Kris, III singin' Bruce, and Kurt singin' Huddie - but not necessarily the tune you're expecting.

Head over to A Truer Sound and raise a glass.

Scott Orr - Ghost Party (Other Songs Music Co.)

2009-07-14T14:28:00.005+10:00

Canada's Scott Orr has been quietly making quiet music for a little while now, having self-released Miles From Today in 2007. The songwriting on Ghost Party though, is likely to elevate Orr to the next level and may even see him pick up a label, if not some decent distribution.

Ghost Party began life when Orr discovered newfound acoustics in his basement as it was being renovated. And where he previously recorded in meticulous silence, this time Orr allowed his environment to contribute to the overall sound. Which is why one can hear a cat at the end of 'Danger', for example.

Musically, Orr shares a similar space as Iron & Wine, Conor Oberst and Nick Drake, with hushed vocals and gentle melodies that waft on the breeze. Like Beam, Oberst & Drake, Orr also knows the power that pop can play within a song, and as such he works hard to find that hook, that special something that lures the listener. This pop sensibility is most evident on the opener 'In Between', and 'Danger' (which sounds a bit like a Ben Gibbard track), whilst tracks like 'Caught In My Dreams' and 'I'm Going to Listen to My Heart' both have strong country undertones - yet palatable for those who don't realise they like the genre.

Some tunes, like 'Ghosts' and 'To Be Loved' entice you like an early morning swim: It's hard to get started, but you enjoy them so much when you get there, you really don't want them to end.

Orr's first album was available as a free download, which may have been a good move as it helped get his name out there. Similarly Ghost Party is available to stream from his website for those that prefer the try before you buy method.

Raise a glass.

V/A - Hit & Misc. Vol. 3

2009-07-12T08:51:00.005+10:00

As I continue cleaning up my hard-drive, the hits (& misc.'s) just keep rolling.

Volume 3 is unapologetically nineties rock, and is dedicated to all those nights I spent on the couch between '90-'99, glued to Rage. Some of these tracks slipped their way into my consciousness, and laid dormant for years before the advent of file-sharing made them accessible again. Some I didn't even know I liked until hindsight set in. There's nothing 'rare' or 'unusual' in this collection. Rather, it's just a simple homage to goatees, cut-off cargo shorts, and Cons (before they were taken over by slave-traders).

Tracklisting: 01 Stiltskin - Inside // 02 Therapy? - Screamager // 03 Tad - Dandelion // 04 Screaming Trees - All I Know // 05 Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly Wings // 06 You Am I - Berlin Chair // 07 The Lemonheads - Into Your Arms // 08 Pavement - Cut Your Hair // 09 Sonic Youth - Sugar Kane // 10 Cracker - Low // 11 Ash - Jackie Chan // 12 Gerling - Death To The Apple Gerls // 13 Kyuss - Demon Cleaner // 14 Lush - Hypocrite // 15 Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta // 16 Love Spit Love - Am I Wrong // 17 Rollins Band - Tearing // 18 Helmet - Unsung // 19 Filter- Hey Man, Nice Shot

Raise a glass.

The Dandy Warhols - Twelve More Tales from Urban Bohemia

2009-06-27T09:28:00.009+10:00

Cleaning out my hard-drive these past few weeks has unearthed some forgotten gems. In particular, there's this bunch of Dandy tunes which were available from their site for free around about the time Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia was released. Surprisngly, only a few of these tracks found their way onto their b-sides compilation, Come on Feel The Dandy Warhols so I've taken it as my task to complete the picture.

Primarily an alt.rock band with glam-pop overtones, Thirteen Tales... saw the band take on an Americana persona that Morricone would be proud of. Adopting the classic generation X apathy The Dandy's still managed to allow their pop roots shine through one droning track to the next. Repeating themes of disenchantment, and musical nods to the likes of Tom Petty and the eerie mariachi sounds makes Thirteen Tales... one of my all-time fave albums. Strange then that most subsequent Dandy albums have left me feeling underwhelmed.

Again, these tunes carry an overarching, if not so consistent, Americana theme. So you could consider these tracks an extension of that album (hence my clever titling). Their mariachied (is that a word) version of AC/DC's 'Hells Bells' is one of the best covers these ears have ever heard, while the throwaway cover of Ted Nugent's 'Free For All' again demonstrates the bands vast musical knowledge. Tracks like the repetitive, looping 'Phone Call' and with their version of Gordon Lightfoot's 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' may indeed have been the blueprints for the first half of Thirteen Tales... with their indie-rock drenched, psychedelic, acoustic and brilliantly apathetic americana-drones.

Raise a glass!

Sarah Blasko - Prelusive EP

2009-06-20T19:47:00.010+10:00

Sarah Blasko's third album As Day Follows Night will be released on July 10, and I'm celebrating by re-acquainting myself with her back catalogue.

Whilst What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have was seen as her pièce de résistance, with epic, Bjork-like strings n' beats, it was her straight-down-line debut, The Overture and the Underscore that remains my favourite. Sure there were elements of electronica and trip-hop influences throughout, but if you were strip the songs bare of studio trickery, then the songs on Overture would stand well above those on her sophomore.

I've not heard much from her new album, other than the Morricone-infected single 'All I Want', so I'm not yet clear on what direction she's taking this time 'round.

However, as is High Noon tradition, before we look forward we first take a look back. Prelusive was Blasko's first foray into recording, and it showcases her love for melding electronica with acoustic elements. Recorded by Hugh Wilson - a singer-songwriter in his own right who, in the early nineties starred on a local televised talent-quest, and in turn attracted a number of teenage girls stalking his every move (I know this 'cos I ended up marrying one of these 'groupies'), the naivete of Prelusive, in both songwriting and production, is probably not surprising given the pair's relative inexperience. So while the EP probably serves more as a curioso rather than an essential item in your collection, it does provide an insight into an artist that has since become one of Australia's finest alt.pop singer-songwriters.

Raise a glass!

Hoots and Hellmouth - The Holy Open Secrets (Mad Dragon)

2009-06-18T22:15:00.009+10:00

Hoots & Hellmouth is a strange beast; one that's difficult to classify or slot into any one, neat pigeon-hole. The Philadelphian trio is made up up Sean Hoots, Andrew 'Hellmouth' Gray and Robert Berliner, and filled out live by various session muso's from the area.

One minute the band are foot-stompin', barn-dancin', and hoe-downin', and the next they are a-hand-raisin', heavenward-lookin', and gospel-singin' like it's the coming of the Lord. Then again, there's a dash of shoe-gazin' and navel-contemplatin' goin' on in tracks like 'Ne'er Do Well' and 'Three Penny Charm'. It's as though Doc Watson wandered out of the Appalachian Hills, took a trip down to the Mississippi Delta (I'm not very good at American geography, so I've no idea if this makes sense), and then sat on his musical learning for a few decades waiting for Iron & Wine and Old Crow Medicine Show to prepare his way.

The Holy Open Secrets is essentially a positive, feel-good record with plenty of clunky, rootsy rhythms to get the family dancin' on the front porch on a Sunday afternoon.

Check out the funky 'Known For Possession', and raise a glass.

Justin Townes Earle - Live at the Anandale Hotel, November 25, 2008

2009-06-14T22:14:00.008+10:00

Long-time readers will recall my gushing over Justin Townes Earle when he strode through town towards the end of last year. His southern charm, brilliant finger-pickin', a DIY ethic and a nod to the past whilst acknowledging the future made this the gig of my life, and turned me from a mere curious onlooker to a actual fan. I know my friends there felt similarly and I suspect others did too, evidenced by the long line to meet the man afterwards.

So many, many thanks to Amanda at Flop Eared Mule who directed me to Moshcam where I found this very show.

See the whole show by raising a glass here, or just watch his rendition of TVZ's 'Brand New Companion' and his jaw-dropping version of GP's 'Song For You' below. Masterclass!

Bang on a Can - Brian Eno: Music for Airports

2009-06-14T09:57:00.003+10:00

In town for the Vivid Festival, Brian Eno has caused a bit of a stir. Firstly the media criticised the State Government for getting who they viewed as a boring old git from the 70's to curate a modern, boundary-pushing arts festival. Obviously these mainstream media types haven't read the credits to the latest Coldplay or U2 albums which they all seem to love so much.

Such criticism however seemed to fall away the moment Eno's Lighting of the Sails began in late May, as he used an iconic building as his canvas without causing the ire of the people like David Burgess and Will Saunders did in 2003 with their anti-war protest.

I'd seen photos of Eno's work on the Opera House, but that couldn't prepare me for how vivid the colours are when standing on the front steps.

Eno brought Battles with him for a few performances, and local act Coda provided the stunning soundtrack for Fire Water - a re-enactment of the sinking of the Three Bees in the harbour in 1814.

Inside the Opera House itself, Eno's 77 Million Paintings - an ever-evolving visual and musical installation - was displayed. That my two teens (one into pop music, the other into punk) enjoyed this installation is testament to Eno's ability to stop people in the their tracks, despite though his original vision for ambient music being to create sound that could be easily ignored.

As a tribute to his work here in Sydney (which incidentally comes to a head tonight when he plays live), I've posted this reinterpretation of what is possibly Eno's finest hour, Music for Airports.

Bang on a Can are a New York jazz ensemble who, much like Eno, deconstruct the meaning and purpose of music in their compositions. Here, they take Eno's meticulously produced classic, and perform it live in the studio. The group are also known to perform Music for Airports in it's entirety outside the studio and have released a live recording of such an occasion.

Raise a glass.

Songs: Ohia - Rarities

2009-06-12T21:15:00.006+10:00

Secretly Canadian have announced July 20 as the release date for the new Magnolia Electric Co. album, Josephine. The press release quotes Jason Molina as stating that the album is an attempt to honour the memory of bassist Evan Farrell, who was tragically killed in a house fire in December '07. Molina says work on the album was driven by Farrell's own hopes of the record and lyrically the loss of Josephine translates into the loss of Evan. The band have the title track available here.

Before we head into the future though, here's a peek into the past; a chronological collection of Songs: Ohia rarities. In true Molina fashion the collection starts off in the lowest of fi's, and ends with the slick production of a Nikki Sudden cover, recorded by Magnolia but credited as Songs.

Raise a glass.

V/A - Smothered, Covered, and Peppered: A Truer Sound Compilation

2009-06-05T22:51:00.007+10:00

When I first started High Noon Saloon I looked to blogs such as A Truer Sound for inspiration and direction. It was through the work of A Truer Sound that I first entered the portal of bootleg-sharing and also discovered artists who I've gone on to become fans of (Scott H. Biram springs to mind). So it was only natural that I ask Truersound for a guest mixtape that best represents his blog. Below is what has remained on heavy iPod rotation since it first arrived in my mailbox this week. This is what Truersound had to say....

"Well, there seems to be a lot of cover albums and songs coming out this year, so I thought I would throw together a mix of some of my favorite cover songs. When Dangerbird asked me to do a guest mix I had to make it cohesive! I tried to keep it limited to covers of old country songs, which I mostly did....there are a couple that don't fit that theme though, but I had to put them in. Like Dwight Yoakam's version of 'Train In Vain'.....pretty much the only decent song of his covers album...and how can you make a mix of killer cover songs without including Del McCoury's version of '1952 Vincent Black Lightning'??

Tracklist: 1. A Satisfied Mind - David Allan Coe (Orig. by Porter Wagoner) // 2. Jambalaya (On The Bayou) - John Fogerty/The Blue Ridge Rangers (Orig. by Hank Williams) // 3. Train In Vain - Dwight Yoakam (Orig. by The Clash) // 4. Harold's Super Service - The Old 97's (Orig. by Merle Haggard) // 5. Truck Stop Girl - Kelly Willis w/Jay Farrar (Orig. by The Byrds) // 6. (Is Anybody Going To) San Antone - Doug Sahm (Orig. by Charlie Pride) // 7. Big Iron - Mike Ness (Orig. by Marty Robins) // 8. High Fashion Queen - The Backsliders (Orig. by The Flying Burrito Brothers) // 9. Folsom Prison Blues - Blackie & The Rodeo Kings (Orig. by Johnny Cash) // 10. Dark As A Dungeon - Slobberbone (Orig. by Merle Travis) // 11. The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore - Michelle Shocked (Orig. by Jean Ritchie, Made Famous by Johnny Cash) // 12. Pay No Attention To Alice - Patterson Hood (Orig. by Tom T. Hall) // 13. I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes - Blue Mountain (Orig. by The Carter Family) // 14. Lost Highway - Jim Ibbotson/Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Orig. by Leon Payne, Made Famous by Hank Williams) // 15. Omaha - The Gourds (Orig. by Billy Joe Shaver, Made famous by Waylon Jennings) // 16. Ride Me Down Easy - David Allan Coe (Orig. by Billy Joe Shaver) // 17. Amarillo Highway - Robert Earl Keen (Orig. by Terry Allen) // 18. White Freightliner Blues - Lyle Lovett (Orig. by Townes Van Zandt) // 19. Ramblin' Fever - Billy Joe Shaver (Orig. by Merle Haggard) // 20. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning - Del McCoury Band (Orig. by Richard Thompson) // 21. Flesh & Blood - Chris Knight (Orig. by Johnny Cash) // 22. Time of The Preacher - Johnny Cash w/Jerry Cantrell (Orig. by Willie Nelson) //

Raise a glass to A Truer Sound

Roy Rogers - Split Decision (Blind Pig)

2009-06-02T21:48:00.005+10:00

To many country-music fans Jimmie Rodgers was considered the father of country music. To blues fans, Jimmy Rogers was a stunning guitarist best known for his work with Muddy Waters. (There was also a pop-singing Jimmie Rodgers, who's hits included "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" and went on to get beaten to within an inch of his life by the LAPD, but that's just confusing matters).

To those same country fans, Roy Rogers was integral to the Sons of the Pioneers' success, and challenged Gene Autry for the title of the singing cowboy. He also went on to open a chain of restaurants. To blues fans though, Roy Rogers is a rather adept slide guitarist who's also worked with John Lee Hooker, Ray Manzarek and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. This is the Roy Rogers we'll be discussing today.

Being unfamiliar with the previous work of Rogers, I'm forced to consider Split Decision in isolation, as opposed to another element in an overall body of work (the man has at least 11 albums under his belt). However, his experience both behind the frets and in the producers' chair is evident. Split Decision is a well rounded album that captures a variety of different moods in a variety of blues sub-genres.

One of the things that kept me away from blues for so long was the long-winded, twelve-bar wankery of folk such as Eric Clapton, John Mayall and Jeff Healey. And whilst I can appreciate the skills required to be able to pull off such chops, this bar-room-come-stadium style is the antithesis of the working-class blues that inspired all these guys to pick up the guitar in the first place. Unfortunately, Rogers falls into that category on tracks such as 'Patron Saint of Pain' and 'Little Queen Bee'. However, Rogers redeems himself on the loose opener 'Calm Before the Storm', the Zeppelin-esque 'Bitter Rain' and the jazzy 'Rite of Passage'.

If nothing else, Rogers is adaptable, as he then goes on to deliver some delicate, acoustic blues on 'Your Sweet Embrace' which combines the slide with some flamenco-styled picking, whereas 'Holy Ghost Moan' is a booty-shakin' foot-stomp.

Raise a glass, and download 'Requiem for a Heavyweight' free, courtesy of Blind Pig Records.

Neil Young and the Restless - El Dorado EP

2009-05-30T08:23:00.004+10:00

Could Neil Young's long-awaited Archives finally be released this week? After 20 years in the making, June 2, 2009 should see the set finally hit the street. However, as Neil is prone to changing his mind and release dates, at the end of the day seeing will be believing.

The set is massive and, depending on which version you buy, will include previously unreleased live and studio recordings in the form of Topanga (volumes 1, 2 & 3), North Country, the never-before-released on DVD/Blu-ray Journey Through the Past, a book, a 7" single, and links to downloads. On top of this there's Early Years (Volumes 1 & 2), Live at the Riverboat and the recently released Live at Canterbury House 1968, Live at Fillmore East 1970 & Live at Massey hall 1971.

What's not included is this Australia/Japan-only EP, El Dorado. Neil recorded this with The Restless in 1989 and features alternate versions of some of the tracks that later appeared on Freedom, as well as 'Cocaine Eyes' and 'Heavy Love' which haven't been available elsewhere -perhaps they'll turn up on Archives 2 in 2030.

Raise a glass.

The Whats - All Mouth, No Trousers

2009-05-29T17:32:00.005+10:00

Screamfeeder are currently playing a handful of shows around the country, giving their classic Kitten Licks album one more run for good measure.

Due to being a teenage metalhead I missed the whole Brisbane indie wave; a sin I am now trying to redeem myself from. Unfortunately though, I won't be making it to any of these shows, which saddens me as it may be my last chance to see the trio. I've asked a friend to bring me back a t-shirt, which is probably the next best thing.

Looking back to 2005 though, vocalist/guitarist Tim Steward and drummer Dean Shwereb recorded and released this album as a free download, which I now share for your indie-pop pleasure.

Released at the height of the duo-explosion, The Whats do well to distance themselves from the bluesy direction many of those other bands were taking, and instead remained true to their roots. Indeed, some tunes here could easily have been Screamfeeder throwaways ('Uneducated Guess' for example).

The brilliantly titled 'Oh' is a great, pop-smart ditty which bounces around in your head long after the final chord is hit. The album is full of short and sweet pop melodies, simple two/three chord riff structures and basic drum backing, which can be a duos downfall at times, but in The Whats' case it really is a matter of 'simple and effective'. And to prevent the album from becoming one-dimensional the pair add a little bit of Casiotone to the mix, adding to their quaint, indie sound.

Raise a glass.

V/A - When You Awake: Cosmic Australian Music (High Noon Saloon Guest Mixtape)

2009-05-23T07:59:00.008+10:00

When Jody at When You Awake kindly invited me to participate in their Guest Mixtape series, I told her I'd be honoured. The brief was simple enough - compile 10 of my favourite Australian artists' tunes and write a brief blurb on each. The task itself was a little more difficult though, in that narrowing it down just 10 songs meant leaving out some rather special artists. Hopefully, I still came up with something representative of Australian americana, and symbolic of High Noon Saloon's place in the blogworld.

Tracklisting: 01. Augie March - Lupus // 02. Shane Nicholson - Where the Water Goes // 03. The Gin Club - Drug Flowers // 04. Halfway - Timetables // 05. Wagons - Snake Bite // 07. Paul Kelly & Uncle Bill - Our Sunshine // 08. Holly Throsby - Some Nights Are Long // 09. The Kill Devil Hills - Drinking Too Much // 10. The Drones - Shark Fin Blues

Raise a Glass to When You Awake

The American Analog Set - Demo's & Live Recordings

2009-05-22T22:28:00.005+10:00

Though the Texan kings of psychedelic drone-pop haven't been active for some four years, they've just released the companion piece to their Through the 1990's: Singles & Unreleased compilation, entitled Hard To Find: Singles & Unreleased 2000-2005.

And as I've been spring-cleaning my hard-drive, I've uncovered a batch of AmAnSet tracks hiding beneath a dusty pile of digitally encoded audio files. From memory, I would've initially grabbed these tracks from the band's site as they regularly posted rare recordings for their fans, none of which appear to be on their latest collection.

My collection includes a few demo's ('Choir Vandals', 'Continuous Hit Music' and 'Secrets of the Heart'), some tracks recorded at Sun Studios in Dublin ('Key Strokes', 'Whitehouse' & 'I Must Soon Quit the Scene') and some disparate live recordings ('Punk as Fuck', 'Dreaming Moon' & 'New Equation').

Raise a glass.

V/A - Hit & Misc. Vol. 2

2009-05-18T19:33:00.008+10:00

Ever since I asked a more technologically-advanced friend of mine to download some mp3's off Napster nearly ten years ago, I've managed to accumulate a shitload of tunes from a plethora of different sources. I keep these files in my 'loose mp3's' folder, separate from my 'Full Albums' folder.

I've now started the rather arduous task of cleaning up my hard-drive; separating the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. The result will be additional volumes in the Hit & Misc. series.

Some tracks are obscure, some are relatively well known. I won't bore you with the details of how or why I happened to have them in my loose folder (truth is I can't recall), suffice to say that some are legit downloads, whilst others are not.

Tracklisting: 01 Calexico - Love Will Tear Us Apart // 02 Mike Knott - Tattoo // 03 Greg MacPherson - Southern Lights (Electric) // 04 Clothesline Revival - Ramblin' Man // 05 Barcelona - I Have The Password To Your Shell Account // 06 Muki - I Don't Want To Know // 07 Air - All I Need (Video Version) // 08 Run Dog Run - Capital // 09 Pinback - Manchuria // 10 H-Block 101 - Tolerate // 11 The Corbans - Claim // 12 The World Inside - Jimmy // 13 The Lemonheads - Outdoor Type // 14 Tori Amos - Smells Like Teen Spirit // 15 Japancakes - Theme For A Film // 16 The Cruel Sea - Hard Times // 17 John Butler Trio - Something's Gotta Give // 18 Promoe - Dreadsound Songs of Joy // 19 Elkland - Night Cranes // 20 Fur - Jimmy Rogers // 21 Drum:Kan - Away

Raise a glass.

Ronnie Fauss - New Songs for the Old Frontier, Vol. 1 (FTG)

2009-05-18T11:49:00.006+10:00

Released on FTG Records, Fauss' mini-album is full of memory-inducing, twang-inspired americana. The simple production (courtesy of Brent Best of The Drams/Slobberbone fame) accentuates the old-time feel in a contemporary setting. The folky tunes are good by the themselves, however it's the inclusion of some simple colourings (harmonica, pedal-steel, mandolin) that take the tunes down the dusty roads and into the bar-rooms of Dallas where Fauss resides.

Fauss' vocals have that whiskey-soaked roughness around the edges that contribute to the feel, however it's his observations on relationships that makes this six-tracker stand out thematically.

'The Saddest Love That's Ever Been Made' for example opens the disc with themes of a lonely relationship, with the lyrics perfectly capturing the mood of the music. 'The Night Before the War' (a Paul Westerberg type tune) recalls a discussion on the night that changed many of our lives, whilst the honky-tonkin' 'The Last' is another quaint observation with themes of drinking, smoking, and the happiest love that's ever been made.

'With Love' is a song that I can relate to, having lost my father at a young age. Thankfully I was spared the tragic imagery, nevertheless the sense of loss one feels as a result of such tragedy can ripple into adulthood.

Fauss isn't without humour as 'Pistols in the Air' demonstrates, with images of irresponsible fun rampage through the city. The theme is summed up beautifully in the line "Sure they'll get slapped in the face, but the fun is worth the hurt".

Having just opened the doors for folk to send me promo material for review purposes - and in doing so hopefully give my little blog some legitimacy - I can only hope that future packages contain material as half as good as this, as this is the benchmark.

Stream the album, raise a glass.

Charlie Parr - Live at Cafe Montmarte, April 2, 2009

2009-05-17T08:16:00.005+10:00

So last night I saw Charlie Parr in support of Paul Kelly at the Regent Theatre in Wollongong. Currently promoting the second installment of Songs from the South, Kelly's show was a celebration of his work over the past 20+ years, with tunes such as 'Dumb Things', 'Darling It Hurts' and 'Sweet Guy' mixed with 'Our Sunshine', 'God Told Me To', and 'You're 39, You're Beautiful and You're Mine'. Vika Bull provided 'back-ups' though she was invited to sing main on a number of tunes, including 'Sweet Guy' which, though initially sung from the woman's point of view anyhow, put the song into a new perspective.

The Regent Theatre is old movie theatre (I remember seeing the Return of the Jedi there) that was sold a few years back to a fundamentalist Christian church. They hold their services there each Sunday, but also use the space as a family friendly live venue (no alcohol). Despite the venue being robbed of some of it's atmosphere, both Kelly and Parr did well to create their own.

The majority of the audience would have been unfamiliar with Parr and his piedmont style of blues, save for perhaps '1922' which has been used in a phone commercial. Indeed, I overheard the folks behind me comparing Parr's image to the homeless guy who sat outside on the cold street asking for change. And though everyone appeared to appreciate his show (they all clapped politely at the appropriate moments), it was Kelly they were there to see. For me though, as much as I enjoy Kelly's work, Parr was the main attraction.

Unfortunately I do not have the right contacts to be able to get desk recordings, but I've found a few other Charlie shows on archive.org, including this one recorded last month at Cafe Montmarte, Wisconsin.

There's a bit of audience chatter, and again the applause is more of politeness than appreciation, but where the audience fails in enthusiasm, Parr makes up in tenacious delivery as he makes his own compositions such as '1922' sound as old-timey as classics such as 'Last Payday at Cold Creek'.

Raise a glass.

Cory Branan - Ardent Presents....

2009-05-15T17:14:00.007+10:00

In 2002 Mississippi-native Cory Branan penned one of the best opening lines of an unrequited love song with "In a town where you can sum up all the girls with just one sentence/Give or take the subject or the verb/She shows up like the devil said penance/Ain't nothin' ever be clear no more" ('Miss Ferguson'). It was a simple, auto-biographical boy meets girl, boy loses coherence theme, wrapped up in indie-pop perfection. Whether Miss Ferguson took Cory up on the offer of an afternoon date isn't clear, but the sentiment is resounding and any bloke that's gone weak at the knees at the sight of a beautiful girl knows where he's coming from.

Lucero's Ben Nichols clearly identified with such lyrics when he wrote the lyric "Cory Branan's got an evil streak/And a way with words that'll bring you to your knees/Oh he can play the wildest shows and he can sing so sweet" ('Tears Don't Matter Much') for 2003's That Much Further West.

2009 should see the release of a new album by Cory Branan, his first since 2006's 12 Songs, and in the lead up to the release, he's starting to pop up in various places roadtesting some new tunes. Places such as Ardent Presents..., where Cory played a half-hour set for your downloading pleasure.

Check it out... raise a glass.

Something For Kate - Live at the Wireless 2001

2009-05-12T15:07:00.005+10:00

As usual I'm drawing inspiration from this weekend's Rockwiz repeats, which featured Something for Kate frontman Paul Dempsey (as well as that really annoying Kate Miller-Heidke). For those that missed it, Paul performed 'Monsters' and dueted with Miller-Heidke on the George Michael classic 'Careless Whisper' - take Miller-Heidke out of the equation for a stunning reinterpretation.

Seeing Paul perform again prompted me to dig out some older SFK material, which of course led me to a rarity which I present here for your pleasure.

In support of Echolalia the band hit Triple J studios to record a set featuring a bunch of tunes from the album. Without putting Dempsey onto some sort of prophet's pedestal, I find myself identifying with his unique way of describing the world around him, and his ability to pinpoint his own feelings on his observations.

'Monsters' is full of these insights such as the opening line "I was hanging upside-down from the overpass/Waiting to discover something about the world...", or the line "I was trying to be two-hundred thousand years younger/So I could excuse myself from human kind." He also repeats the line "I don't want to slide into apathy" which is a simple but remarkable way of detailing his concern that the mundane will one day take over him.

Likewise there's some great word-play in tunes such as 'Seasick' where he sings "Thank-you, the pressure has been all mine."

Again, SFK are a band I've drifted from a bit, in part due to their last studio album (Desert Lights) being a disappointment. Dempsey is about to release his first solo album and the first single 'Out the Airlock' has renewed my interest in him and the band.

Raise a glass.

27 - Non-Album Tracks

2009-05-11T18:50:00.004+10:00

Despite being a big 27 fan a few years back, my recent obsession with thangs that twang has seen me become a little estranged from the Boston trio. Their 2005 album (or 2007 on some labels) Holding For Brighter Days received rave reviews, many claiming it to be their best. Though I do own a copy, I have to admit to neglecting it, preferring the dark pop of Songs from the Edge of the Wing or the more spritely Let the Light In EP.

In a recent clean-up of my hard-drive I discovered a treasure trove of non-album tracks from the band and thought it worth compiling for y'all listening pleasure.

Often courted by post-hardcore heavyweights such as Isis, Neurosis, Pelican and Cave In, the band have thus flown under the indie radar, instead picking up an unlikely following in the metal realm. But the tunes here demonstrate the band's versatility. Though they've always traveled an indie-pop path, their approach has varied significantly. 'Matera' for example is taken from a Release Entertainment comp entitled Funeral Songs which featured experimental artists such as Shinjuku Thief and Amber Asylum, whereas their cover of of Gnarls Barkley's 'Crazy' shows their true pop colours.

Raise a glass.

Antony - Behold the Lamb of God (demo)

2009-05-07T22:17:00.006+10:00

The most revelatory personal discovery for 2009 thus far has been Antony Hegarty; he of Antony and the Johnsons fame.

His name was one I'd heard thrown about for some time, usually accompanied with descriptives such as 'genius', 'eccentric', 'colourful' and 'unique', but tentative explorations left me underwhelmed. That was until I saw the video for 'Epilepsy is Dancing' from the new album The Crying Light. I've since been espousing the values of Antony to all I come in contact with who I suspect may have an ear for someone as special as he.

I literally stumbled upon this demo of his the other day as I was updating my wallpaper and thought I'd share it with y'all. Recorded in '95, it's a quaint little thing with Hegarty's haunting vocals and dramatic strings as backdrop. There's even a little carnival atmosphere in the ironically titled 'Doomsday'.

Now, I know Antony doesn't necessarily fit into the scope of High Noon Saloon's mission statement, but the beauty of blogging is one can post whatever the hell they want, without pandering to advertisers and annoying editors.

So to Antony, I raise a glass.

The Only Sons - Steel Hearts

2009-05-04T17:21:00.005+10:00

Tennessean quartet The Only Sons are starting to gather momentum. Previously known as Ribbonpigeon, the band have recently (and wisely) changed their name, in preparation for the physical release of their second album, Steel Hearts on Sophomore Lounge.

As other blogs of note will tell you though, Steel Hearts is currently available as a free download on the bands website, and it's well worth expending your download quota on. The band employ a hard-edged twang recalling Steve Earle at his meanest, or similarly, Suburban Home artists such as Drag the River, with whom the band have shared stages. Vocalist/guitarist Kent Goolsby's voice has that whiskey-rasp characteristic perfected by the likes of Ryan Bingham, while Mike Burgess' lapsteel adds the necessary country flavour.

Rounded out by Jonathan Merritt and Blake Loftis (bass & drums respectively), The Only Sons have come up with what could very well be the best freebie since Glossary's The Better Angels of our Nature and are about to hit the road to spread the word.

Raise a glass.

Jack Elliott - Hootenanny with Jack Elliott

2009-04-29T22:54:00.007+10:00

High Noon Saloon's by-line reads: "Vintage and alternative styles of country, blues, folk and indie." Yet, after redesigning High Noon Saloon, I realised just how little vintage country, folk and blues I'd actually posted. The following is an attempt to remedy that oversight.

Though Ramblin' Jack Elliott has spent the better part of the last fifty years traveling and reinterpreting the country/folk songs popularised by his peers, he has largely lived in the shadow of the memory of his idol Woody Guthrie. Early albums of Guthrie material probably did little to seperate him from the legend, but his latest Anti- album A Stranger Here takes a bold step away from that life-long comparison and looks at pre-war blues. Produced by Joe Henry A Stranger Here stands in stark contrast against the raw folk found on his 2006 album I Stand Alone.

Rewind a few years (45 to be exact) and you'll find yourself at the 2nd Fret in Philadelphia watching some great folk and bluegrass acts as they blew through town. One of the artists was Ramblin' Jack Elliott, playing the songs of, and thus continuing the traditions of, Guthrie, Leadbelly, Jimmie Rodgers and Sons of the Pioneers.

Recorded in '64 Hootenanny is an intimate recording, and shows Elliott in his youth, yet to inspire and influence the likes of Dylan, Townes and Willie.

Raise a glass.

V/A - Safety Pin Design: Mixtape

2009-04-24T22:35:00.008+10:00

To help me launch the new-look site, my good friend Dan "Ol' Time" Phelan over at Safety Pin Design has put together the first ever High Noon Saloon guest mixtape. With a love of both punk and ol' time music, Dan's music collection is nothing if not diverse, as evidenced by this here comp.

Dan's also a crack graphic designer to boot, and y'all should contact him if you need some work done.

Listen to twenty of his favourite tunes whilst browsing his work.

Tracklist: 01 Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ramblin' Man / 02 Phosphorescent - Reasons To Quit / 03 John Prine - The Other Side Of Town / 04 Richmond Fontaine - Casino Lights / 05 Magnolia Electric Co. - Nashville Moon / 06 Tim Barry - Dog Bumped / 07 Chatham County Line - Speed of the Whippoorwill / 08 Mary Gauthier - I Drink / 09 Uncle Tupelo - Acuff-Rose / 10 Damien Jurado - Medication / 11 Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield - $1,000 Wedding / 12 Rodney Crowell - Bluebird Wine / 13 Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion - In Lieu Of Flowers / 14 Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris - Making Plans / 15 Caitlin Cary & Thad Cockrell - Conversations About A Friend (Who's In Love With Katie) / 16 John Prine with Iris DeMent - In Spite Of Ourselves / 17 Chuck Ragan & Austin Lucas - Cold Night / 18 The SteelDrivers - Blue Side Of The Mountain / 19 Dwight Yoakam & Sheryl Crow - Baby Don't Go / 20 Social Distortion - Making Believe

Damien Jurado - Vary 7"

2009-04-19T22:28:00.012+10:00

While I'm at it, I may as well post another Damien Jurado 7". This one was put out on blue vinyl by Christian label Tooth & Nail. Though he continues to profess a Christian-based faith, that section of the music-listening community seem to have increasingly distanced themselves from him for what they claim is a less-than-Christian lifestyle, demonstrating the ignorance and narrow mindset that current-day Christianity breeds.

Side A is a noisier Jurado than what some may be used to, showing his indie/punk roots, but 'Sad Boy, Happy Girl' on the B-side sees him in more acoustic territory.

It was also around this time that Jurado experiemented a lot with found sounds, as can be heard through the samples, loops and drum machines on 'Rainer Valley'.

Drink up, Damien.

Damien Jurado - Motorbike 7"

2009-04-18T23:19:00.006+10:00

I recently went out and bought a classic 120gb iPod with a lil' help from K. Rudd's stimulus package, and I've subsequently fallen in love with the 'album shuffle' function. I've often stood in front of my music collection looking for something to put on, but have been paralysed by choice. 'Big Black' (as I have named my iPod) cures my indecisiveness each morning by choosing whatever the fuck it likes.

Today, it chose to play my favourite Damien Jurado 7", and prompted me to share it with the rest of y'all.

Released in '95 by Sub Pop, this is a quaint lil' platter with 4 tracks about the simple things in life. 'Broken Chain', for example, opens with the line: "You got your bike, it doesn't work, the chain fell off", before striding into a marching beat with the line "Leave your helmet home, you won't wear it anyway".

Similarly, in 'Bicycle' Jurado proudly describes his new two-wheeler (complete with reflectors, colourful streamers, basket and bell) and how his jealous neighbours flip him off as he zooms past.

Raise a glass to Damien, but please don't drink n' ride.

V/A - Hit & Misc. Vol. 1

2009-04-13T00:47:00.017+10:00

I've been meaning to post a new mixtape for sometime, but have lacked the motivation. Having found the much-needed inspiration in recent online comps such as Lonesome Music's guest mixtape on When You Awake, and the aforeposted Suburban Home's sampler, I sat down and compiled my favourite odds n' ends.

The majority of these tracks are from other comps, rarities collections, soundtracks, and the like. Coincidentally, there's a few covers, but there's also a few originals I tracked down following being exposed to a crackin' cover.

I've kept it at a CDR's-length for your convenience. Enjoy.

01: Sarah Blasko - 'Flame Trees'
Taken from the Little Fish soundtrack, Blasko takes a bogan song from a bogan band and turns it into a work of art. Who'da thunk that Barnesy was such a poet?!

02: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds with Chris Bailey - 'Bring it On'
I'm more a passerby with Nick Cave. Though I regularly put his 'Best of' on, I've never gotten into any of his albums proper. Taken from their Nocturama album, this was recorded and released after the Best of, and as such I have a need to put it on a comp that I'm more likely to play.

03: John Zorn & Mike Patton - 'The Ballad of Hank McCain'
Taken from the 15th anniversary edition of The Big Gundown, where Zorn reinterprets the music of Ennio Morricone. Though I was a big Faith No More fan back in the nineties, I lost touch after King for a Day, and didn't really follow Patton into his various guises (though Mr Bungle's California is a masterpiece). This is, to my mind, one of his best vocal performances. Creepy and menacing.

04: Bernard Fanning - 'Shelter For My Soul'
Taken from the Ned Kelly soundtrack (RIP Heath) I believe this is Fanning's virgin solo recording. It plays as the credits roll, to dramatic effect and sees Bernald (as he is affectionately known) using his vocals beyond the usual Powderfinger yawnfest.

05: Iron & Wine - 'Such Great Heights'
Taken from the Garden State soundtrack, this is a Postal Service cover and the first Iron & Wine track to grab my attention. I love the delicate romance of the song, and it is this song, rather than The Shins' contribution, that'll change your life.

06: Nirvana - 'Ain't it a Shame'
Putting aside the questionable lyrics, this a fantastic Leadbelly cover from the Silver boxset. It also demonstrates that Kurt really did like Leadbelly, and 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night' wasn't just a whimsical choice when the cameras were on.

07: Machine Translations with CW Stoneking - 'Spoonful'
Taken from Dig: The Australian Blues Project CD, this is one of the earliest recordings of Stoneking that I've been able to find. A traditional classic, 'Spoonful' was composed by Willie Dixon and has been included in the repertoire of countless blueso's ever since. J. Walker (aka Machine Translations) was originally from my neck o' the woods, and I had the rare chance to see him one night playing a deconstructed piano with a improv. band backing him. A truly unique artist.

08: Billy Bragg - 'The Price of Oil'
Taken from the Peace Not War comp around the time of the US invasion of Iraq. Bragg, as usual, wears his politics on his sleeve, anunciating what many of us were thinking.

09: Big Heavy Stuff - 'Hyperballad'
Taken from Triple J's Like a Version series, one of my favourite Aussie indie bands performs one of my favourite Bjork tracks. This delicate arrangement belies the dark undertones, while the acoustic nature gives a new twist on a song composed by an artist who works almost exclusively with beats and strings.

10: Dandy Warhols - 'Hells Bells'
I originally lifted this off the Dandy's website around the time of Thirteen Tales..., however it's since reappeared on their B-sides comp Come on feel the Dandy Warhols. A bit like the Big Heavy Stuff track, the Dandy's deconstruct a hard rock staple into a menacing tex-mex tune, that I love playing along to.

11: Freedy Johnston - 'Bad Reputation'
I first came across this tune on a Death Cab For Cuties rarities comp. I have no idea who Freedy Johnston is or was, or why Ben Gibbard thought it worthwhile covering, but I'm glad he did. Death Cab's version is true to the original, though I prefer the pop-production on Freedy's version.

12: The Postal Service - 'Against All Odds'
If you haven't already cottoned on, I like 'reinterpretations' as opposed to covers. I love it when an artist deconstructs a song so that's almost unrecognizable, finding new ways to express what the original artist was saying. That said, and ss cheesy as it is, Phil Collin's 'Against All Odds' is one of my all-time favourite songs. I thank The Postal Service for making it cool to like it.

13: Ween - 'Gabrielle'
This was my favourite song on the radio a few years back. More Thin Lizzy than Thin Lizzy, Ween tackle the Dublin-rock genre with aplomb. I believe t his is available on their rarities comp Shinola Vol. 1 though I just have it sitting in my random mp3 folder.

14: Matt Walker - 'Welcome Me Home'
Years before I ever began exploring the blues, I saw Matt Walker and Ashley Davies play on the telly, and it's stuck with me ever since. I'm not sure where I got this track from, but I believe it's a one-off recording done for a local blues project.

15: Jim Roll - 'Eddie Rode the Orphan Train'
Jason Ringenberg introduced me to this song on his Empire Builders album. Again, I have no idea as to who Jim Roll is and I should perhaps seek out more of his work, as this is story-telling in song at its' best.

16: Otis Gibbs - '1913 Massacre'
I got sent Otis Gibbs' Once I Dreamed of Christmas as a promo before I was into country, and almost immediately dismissed it. I must've given the disc away cos I can't locate it now, but I must've ripped this track first. Of course, this is a Woody Guthrie cover, and I would've had no idea who Guthrie was at the time. So the fact that this tune stuck out, and I now list Guthrie as one my all-time favourite performers, is something of a curiosity.

17: Songs: Ohia - 'The Last Bandit'
Recorded about the time that Jason Molina was dismantling Songs: Ohia and reinventing himself under the Magnolia Electric Co. guise, he recorded a couple of Nikki Sudden (RIP) tunes. Secretly Canadian releasd this one as part of the SC100 comp, celebrating 100 releases for the label. Short but striking.

18: Beck - 'Ship in a Bottle'
A bonus track to some versions of the perfect break-up album, Sea Change. To date it's the only Beck album I truly enjoy, though I find it too depressing to listen to these days.

19: Gomez - 'Getting Better'
I had Gomez's Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline (from which this tune is taken) on cassette when I owned my first VW Kombi. I'd regularly pop it in the player as I chugged around town. Actually there's a few good tracks on that rarities comp. Now I no longer have a cassette player (or a Kombi for that matter) I should get myself a CD copy.

Drink responsibly.

Patterson Hood - Live at Andrews Upstairs, March 3, 2006

2009-04-12T14:10:00.007+10:00

So last night was my virgin Drive-By Truckers live show. I met up with fellow blogger Amanda from Flop Eared Mule who bestowed upon me her love for Lucinda and the brilliance of Booker T, before teaching me her Twittering techniques. The Truckers' were supporting themselves tonight with Booker T (performing as Booker T & The DBT's), and Amanda was rather keen to the soul legend in the flesh - and if possible - touch him.

I'd not had the pleasure of attending a show at the Factory before, and I was immediately impressed by the non-stick carpet and vast auditorium. After a trip to the merch table and bar we headed to the front of stage so Amanda could be within an arms' reach of the Stax man himself.

Bookers' show was made up primarily of tunes from his new album, Potato Hole, complete with covers from Tom Waits and Outkast. A man of few words, he finished his set off with 'Green Onions' - which, as Amanda had assured me, I knew the moment I heard it.

There was a report that the sound was rather poor at the back, so I decided to stay up front for the Truckers' also. Ordinarily I'm the guy that stands at the back, arms folded, waiting to be impressed. But a Truckers' show, I correctly summised, demands volume, sweat, and drunken sing-alongs.

Like Booker T's set, the band just plowed through their set without much between song banter. I was impressed by their lack of a setlist, just making it up as the went. They didn't appear to play a lot from their latest opus, Brighter Than Creations' Dark which suited me, as I do prefer The Dirty South-era - from which they played plenty.

Booker T joined the band for the encore, and the grand finale of feedback intertwined with the soul man's Hammond was eerie and spine-tingling.

To celebrate this event, here's a Patterson Hood live show from a couple o' years back. The crowd sound uninterested insofar as the audible chatter in the background, yet the whole place appear to join in the sing-alongs when he pulls out classic Truckers material.

To the Truckers... we drink!

Seasick Steve - I Started Out With Nothing and I Still Got Most of it Left [bonus disc]

2009-04-10T19:27:00.008+10:00

Seasick's in town this week for the Bluesfest and he's been media-whoring himself with appearances on Spicks n' Specks and 7.30 Report.

Unfortunately the credit crisis has hit the hip-pocket so I won't be attending any his sideshow at the Metro, but I rest in the knowledge that I saw him last year at the intimate Basement.

In a "wish-I-was-there" kinda moment, here's the bonus disc that comes with some versions of his I Started Out With Nothing.... disc of last year.

It's a spoken word thang, with Seasick telling stories of his hobo days along with some incidental tracks of him ordering meals.

Unfortunately, I'm missing track 4, so if anyone can help me complete this set, I'd be forever grateful. [Update: Thanks Charles who's provided the link for the full 6 tracks]

To Seasick... Cheers!

V/A - Suburban Home Records: Summer 2009 Sampler

2009-04-09T20:34:00.006+10:00

Suburban Home recently made this, their summer sampler, available for free on their website.

Featuring such punktry acts as Drag the River, Tim Barry and Two Cow Garage (and more) you can either stream it from the above player, or legally download it from here.

Songs: Ohia - Nor Cease Thou Never Now 7"

2009-04-04T17:25:00.010+11:00

April 18, 2009 marks Record Store Day and a growing number of artists are readying limited edition releases to celebrate the occasion.

Magnolia Electric Co.'s contribution is a neat lil' 7" featuring three tunes recorded prior to their 2008 tour of the States, and one the year prior. It also features the final recording of Evan Farrell, who was tragically killed in a house fire just prior to Christmas last year.

To celebrate the news of this release, I've decided to post the very first Songs: Ohia 7" (pre-Magnolia) featuring two songs ('Soul' & 'Freedom Pt 2') of typical bedroom-quality lo-fi.

This lil' platter was originally released in '96 on Palace Records and limited to 1,000 copies. Of course, it is now out-of-print.

To Molina... have a drink.

Naama Hillman - In Between the Lights EP

2009-04-03T21:36:00.007+11:00

Despite stumbling upon this EP a few years back, it's one I keep coming back to when I'm looking for quaint, genteel alt-country.

Based in London, Hillman released In Between the Lights in 2006, posting it on her website as a free download where it remains to this day.

She's since released an album proper in the form of Living Room which I admittedly have failed to seek out. However that should be seen as a reflection of my general reluctance to purchase unheard albums, rather than the quality of Hillman's musicianship.

In Between the Lights - though brief - is a remarkable lil' gem with all the qualities one looks for in acoustic, laidback americana. Comparing Hillman's vocals with the likes of Sera Cahoone or Margo Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) wouldn't be inappropriate, with the melancholia of the tunes suiting the husky and melodic approach.

Of particular note is Hillman's beautiful version of 'Ring of Fire' which manages to turn the mariachi dancehall classic into a delicate, dining-room tear-jerker.

To Naama... I raise a glass.

(nb: I've linked directly to the artists' site where the download is available. If it, at any time, discontinues to work, please let me know.)

Mike Noga - Folk Songs

2009-03-29T21:04:00.008+11:00

Better known for his work behind the kit for The Drones, Mike Noga also steps out occasionally as a solo artist, and more recently fronting The Gentlemen of Fortune. Before that he was the skinsman for cockrock parody band The Legends of Motorsport, and has also helped out the likes of Mick Turner (Dirty Three) and Kim Salmon.

But whereas the band situation allows Noga to 'rock out with his cock out' (so to speak), his solo output sees him in a more laid-back state. Taking cues from the likes of M. Ward, Donovan, Bob Dylan, and Billy Bragg.

Recorded by J. Walker (CW Stoneking, Wagons, The Whitlams) of Machine Translations, the album is both simple and stark. From the Pogues-ish 'The Battle' to the wonderfully contemplative 'The Day We Almost Died', the album is a brief sojourn into the world of a serious talent.

Raise a glass to Mike.

The Drones - Here Come the Lies

2009-03-29T19:45:00.009+11:00

From the get-go you know the debut effort of The Drones is going to be noisy. Like Crazy Horse meets Beasts of Bourbon, Here Come the Lies starts with the strangled guitar style Gareth Liddiard has since perfected, and doesn't let up.

This is the band's first full length (a self-titled EP was recorded in 2001) and features a mix of originals and fucked-up covers, giving us a glimpse into the band's record collection (Leadbelly, Rev Gary Davis, Chuck Berry, The Cramps).

Formed in Perth in the late nineties, the bands' line-up has altered regularly, and at times have included members of Harpoon, Nunchukka Superfly, and Kill Devil Hills.

Liddiard's approach to his guitar is mimicked in his vocal delivery which is emphasized by his thick, tortured Australian accent.

The blues in The Drones' sound is often buried beneath a wall of distortion, but those partial to the occasional ear bleed will gain great pleasure from this.

Play it loud... drink it down.

Ben Gibbard/Andrew Kenny - Home Vol. 5 EP

2009-03-21T08:23:00.010+11:00

For those enjoying the American Analog Set demos, here's another lil' trinket for your listening pleasure.

The Home series is a quaint lil' splits project facilitated by Post-Parlo, which is simple enough in concept and delivery: take two minor indie stars, ask them to record three, stripped down acoustic tracks plus one cover of each other.

Volume 5 is perhaps the biggest success of this series with Andrew Kenny from American Analog Set meeting up with Death Cab For Cutie's Ben Gibbard. Of course, when this was originally released in May '03, Mr Gibbard was still just a minor star. Then Plans happened.

Gibbard's approach here finds that counter-balance of introspection and melody, whilst Kenny goes headlong into his usual pop-affected shoegazing. Gibbard does AmAnSet's 'Choir Vandals' whilst Kenny does Death Cab's 'Line of Best Fit'.

To Ben and Andrew... we drink!

The American Analog Set - Set Free (demos)

2009-03-20T22:10:00.008+11:00

Whatever happened to Amanset? After their stunning 2005 album Set Free, they seem to have just disappeared. Their website hasn't been updated since early '07, and their label website remains the same as when the album was released. Their myspace tells us that Andrew Kenny has recently scored the music for a short film, but other than that, their whereabouts is a mystery.

Based in Austin, Texas, the band began in the mid-nineties and pioneered a resurgence in post-rock along with the likes of Mogwai and Tortoise. Their early sound openly incorporated a typically Texan twang though it was often buried beneath the long instrumental passages. The band experimented with electronica on their 2002 remix EP, Updates and became more pop-oriented as time went on.

Set Free looked to be their breakthrough album (though I personally preferred 2003's Promise of Love) with widespread release, and at the time were rumoured to be visiting Australian shores. Alas, that tour never eventuated and the momentum fizzled away.

Given that it's been a long time between drinks... let's fill the glass.

(nb: I've linked directky to the band's website for this download. Please advise if it discontinues to work.)

Ryan Bingham - Dead Horses

2009-03-14T08:33:00.008+11:00

From the "what No Depression taught me this week" files, comes news that Ryan Bingham will be dropping a new album on May 5, titled Roadhouse Sun. His Mescalito album of '07 was one of my faves of that year, with it's contemplative, Americana landscapes.

Before Mescalito broke him though, Bingham had been working the bars and saloons of desolate America for a few years and had recorded a couple of self-released albums. The details about this one, however, are difficult to find.

To my ears, I suspect this is the recording that won over the folks at Lost Highway. I further suspect that the label took it, remastered it and booked the man in for some studio time to record a couple more tracks to round it all off. There are moments on Dead Horses that sound exactly like Mescalito ('Boracho Station' - complete with Terry Allen guest vocals), whereas tracks like 'Other Side' does have a demo quality to it, whilst the opening track 'Big Country Sky' never made it onto the album at all.

To Ryan B... we drink.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Troubles Up and Down the Road EP

2009-03-13T21:05:00.011+11:00

Fuck the credit crunch... Let's honky-tonk! That was the general feeling last night as Old Crow Medicine Show played an energetic set at The Metro. Old-timey songs about drugs, parties, murder and girls were delivered to an enthusiastic Sydney crowd.

The audience was a decent size and a varied age-range, and the whole joint sang in unison to 'Wagon Wheel'. To be honest I had no idea that OCMS had such a rabid following out here.

So here's the band's first official, and currently out-of-print, EP. The recording is rough n' ready - which to my mind suits the quintet better than the most recent Don Was-produced Tennessee Pusher - and features the superior version of the aforementioned roof-raiser, 'Wagon Wheel'.

Pour some of that Alabama hytest.

V/A - Poet: A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt

2009-03-07T22:21:00.011+11:00

Another release we're all looking forward to this year is Steve Earle's tribute to Townes Van Zandt, simply entitled Townes. As if it's not enough that he named his own son after the late, great TVZ, he's gotta go and record a tribute album as well.

Not that I'm complaining. That Townes' name is not a household one, is tantamount to criminal. On his recent tour here Steve played 'Pancho & Lefty' and a few months later, when his son Justin Townes Earle toured, he played 'Mr Mudd & Mr Gold'. Both Earles tackled the work of Townes with such reverance and passion it was hard not to believe that on each occasion the man himself was looking on with a sense of bemused pride.

The tracklist for Townes has been released, and there's some grumblings about it's predictability. Personally, that's not something I'm all too concerned about. If the album raises the profile of either Townes or Steve then I shan't be bitching an iota.

In the meantime, y'all might wish to check out this tribute album from 2001. It has the usual suspects on deck - Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris, Cowboy Junkies, and of course Steve Earle. But the stand-out track to my mind is Townes' son John T. Van Zandt and his sparse version of 'My Proud Mountains' which brings a tear to my eye.

To both, Steve & Townes... we drink.

Eels - Live on KCRW: Morning Becomes Eclectic

2009-03-06T21:58:00.007+11:00

The big news this week is the announcement of a new Eels album to be released in June this year. Hombre Lobo will be E's first studio album since the amazing Blinking Lights and Other Revelations - one of the few double albums that a) warranted being a double, and b) holds my attention for the entire duration.

What sets Blinking Lights apart from other Eels albums is it's reliance on songs as opposed to studio-trickery. This means the tunes hold up better in a live environment as demonstrated on 2006's With Strings album.

One of my favourite books of last year was the frank and quaint Things the Grandchildren Should Know - E's autobiography of sorts. E - or Mark Oliver Everitt as it states on his birth certificate - applied a simple style of writing, coupled with naive honesty allowing a lot more people into his world than he probably cares for. A recluse in many ways, Blinking Lights and Grandchildren was a way for E to explore his shyness and preferred privacy as well as admitting he's a lot more like his father than he first realised.

I'm not a big fan of previous Eels albums - my second favourite is E's solo debut, A Man Called (E) - so I'm curious as to how I'm going to take Hombre Lobo come June 2.

Until then, let's raise a glass to E.

Mick Thomas - The Croxton Podcasts: Song for Song with MJT

2009-02-28T13:52:00.008+11:00

I've only recently been introduced to the work of Mick Thomas, but as is often the case, it seems his name pops up everywhere now I know who he is.

Perhaps best compared to the likes of Mark Seymour and Paul Kelly, Thomas formed Weddings Parties Anything in Melbourne in the mid-eighties and went onto travel the world and record seven albums where the band played traditional pub rock with touches of Australian bush-balladeering.

Since disbanding WPA in '99 Thomas has kept busy by playing solo, as well as shows with The Sure Thing, setting up Croxton Records and collaborating with his brother Steve in writing and performing in The Tank, a musical theatre project that's about to tour through Victoria, which'll include stops at fire-affected towns such as Healesville.

Addtionally, Mick Thomas has been working with The Go Set and more recently The Gin Club on their new album (see previous post below).

This is a set of four podcasts where Thomas goes head-to-head with some of his favourite local artists, swapping songs and stories. Each episode goes for about 20-minutes and features Darren Hanlon, Van Walker, Nick Barker and Wally & Keeno from The Go Set.

Time for another round...

The Gin Club - Juniper Snus

2009-02-27T17:43:00.012+11:00

* High Noon by Consent *

Now-defunct Brisbane indie-rock band The KT26ers had a really cool tune called 'If You Love The Pixies'.

Now-on-hiatus Brisbane rock band Giants of Science paid honour to The KT26ers by recording a tune called 'If You Love The KT26ers'.

Now-active Brisbane alt.country band The Gin Club was originally formed as a side-project to Giants of Science by vocalist/guitarist Ben Salter.

Mr Salter, or Salty Dog to his mates. has kindly granted permission for High Noon to post this tune from their rarities CD, Hissy Fit.

The band is a somewhat loose unit with a seemingly revolving door of musicians joining the ensemble at any given moment. Being a multi-instrumentalist and a songwriter appears to be a pre-requisite of joing the ensemble, with a gig being almost as entertaining for their infamous instrument swaps as their tunes.

Despite being a logistical nightmare, the band have managed to record three albums, including last years' Junk, itself a double CD, an EP and the aforementioned rarities comp.

As reported this week, the band are about to embark on an East Coast tour before heading overseas to continue work on their new album, which already features a collaboration with the near-legendary Mick Thomas.

Try The Gin Club if you love seventies FM radio, traditional folk tunes, Beatlesque harmonies, old-time country, and indie-rock.

To Salty Dog and the Ginners... I drink.

Spencer P Jones feat. The Escape Committee - Fugitive Songs

2009-02-22T12:05:00.010+11:00

If ever the term "living legend" was appropriate, it's alongside the name of Spencer P. Jones.

Probably best known for his work in seminal cowpunk band The Johnnys, Jones went on to form The Beasts of Bourbon with the equally legendary Tex Perkins, and on the side performed as part of Paul Kelly's Coloured Girls, Chris Bailey's General Dog and numerous other temporary acts.

Recorded with The Escape Committee in 2007, Fugitive Songs is a sparse, but diverse recording that is as dangerous as it is contemplative. The mournful 'Death Trip USA' perfectly counters the upbeat and driving cover of John Mayall's 'Top of the World', while the countrified 'Blow out the Candles' sounds like a lost Paul Kelly classic. 'She's Not Kidding 'Round' carries the classic Jagger-Swagger, while 'I'm On To You' sounds as though it's been lifted from The Saints' cutting room floor.

Never one to turn down a drink... I raise a glass to Spencer.

The Beasts of Bourbon - Psycho 7"

2009-02-21T00:44:00.006+11:00

I recently came across Jack Kittel's tune 'Psycho', and couldn't, for the life of me, figure out where I'd heard the song before. That was until my good friend Dan over at Safety Pin Design reminded me of this cover.

The Beasts of Bourbon aren't a band I've always liked. In fact it wasn't until their last album, Little Animals that I first got interested in their irreverent combination of punk/blues/garage rock. Though they've been on again/off again for some time, word has it that the band are finally no more after guitarist Spencer P Jones and vocalist Tex Perkins went a few rounds mid-Euro tour last year. The band make an official "statement" (it's really no more than a couple of sentences) on their myspace page about this. Not surprising really, given the volatile personalities within the band.

Anyway... let's re-live the past a little with this classic.

Pour another bourbon.

Greg Graffin - Live at Silver Wings, Berlin (May 4, 2006)

2009-02-14T14:51:00.009+11:00

Staying with the punk theme for a moment, I present you with a high-quality boot of professor, life scientist, paleontologist, punk-rocker, and folk singer Greg Graffin.

Better known as the front man for Bad Religion, Graffin has stepped out on his own in the past few years and in doing so inspiring a whole generation of punks to go acoustic (Tim Barry, Nikola Sarcevic, Chuck Ragan, etc...).

Graffin's first solo effort American Lesion was released in '97 following the break-up of his marriage, however it's the follow-up recording Cold as the Clay which sees Graffin hit his stride. Released on Anti- in 2006, the album is an even mix of old-time rural traditionals and self-penned tunes produced by band-mate and Epitaph owner, Brett Gurewitz.

This show was part of Graffin's tour of Germany in 2006, promoting Cold as the Clay and features songs from both solo albums, as well as a couple of versions of Bad Religion tunes played on acoustic guitar or piano.

To Dr Graffin... we drink.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Love Their Country

2009-02-13T18:54:00.012+11:00

As we all know, old punks never die... they just go country.

Anyone with one foot in the punk scene will no doubt know all this (and probably better than I), but allow me to clue in the country purists. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a pop-punk cover band made up of members of Lagwagon, NOFX, Foo Fighters and the Swingin' Utters. Their career started off as a joke as they turned classic pop songs into rollicking punk for various comps and seven inches.

As the original idea developed however, the band were soon touring and releasing complete albums. Each of their six studio efforts cover a set theme; pop, R&B, showtunes. 2006's Love Their Country is their homage to the twang.

From the vintage classic of Hank's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" to the modern murder song of the Dixies' 'Goodbye Earle', Fat Mike and the boys transform these country classics into punchy punk anthems, and whilst on paper it all sounds novelty, the bands' reverence for the originals shines through the in reinterpretations.

Trainspotters will love the bands' penchant for throwing in random punk riffs into their covers. For example, check out the Misfit's riff at the beginning of "On the Road Again".

To the punk kid within us all.... we drink!

Drive-By Truckers - Rare Tracks

2009-02-06T21:00:00.010+11:00

As reported last week, Drive-By Truckers are set to bring their southern rock opera downunder for the first time in April Oh-Nine. Slotting onto the bill of what is fast becoming a decent Bluesfest line-up (along with DBT, there'll be performances by Seasick Steve, Lucinda Williams, Rodney Crowell, & CW Stoneking), I suspect the band will also be setting up some sideshows for those of us that just can't brave the festival circuit any longer.

Of course, in true High Noon tradition, we commemorate this announcement with a posting of an unofficial release. Here we have a collection of live and studio recordings by the band from various sources - the bulk of which come from the bonus disc which accompanied some copies of A Blessing and a Curse.

The band's version of 'Like a Rolling Stone' is killer!

To the Truckers.... we drink.

Hat Fitz and Itchy - Hold My Hand (live)

2009-02-05T21:01:00.014+11:00

**High Noon Saloon by Consent!**

I've had a few requests for more Australian blues, and you'd be hard pressed getting anything more Australian than Hat Fitz & Itchy. Brought up on his fathers' love of Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, Hat inherited a love for old time blues on vintage vinyl and joined his first jug band whilst still his teens.

Since then, Hat has formed and toured with the Blooze Bitz, the Jug Sloucherz, and the Freakz as well as recording with Jeff Lang as The Silverbacks. And through all of this, drummer, washboarder and compadre Itchy has been by Hatz's side

With many, many thanks to Sinkerz (Hat Fitz's management), here's Hat and Itchy recorded live at the Royal Mail Hotel, Goodna, Queensland, December 6, 2008.

This track will be included as part of a Japanese-only compilation but until then, High Nooners get first crack.

Raise a glass to Hat, Itchy and Sinkerz!

Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson - Rattlin' Bones: The Max Sessions

2009-01-30T21:39:00.006+11:00

The surprise release for me in 2008 was the Rattlin' Bones album by husband & wife duo Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson. Previous to Rattlin' Bones I simply couldn't take Chambers' voice, and I was unaware of who Nicholson even was. This album changed all that.

At Tamworth on the weekend the duo won a swag of CMAA Golden Guitars for their efforts, and so I feel it's fitting to post the Max sessions the pair recorded at Sydney Opera House.

Available as a bonus disc to some copies of the aforementioned album, The Max Sessions contains 10 tracks in all, 8 of which are from Rattlin' Bones (the remaining two are solo tracks from each of the partnership). There is plenty of sweet interplay between the married couple making the recording an especially intimate affair.

To Kasey n' Shane... we raise a glass.

The Fumes - Shake Them Bones (digital single)

2009-01-29T21:39:00.008+11:00

This here post marks a minor milestone in the history of High Noon Saloon, in that it is my first sanctioned download. OK, so it's only 1 song, but I have the permission of the band themselves to spruik this rarity. They've also been kind enough to backdate their permission for my earlier posting of their self-titled EP.

Originally available for free through their myspace site in 2007, the band had intentions to release a physical version, which for one reason or another, never saw the light of day. And while they have a new album scheduled for release in April, this track will not be included. And so offically, this tune ain't no longer available anywhere but here!

A blues/rock duo The Fumes created a stir nationally and in Japan with their energetic live shows, and the brilliant Guns of Gold album filled with the rock-influenced delta-blues slide of Steve Merry, and the classic heavy rock stylings of drummer Joel Battersby.

I've been given undertakings from a few other bands that they'll sanction some uploads in the future, but until then, raise a glass to The Fumes.

Drink up.

V/A - High Noon Salute to Neil Young

2009-01-23T21:48:00.014+11:00

So tomorrow's my birthday, and to celebrate I'll be heading into the city to see Neil Young for the first time. I'll be spending the night and going on a record hunt. And you kn ow what...? I couldn't think of a better way to spend my day or my money.

To celebrate my first live Neil experience I've assembled my very first High Noon Salute album. Sure..., there's plenty of other Neil tributes floating around out there, and this one probably has as many flaws as the others, but this one's mine, my own.

Kicking it off are the two cover versions that first got me into Neil; 27's 'Danger Bird' and Steve Von Till's 'Running Dry'. Though my adolescence included seeing 'Keep on Rockin' in the Free World' on Rage every Saturday night for a year, my tastes for most of my young adult life was geared toward much heavier styles, and so didn't get around to really checking ol' Shakey out until my 30th year. So with that in mind, it's probably not that unusual that 27 - an indie band courted by heavyweights Isis and signed to metal label Relapse - and Neurosis frontman Steve Von Till formed the basis of what has since become reverential admiration for a man old enough to be my father's older brother.

There are some great covers here: Low & Dirty Three doing 'Down by the River' in what sounds like an unrehearsed jam from the In the Fishtank series, a surprisingly immpressive Lior on Triple J's Like a Version, and a live Ben Gibbard - this track is especially fun for the dude you can hear barely containing his excitement.

And for those that missed it: be sure to check out the 7.30 Report's extended interview with Neil here.

Tracklist: 01 27 - Danger Bird // 02 Steve Von Till - Running Dry // 03 Pixies - Winterlong // 04 Low & Dirty Three - Down by the River // 05 Cowboy Junkies - Powderfinger // 06 Gillian Welch - Pocahontas // 07 Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball // 08 Matthew Sweet & Sussannah Hoffs - Cinnamon Girl // 09 Tori Amos - Heart of Gold // 10 Waylon Jennings - Are You Ready for the Country? // 11 Riviera - Revolution Blues // 12 Lior - The Needle & The Damage Done (Live on Triple J Like a Version) // 13 Ben Gibbard - Harvest Moon (Live at Sommerville, MA) // 14 Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt & Dolly Parton - After the Goldrush // 15 Patti Smith - Helpless

To Neil, we salute you. Pour another round.

My Morning Jacket/Songs:Ohia - Split EP

2009-01-22T22:44:00.006+11:00

As I type this, My Morning Jacket would be midway through their three-hour set at Sydney's Metro. I decided not to go as I'll be seeing them when they support Neil Young on Saturday, but in the lead up to that I thought I'd post this here split EP the band did with Songs:Ohia back in 2002.

The influence MMJ have had on the likes of Band of Horses and Fleet Foxes is evident, and perhaps it's through the success of those acts that has brought the band to mass attention.

Be warned though, track 4 ("Year in Review") is pointless in all it's novelty, and I suggest if putting this album on your portable mp3 player, leave this one off. It'll just piss you off... especially if you're a fan of shuffle.

The lone Songs:Ohia track is an epic, freeform jazz-influenced number that builds almost as much as it meanders. But in typical Jason Molina-style, it all makes sense in the end, and is in fact one of the bands' better tunes.

Call the bartender. It's time for another drink.

V/A - The Dig Australian Blues Project

2009-01-16T23:43:00.004+11:00

On the subject of Australian, music-based TV shows, I thought I'd post this rather smashin' compilation put together by ABC's DIG.

Again, for those offshore, DIG is the national broadcaster's experiment in digital radio, with a TV offshoot. DIG has two channels: one for country, one for jazz. So why they decided to release a blues project is a bit of mystery. The project was simple enough: invite some of Australia's top musicians to come in and reinterpret some blues classics.

Of the most interest here is Jeff Lang teaming up with Ian Collard and Shortie from Collard Greens & Gravy to perform his rendition of the Blind Willie McTell tune, 'Motherless Children Have a Hard Time'. It's a tune that's been covered time and time again, but never with this level of desperation and heartbreak.

Perhaps even more interesting is CW Stoneking's reinterpreting Willie Dixon's 'Spoonful' with J. Walker (aka Machine Translations). This is an important recording as it was made prior to CW's now-classic debut album, which Walker produced, and with which he established himself as a genuine pre-war blues throwback.

Tracklisting: 01 Mia Dyson - Rock Me Baby // 02 Jeff Lang with Ian Collard & Shortie - Motherless Children Have a Hard Time // 03 Jackie Orszaczky Band - Lonely Avenue // 04 Lisa Miller - Red Cross Store // 05 TZU - Sweet Little Hoochie // 06 Dave Graney - Are You Glad to be in America? // 07 Alison Wedding - Wackadoo Blues // 08 Geoff Achison - Mother Earth // 09 Machine Translations with CW Stoneking - Spoonful // 10 Backsliders - Preaching Blues // 11 Zydecats - Garbage Man // 12 Jimmy Little with Chris Bailey - Cottonfields // 13 Fourplay - Drunken Hearted Man Blues

Bend an elbow