it was on this day five years ago that i launched this little project of mine. i first want to thank all of you who continue to follow my musings. your feedback and support is the thing that keeps me going. it also gets as to why i started this blog in the first place. if you know me personally, or if you read my blog regularly, you will know that i have a strong passion for all things musical, and this is my way of sharing that passion in a more robust way.
on average i spend about five hours to create a post. this includes listening to the music, reading about it, and then crafting the material. as many of you know, this is not my day job, so i try to get something out when i can. so i definitely appreciate it when you provide feedback in the comments section, ‘like’ me on twitter, share my posts with others, or provide support when you see me personally.
again, my initial motivation was to share my findings from the world of music with family and friends. i have toyed over the years with the idea of getting more aggressive in my marketing, so as to reach a larger audience. but most of the time what i have found was that getting to the next level involved substantially more work and commitment, and i am just not ready for that. however, i have found that in my business the best referrals come from happy clients. so, if you like this blog, consider sharing this post with someone you might think would enjoy it as well. i will add a link below where they can go directly to the site and enter their email to sign up.
again, thank you for your support. here is to another five years. be safe out there.
spring is finally here in the midwest, and it is time to update your music libraries with some new music. in this post i will share with you some things that came out this year, and a couple others from last year that deserve a second look. again, these are in no particular order.
brandy clark, ‘your life is a record’ – this came out about two weeks past, and it is really growing on me. when the producer took a look at the songs she had brought to the table, he said ‘this is a breakup album’, and he was right. she had recently ended a relationship, and she had some things to say about it. don’t let that turn you off. if you like kasey musgraves, you will love this. i think this is better than kasey’s last one.
john moreland ‘lp5’ – his fifth album, once again showing that he is one of the most talented songwriters in america. as i have mentioned before when i reviewed his last album, his voice comes across as a hybrid of tom waits and ‘nebraska’ era springsteen. never one for a lot of instrumentation, this one is stripped down even more.
aubrie sellers, ‘far from home’ – this is her second album, and the songs are diverse in styles. she swings from southwestern americana to a few songs she labels as garage country. coming from a musical family (her mother is lee ann womack), singing and songwriting seems to be in her genes. keep an eye on this young talent.
drive by truckers, ‘the unraveling’ – another good outing from one of the better rock bands in the country. as with their last album, this has plenty of political commentary, but the songs are good and the playing is great. they do not try to hide the fact that they consider themselves to be at the forefront of the musical ‘resistance’. i will have more to say about that when jason isbell’s album comes out next month.
blackberry smoke, ‘homecoming’ – recorded live in atlanta after a european tour, they seem really at home with the crowd, and vice versa. they play a lot of their road tested standards, plus a few covers. a good introduction to the band if you are not familiar with them.
nathaniel ratliffe, ‘and it’s still alright’ – a solo album from him, without most of the ‘night sweats’. the songs are mostly melancholy in nature, due in large part to the end of a divorce and losing one of his close friends recently. if you are expecting more of ‘sob, give me a drink’, you won’t get that here. but there are a few really good songs on the album.
allison moorer, ‘blood’ – this came out last year, as did the book she wrote that accompanies it. actually the book came first, and then she thought there was some good song material. the topic of the book is not a pleasant one. she and her sister (country artist shelby lynne) were orphaned at an early age when her father and mother died in a murder suicide incident in their front yard. again, don’t let the subject matter turn you off. both the book and the album were her way of dealing with emotions she had pent up all her life, and at the end of the day it is really a message of hope. one track – ‘i’m the one to blame’ – uses lyrics of her father that she found in an old briefcase and put it to music with her sister. i had the opportunity to see her do much of the material live about a month ago, before she had to suspend the tour she was doing with her husband, hayes carll. it just happened to be the day after the tornadoes in nashville, where they live. it was a rather emotional show.
with most of their tours suspended right now, these folks need your help more then ever right now. go out and buy some music.
last sunday’s post regarding exploring music documentaries during ‘the great hunkering down’ was quite popular, and a number of commenters suggested some additions. i have since watched a few more and thought of some others i have seen in the past that still bear watching again.
i am also working on a post to suggest some new music that has been recently released that is worth considering. most from lesser known artists that could use some financial support right now.
until then, here are some things to watch this weekend:
‘amazing grace’ – aretha’s album of the same name was recorded live in a church. this contains much of the footage as it was recorded, and the process they went through. be prepared to be moved, whether you are religious or not.
‘ i’m trying to break your heart’ – documents the making of wilco’s ‘yankee hotel foxtrot’ album. a look into their creative process, but also the turmoil that was surrounding the band at the time.
‘the kids are alright’ – brad recommends this classic look at the who.
‘birth of the cool’ – dave c. recommended this exploration of the life of miles davis.
ms. redeyegin and i watched it last night. a must see.
‘the quiet one’ – explores the career of bill wyman, bass player for the stones. bill documented the early years of the stones with film, and much of that is used here to great effect.
‘classic albums, aja’ – if you like steely dan, this is a great behind the scenes look at their musical genius. again, you could binge watch these all day, or at least i could. also check out ‘dark side of the moon’ and ‘who’s next’.
‘classic albums – rush’ – greg w. recommends this one, and i concur. i had seen it before, but watched it again on the day we learned of neil peart’s death.
‘long strange trip’ – the ultimate guide to the phenomenon that was the grateful dead. be prepared to settle in, as it is four hours long.
‘the grateful dead movie ‘ – an oldie but a goodie.
‘classic albums – from anthem to beauty’ – a look into the making of ‘anthem of the sun’ and ‘american beauty’.
what a week this has been. while our nation and the world grapple with this novel coronavirus, it has become abundantly clear that our daily lives have been uprooted for the time being. to be sure, not all of the upheaval will be felt equally by everyone. the redeyegin household has so far been minimally affected by it (although my neighbor just got quarantined). but many individuals and businesses will be taking the full blunt of it. how does this relate to the usual topics of this blog? well, the live music industry is being decimated right now. major music festivals are being cancelled and/or rescheduled left and right. i myself have tickets for all four days of the new orleans jazz fest in early may, and by all accounts it will be cancelled some time this next week. touring musicians are suspending their events – either because the artists are looking out for the safety of their fans and themselves, or because the venues are shutting down for various reasons. here in ohio, the governor has put restrictions on public gatherings of over 100 people, which makes running a small music venue nearly impossible. i have tickets to two upcoming shows at my favorite local club. the first has already been rescheduled to the fall, but the other has not. unless things change for me this week (and lord knows they might), i intend to go and tip the bartenders well.
what to do in the meantime? get yourself outside and go for a long walk, and then when you come inside, go to your favorite music website and buy a new release from an up and coming artist. they need you now more than ever.
after that, consider expanding your musical horizons and knowledge base by hunkering down with a nice beverage and explore some of the great music documentaries out there. i have mentioned a few over the last couple of months (‘bluebird’ , ‘echo in the canyon’), but i will provide a few more below that i have been watching over the winter.
here they are, in no particular order:
‘twenty feet from stardom’ – a great view into the world of female background singers.
‘rolling thunder revue’ – explores the legendary tour promoting the ‘desire’ album.
‘classic albums- the band’ – one of the best of the old vh1 series. by the way, you can really go down a rabbit hole with these. i have watched at least a dozen of them. just a teaser here until robbie’s movie ‘once were brothers’ is available to stream.
david crosby ‘remember my name’ – a look at his turbulent life.
linda ronstandt ‘the sound of my voice’ – the life and times of her career.
drive by truckers ‘the secret to a happy ending’ – chronicles the genesis of the band, including the early career of jason isbell.
‘the wrecking crew’ – the story behind one of the great group of studio musicians from the sixties and seventies. see also ‘muscle shoals’ and ‘the funk brothers’.
‘gimme shelter’ – an accounting of the disastrous altamont concert.
‘fyre’ – how not to plan a music festival.
zz top ‘that little ol’ band from texas’ -the history of one of classic rock’s greatest bands.
that’s enough for now. if you have suggestions for others to watch, leave them in the comments section. take care out there.
redeyegin 