Essential Listening

This page keeps a list of the cream of the crop of music we have heard in 2011. It is not exclusive to albums released in 2011, it is for music that we heard for the first time in 2011. Also, it is not in any order of preference. As albums are added to the list they will be added to the bottom and will link back to the article on ninebullets which will feature links to the band’s web sites and cd buy links. I hope y’all find some stuff on here that appeals to you as much as it has to me.

THE DIRT DAUBERS – WAKE UP SINNERS

Jan 262012

They say music soothes the savage beast, but I’d beg to differ when it comes to one Col. J.D. Wilkes. And I’d venture a guess that anyone who’s been to a Legendary Shackshakers show and seen him go from pre-show cordial, mild-mannered J.D. to snot launchin’, pube tossin’ J.D. once the music starts is likely to agree.

So, what do you do when it’s the music that feeds your inner beast?
Go lo-fi, young man. Go lo-fi.

The Dirt Daubers are Col. J.D. Wilkes, wife Jessica Wilkes and LSS bassist Mark Robinson. Their latest release, Wake Up Sinners!, offers JD a perfect chance to play Dr. Jekyll to his Shackshaker Mr. Hyde. Thirteen songs that would, if music had an instagram app, have the scratchy sepia filter all over them. And you’d need the filter, not for lack of authenticity, but for lack of it having being recorded 70 years ago like it should have been. Unlike their debut, Wake Up Sinners! skates a thin line between being a sound all their own and being LSS minus electricity, and Mr. Robinson joining them for this album has made that line ever thinner. That said, for every “The Devil Gets His Due” moment where you could be convinced this is the Shackshakers performing an acoustic show in someone’s backyard, there’s an “Angel Along The Track” moment where J.D. and crew emerge from under the LSS shadow. The standout track on this cd has to be their cover of the old Lulu Belle and Scotty single, “Single Girl”, as it just fits this sound so perfectly.

I offer no hesitation in labeling this cd as Essential Listening, as I think it takes the classic country sound and adds enough modernization and gloss to it to make it attractive to the average passerby without spoiling any of its integrity.

The Dirt Daubers – The Devil Gets His Due
The Dirt Daubers – Angel Along The Tracks
The Dirt Daubers – Single Girl

The Dirt Daubers’ Official Site, The Dirt Daubers on Facebook, The Dirt Daubers on Spotify, Buy Wake Up Sinners! (for $5.00)

HELLBOUND GLORY – DAMAGED GOODS

Jan 192012

Outlaw country is all about doing the best you can with what you were dealt in life. No excuses. No regrets. In that way Hellbound Glory and their self-described “scumbag country” are the archetype of the modern (upper-case) Outlaw movement. Compared to the current crop of Nashville (lower-case) “outlaws”, Hellbound Glory has a look and sound that makes you believe that, even if they may have not personally lived the life in their songs, they very likely have been close to someone who has. They describe the life of those on the lower end of the economic spectrum with intimate detail without resorting to cliches and stereotypes (cough…BrantleyAldean…cough).

From start to finish, the characters in Damaged Goods are people that are easy to relate to. Like many of us, they are trying their best to make the most of their lives, but despite their efforts they seem destined to fail. At times they fight the inevitable to their last breath (“Knocked off That Horse”), other times they accept it and enjoy the ride (“Bastard Child”, “Till the Lights Go Out”). But in the end, they realize that no matter the situation you were born in to, what you do with it is your own choice and within your own control (“You Better Hope You Die Young”).

As with Hellbound Glory’s previous releases, musically they are once again very solid. They let their musicianship shine on the more lighthearted, uptempo romps, but keep it subdued on the ballads. Lyrically, they paint such vivid portraits you can almost smell the stale beer and burnt crack. Not to mention they wrote one of my favorite lines of the year: “If your gone I’ll be a goner/I’m gonna hit the ground like a shot down B-2 bomber” (“Gonna Be a Goner”)

This isn’t the type of country you’re gonna hear on your urban, soccer mom listening, mini van driving, corporate controlled, mega-Clear Cumulus radio station.  And that’s a good thing.  Listening to country-lite helps keep the masses off the Valium. Keep the real stuff for those of us that can handle it.

Definitely Essential Listening.

Hellbound Glory – Bastard Child
Hellbound Glory – Gonna Be A Goner
Hellbound Glory – Knocked Off The Horse

Hellbound Glory’s website (via Rusty Knuckles), Hellbound Glory on Facebook, Hellbound Glory on Reverbnation, Hellbound Glory on Spotify, Hellbound Glory music and swag

SASSPARILLA – THE DARNDEST THING

Jan 172012

If an Americana band forms in Portland will it get mentioned on ninebullets.net? If past performances are indicative of future results then I’d say they have a better chance than most. I’m not sure what it is about that city but it has found my sonic pleasure vein and keeps tapping it with new bands.

Introduce Sassparilla.

Sassparilla gets filed under Americana but it’s a lot more New Orleans than West Kentucky, and the bulk of its 8 tracks are better fitted for a Wes Anderson film than the latest episode of Justified. “Same Old Blues” just explodes out of the speakers with a 30’s speakeasy feel that immediately brings Gill Landry to mind. The songs on the album possess a lazy, deliberate pace that gives the album an undercurrent of focused maturity that really pulls the listener in, and the closer I get, the more I like what I am hearing. In fact, the only complaint I have about this album is its 8 track, 29 minute runtime. I want me more Sassparilla!

Don’t sleep on these guys folks. If they stay together they’ll be huge fish in our little pond pretty soon. Needless to say, this album is 100% Essential Listening.

Sassparilla – Same Old Blues
Sassparilla – My First Lover


Sassparilla’s Official Site, Sassparilla on Facebook, Sassparilla on Spotify, Buy The Darndest Thing

MICAH SCHNABEL – I’M DEAD, SERIOUS

Dec 142011

I'm Dead, Serious

This week brings us the release of Micah Schnabel’s second solo effort: I’m Dead, Serious and what a release it is. Chock of heartbreaking goodness this is 11 tracks of Micah’s fairly genius songwriting. While this is a great album I don’t think it’s as strong musically as When The Stage Lights Go Dim overall. Now I don’t mean to take anything away from this album by saying that. It’s a damn fine record and it hasn’t left my rotation since the day I got it. And I can even pinpoint what bugs me about it and makes me feel that Stage Lights was stronger and it’s that some of the tracks sound really a lot like tracks off of his first release and a couple of TCG albums at least as far as the music goes.

Lyrically, however, this one couldn’t be stronger. Micah is a genius when it comes to writing about life in general and he does that here. I do want to emphasize that point: Micah writes about his life. You get the distinct feeling he has lived every word that he pours out for us and that we are seeing his life laid down on wax and that’s what makes this album great.

I think my favorite line on this album is And if you want to know the ugly truth I’ve killed girls prettier than you, I’m getting better every day… from “Ex’s and O’s” which is probably my favorite track as well. I also love “Sid And Nancy” which pretty much drives home the point that there isn’t a punk rock miracle lying in wait for us and some relationships are just doomed to fail. I’m pretty sure I lived “Zen And The Art Of Fucking Up Your Life”. Which brings me back to my earlier point of Micah writing about his life. He’s not just writing about his life he is writing about all of our lives. We’ve all lived at least one of these fucked up stories. We’ve been there and still today we go back there with this music and it doesn’t always have to be a happy look back. You want to know my one regret? Well I never really found her. To me that’s what makes Micah’s writing so amazing is that he writes from a perspective that I think most of us have seen through or are seeing through and still turns it in poetry.

I can say I’m Dead, Serious is Essential Listening without a single doubt in my tiny little mind. In fact after listening to “This Is My Headstone” on repeat (because I accidentally hit single song repeat) I think I have to recommend this one be taken with alcohol, preferably cheap whiskey, but your mileage may vary. I mean you may not have been there like the rest of us, you may have never quite seen through the eyes that can produce lyrics like If happiness is a warm gun and only the good die young tell me where does that leave me, my poor father’s bastard son? Hell, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones. The rest of us have folks like Micah that make the music that lets us know we aren’t alone. And if you do find yourself alone, drinking whiskey and listening to I’m Dead Serious you may find there’s a darker undertone to this one that you can get to at first glance.

Micah Schabel – Sid And Nancy
Micah Schabel – Ex’s And O’s
Micah Schabel – This Is My Headstone

Micah Schnabel on Facebook, Buy I’m Dead, Serious

EDIT: Suburban Home Records says, “Everyone, you can order the record today through Shopradiocast. For a limited time, get it buy one get one free and get an automatic download of the album.

THE DAMN QUAILS – DOWN THE HATCH

Dec 082011

The Damn Quails are possibly the most talked about pairing to come out of Oklahoma since the union of Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert. Singer/songwriters Gabriel Marshall and Bryon White have had a standing gig Monday nights at The Deli in Norman with shows backed by a rotating group of musicians simply referred to as the Quail Philharmonic. The result has been songs never being played quite the same each time.

That experimentation has resulted in possibly the most solid 14 songs of the year in their debut release, Down the Hatch, an album that can’t quite be nailed down to any one particular style. It runs from country-tinged alt. pop to good old fashioned homespun porch jams.

One of the duo’s strengths is the alternating lead vocals. Bryon’s has a smooth beauty, while Gabriel’s has a rougher edge. They are distinct enough that they keep each song fresh and different, but similar enough to complement each other.

Down The Hatch kicks off with “A Better Place to Stop”, a prime example of the Quail Philharmonic experience. With 3 guitar tracks, bass, violin, harmonica, accordion, banjo, and drums you need an 9 piece band to perform it live. The instruments are added a little at at time and before you know it you have a wall of sound. But even with so much going on, it doesn’t feel in the least bit cluttered. In fact it would seem bare without it all.

The second track just might be my song of the year. “Midnight Swagger” is a beautiful piece of jangle pop. Vocals so smooth they melt. It’s one of those songs that when its over your left wanting more, so you play it again.  I had to play it 3 times on my first listen before I could bear to move on to the next song and still didn’t think I heard all the layers. I couldn’t wait to get through the rest of the album so I could listen some more. Also, I realized I need better headphones to truly do it justice.

“Another Story” is one of those good old fashioned country jams. Once again Bryon’s vocals are standout.  Combined with the violins, they convey perfectly the longing in the main character’s story, which, according to Bryon, was inspired by a little vacation spot he goes to on the lower Illinois River near Gore, Oklahoma, and a girl he used to take there.

“So So Long” is countrified power pop that is reminiscent of Sister Hazel’s last release and is a prime example of Gabriel’s and Bryon’s stellar harmonies.  The pop sound is absolutely intentional. Gabriel says he was reading an interview of Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and he said something about purposely not writing pop songs. It inspired Gabriel to intentionally write a pop song. And the lyrics proved prophetic in regards to the blonde girl who Gabriel says was sitting next to him painting the Down the Hatch album cover as he wrote it. Oh, and the Hammond organ is a nice touch.

“Iceman” is the most unique sounding track on the album. Its reminiscent of an Eastern European dirge, complete with sad violin. Another of Bryon’s compositions, he was “inspired”, so to speak, by Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski, a hitman for the mafia and part time serial killer whose wife and kids knew nothing about his double life until his arrest. Bryon says after he wrote it he was creeped out and didn’t sleep for days.

The remainder of the 14 songs are just as strong. Not a weak track in the entire release. The stellar songwriting, incredible vocals, and layered production make this one of the most well rounded albums of the year. Each listen yields subtleties you previously missed. Down The Hatch has definitely earned its place in Essential Listening.

The Damn Quails – Midnight Swagger
The Damn Quails – Better Place To Stop
The Damn Quails – Ice Man
The Damn Quails – So So Long

The Damn Quails official site, The Damn Quails on Facebook,  The Damn Quails on Reverbnation, Buy The Damn Quails

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