American Songwriter » Evan Schlansky

Song Premiere: Loren Benjamin, “Live & Die”

Evan Schlansky — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:22:26 +0000

Rising New York City singer-songwriter Loren Benjamin has a great support team. His manager is Theo Roos, the former CEO of Universal Music Netherlands, and drummer Steve Jordan (Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, John Mayer) is producing his debut album. Check out "Live & Die," a track from his promising, self-titled EP. "When I wrote the song the words of the chorus just came out: 'Live & Die, What Are We Doing With Our Life,'" says the 23-year old artist. "The music felt very anthemic to me, so it needed something with a big meaning. You can't go much bigger than 'Live & Die.' We also get great reactions on the song during our concerts in New York. I am very happy that producer Steve Jordan also loved the song and it will be a key song in the album I am recording with him. This acoustic version was recorded with my trio in my own studio and is part of a 6-song EP which we prepared to bring along during our first tours in the Northeast."

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Harper Simon Announces Tour

Evan Schlansky — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:54:23 +0000

Harper Simon, perhaps our favorite scion of songwriting royalty, will hit the road with The Polyphonic Spree to promote his latest album, Division Street. You can pick up tickets here. Watch the new video for Division Street's"99" over yonder, and check out Simon's tour dates below. Also, don't miss our recent feature story, Haper Simon's State of Grace, written by Marissa R. Moss. Harper Simon Summer Tour Dates w/ The Polyphonic Spree 6/25 Columbus, OH @ Newport 6/26 Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe 6/28 Minneapolis, MN @ Variety 7/1 Chicago, IL @ Park West 7/5 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts 7/6 Washington, DC @ Sixth and I 7/8 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall 7/9 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg 7/10 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

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Song Premiere: David Ford, “Pour A Little Poison” (Live)

Evan Schlansky — Wed, 15 May 2013 22:40:11 +0000

"Pour a little poison onto my good name." You may know British singer-songwriter David Ford from his appearances at Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits, or maybe you caught one of his gigs supporting Elvis Costello, Ray LaMontagne, KT Tunstall, Gomez or Ingrid Michaelson. Ford's acclaimed new album Charge is available now digitally. In June, Razor and Tie will release a physical version to coincide with his US tour. The CD will be bundled with four bonus tracks of acoustic performances recorded live at Ford’s Piano Bar in Essex. Check out one of the bonus tracks, a soulful, gritty rendition of "Pour a Little Poison" below. "I wrote 'Pour a Little Poison' after a truly miserable and lonely solo tour of the American South," Ford tells American Songwriter. "It was November and I don’t think it stopped raining for the duration of my trip. In total I played to about 20 people over the course of a week. The highlight of each day would be the waitress at a Cracker Barrel or Waffle House telling me my accent was cute. "Alone on the road, I started to go a little mad. My one pair of shoes never dried out after they got soaked in a puddle somewhere in Georgia. I began to contemplate the damage that each sorry day was inflicting upon my reputation and mental health and as a consequence I started writing what might be my happiest, most upbeat song. It’s a beautiful thing how these things work out. "The ‘Ford’s Piano Bar’ version is maybe a little closer to the song’s origins as a blues tune. "There came a point during the making of the ‘Charge’ album where ‘Pour a Little Poison’ could have gone this way or that, but once you put hand claps on a recording, there’s no going back. I’m sure George Martin must have said that once." David Ford North American Tour Dates: June 1- Windsor, Canada - Univ. of Windsor June 6 – Boston, MA – Club Passim June 7 – Northampton, MA – The Iron Horse June 9 – Piermont, NY – Turning Point June 11- New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall June 12- New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall June 13- Asbury Park, NJ – The Saint June 14 - Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live June 16 – Washington DC – The Iota June 19 - San Francisco, CA – Hotel Utah June 21 - Big Sur, CA - Henry Miller Theater June 23 - Santa Barbara, CA- TBD June 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Bootleg Bar

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John Fogerty Breaks Down Wrote A Song For Everyone Track By Track

Evan Schlansky — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:51:36 +0000

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John Fogerty's new album Wrote A Song For Everyone finds the celebrated rock veteran collaborating with a who's who list of friends and admirers -- including Miranda Lambert, Alan Jackson, Foo Fighters, Bob Seger, Jennifer Hudson, Brad Paisley, Kid Rock, Dawes and My Morning Jacket. The album is due May 28 on Vanguard Records. Read our review here. Cover Story: John Fogerty - A Bar Room Prophet Looks Back, And Ahead In a press statement, Fogerty mused on the album's title. “Every now and then, I did try and write a song for everyone, but it would all start because I would feel something deeply and personally that would mean a lot to me,” he says. “Something in the world would strike me as being bad or tragic or unfair like in `Fortunate Son’ and so I would get pissed off in a way that was very personal. Then as I was in the writing process, I would try to make the statement larger than just myself and so, in a way, universal. But it wasn’t ever calculating. I couldn’t write commercials and jingles. I just began to think of ways to make the songs larger than myself, and they just seemed to get bigger.” Check out Fogerty's track by track explanation of each song below. FOO FIGHTERS (“Fortunate Son”) I am a rock & roll kid. I grew up on mainstream AM rock and roll as rock and roll was being born. I heard some Sun, some Chess from Chicago, and suddenly there was Elvis was on Ed Sullivan and everyone knew what rock was. When you walk in the room and the Foo Fighters are blasting away, and you’re standing next to Dave Grohl and singing “Fortunate Son” you feel you’re at the center of everything. It feels like you’re exactly where the flag of rock & roll should be planted. I’ve gotten to know Dave a little bit, and we even sat down one day and wrote some, and I’m here to say that he and his band really are carrying the flag of rock and roll today. There are no bones about it – and I’m glad he’s the one doing it. Dave has hit the rock and roll bulls-eye. JENNIFER HUDSON (“Proud Mary”) “Proud Mary” is a song with a lot of history. And Jennifer hits it out of the park here. This version is an interesting arrangement that means a lot to me. It started with another song of mine that I was trying to rearrange and do in a New Orleans style. My wife suggested I try that with “Proud Mary” and it made so much sense and worked so beautifully. The lovely thing is that Jennifer is who she is – she’s so full of heart and soul. There are a lot of people who sing well in this world, but Jennifer gets in front of a microphone and it isn’t like anyone else in the world. She’s one of a kind and I’m just glad to capture it on this song. ALAN JACKSON (“Have You Ever Seen The Rain?”) I’m a huge fan of Alan’s, and have been one for a long, long time. He always seemed tied to that Golden Age when lots of country records were also rock & roll record -- starting with “Blue Suede Shoes.” Alan’s sound is rooted in that golden age. In my mind, everyone would approve -- the great country artists and the great rockers. I was a little intimidated, but it turned out I didn’t have to worry – he liked me too. I had lived in Nashville for a year around the turn of the century, and we recorded in this place I had passed many times called The Castle just south of Nashville. That’s where Alan made his sound. He had his producer Keith Stegall there. This was his team and cats like Brent Mason. We did “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” and I’d see his mic technique, and his sound sent chills up my spine. It blew my friggin’ mind to be there getting that Alan Jackson sound. BOB SEGER (“Who’ll Stop The Rain”) We met once at one of my shows way, way back, and then he came to see me in Detroit in the 90s. He had stepped back from music then, and he was more into sailing at that point. I don’t think I was bold enough to ask him to do something, but his wife was elbowing him. He didn’t seem that interested and I understood that because I went through my own long period of not wanting to make music and join the human race again. I understood. When you’re ready, you’re ready. Generally, if someone is good and can do it and isn’t, there are some pretty good reasons, and you have to respect that. How does he sound? He sounds great. We recorded at Blackbird in Nashville, he was strumming and singing “Who’ll Stop The Rain” and once I heard that, I knew we needed to get that spirit rather than just remake the Creedence record. I was hearing the voice of Job alone with a guitar, and we needed to start there. He strums unusually and soulfully, and the chords sounded almost like “Night Moves.” BRAD PAISLEY (“Hot Rod Heart”) I revere Brad because he’s so incredibly musical. I revere him more like the older artists who I look up to – which is funny because he’s a lot younger than me. We had met before and traded licks, and I knew he was a gear head like me. I told him how I loved his instrumental album Play – which is something I had thought about doing. I knew he loved great cars and old guitars and played the heck out of them. He suggested doing “Hot Rod Heart” from my 1997 album Blue Moon Swamp – which was so cool. Most people would pick one of the big monsters. Brad told me when he was 13 he played “Centerfield” at some festival. He turned it into a Tele song. This is kind of a new golden age for country guitar guys, and Brad deserves lots of credit for that. KID ROCK (“Born on the Bayou”) I’ve gotten to know Kid Rock a little bit more over the last few months and he’s a delightful guy. Bob Seger kept talking about Kid Rock, and eventually we went to his place in LA and got this done. “Born on the Bayou” came out really cool. There’s a little vocal thing Kid Rock does that seems to work for the ladies. My wife loves that one – so that made me a little jealous. I think she thought the way Kid Rock sang the song was a little sexier than when I do it alone. MIRANDA LAMBERT (“Wrote a Song For Everyone”) The first cut we actually did was with Miranda, who I have become a huge fan of in recent years. These are all people who I buy their records. I like what they do. So the fact that they feel the same way means so much to me. Somehow Miranda found a day to do this the weekend before her latest album was coming out. Her calendar was totally full, yet she penciled me in and I was touched that she insisted on finding the time to work with me in the middle of all the demands coming her way. I got to do a number with The Pistol Annies at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, and it was like jamming with Patsy Cline -- a power trio of Patsy Clines, actually! KEITH URBAN (“Almost Saturday Night”) I’ve known Keith a while now. We did a CMT Crossroads together about 2005, and I was honored he wanted to do it with me. It took me a while to say yes, as it usually does, and I’m glad I did since we had a blast. I have known Keith so long that my wife was giving Keith dating advice – before he met Nicole. Keith is just a great singer and guitar player, and a great guy too. We did something together for Neil Young at his MusicCares event and we had a blast doing “Almost Saturday Night” which was on my 1975 solo album John Fogerty, and keeps coming back to life over the years. DAWES (“Someday Never Comes”) I think that was Bill Bentley at Vanguard’s idea, originally. I confess I didn’t really know Dawes, but now I’m very glad that I do. I liked their records, but even so, once we got together in the studio, they had a lot more music in them than I ever expected. Dawes is the kind of the new country rock folk band that I’m coming to discover and appreciate through my kids. The guys really impressed me as solid musicians who were willing and able to explore. Our version of “Someday Never Comes” turned out really nice, and the two brothers – Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith -- do that brother thing like the Everly Brothers, and that always works for me. MY MORNING JACKET (“Long as I Can See the Light”) I’d listened to a few of My Morning Jacket songs, and been hearing how great they are for years. But they were thrilled like kids to record together, and when we got together at Blackbird, so was I. I think when people hear our version of “Long as I Can See the Light” they will be pleasantly surprised. It’s not exactly like the original -- it’s clearly an artistic vision – and a really great record with such a vibe about it. I love it. They choose an interesting song and brought a real vibe and character and soul to it. This is very fresh and different from the original, but true to the spirit too.

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Full Album Stream: Dillon Hodges, Rumspringa

Evan Schlansky — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:43:48 +0000

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We're excited to bring you Rumspringa, the debut album from promising young folk artist and champion flat-picker Dillon Hodges. "Rumspringa is an album made up of fictional stories and characters," Hodges tells American Songwriter. "However, I have learned it is nearly impossible for me to write a song without leaving a reflection of myself between the lines. The title of the record may actually be the most revealing. For the Amish, Rumspringa is a period of time during adolescence where a youth can leave the community and experience the outside world. For me, when I made this record and left my home in Alabama to relocate to Nashville, marry my wife, and hit the road all around the same time, I felt like I was seeing the outside world for the first time. "Though I grew up as a flatpicking guitarist," he adds, "I wanted this record to be crafted around a specific group of songs that promoted lyric and arrangement. My roots in old-time music are still visible, but have been featured in a way that allows the music to speak." The record drops tomorrow via Cork Industries.

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John Grant

Evan Schlansky — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:57:21 +0000

Singer-songwriter John Grant's latest album, Pale Green Ghosts, has made a big splash in Europe. This is despite its preoccupation with serious topics like homophobia, addiction, and being HIV positive; in 2012, Grant acknowledged that he has been living with the disease. The album is the followup to 2010's Queen of Denmark, which Mojo Magazine named Album Of The Year, and was recorded in his adopted home of Reykjavik, Iceland. Irish artist Sinead O'Connor provides guest vocals on three tracks. We asked Grant about what inspires him, his approach to lyric writing and more. Who are your songwriting heroes? PJ Harvey, Andy Partridge, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, Neko Case, Sinead O'Connor, Kristin Hersh, Harry Nilsson, Nina Simone, Serge Gainsbourg, Prince, Chris & Cosey, Cabaret Voltaire, and Yello. What sort of things inspire you to write? Well, it could be anything. A color, a feeling, a person, a smell or fragrance or an animal or a food, literally anything. The biggest problem is always just to get out of your own way and let the process happen. Tell us a bit about Pale Green Ghosts. It was recorded in Iceland with Biggi Veira from GusGus, so there is much more of an electronic sound to this one. It is lush, dark and very personal. How would you compare it to your previous albums? The songwriting is very similar, although it is even darker than Queen of Denmark and there are lots more synthesizers. When did you start writing songs? Were they good right away, or did that come later? I started writing songs in my mid-twenties and no, they were not good right off the bat, it took me a very long time to just be myself and stop trying to be someone else. What was the first song you ever wrote? I have no recollection at all what the first song I wrote was, but the first song I wrote, which actually felt like I had written an actual song is called "Drug." It's just a basic song about unrequited love, but it was the first time I was really able to be myself and write in my own voice and actually let my own personality be seen. That was very satisfying for me. What’s the last song you wrote or started? The last song I have been working on is one called "You and Hitler" and is not quite finished yet. How do you go about writing songs? Seems like I write some lyrics and then build music around them. Usually I start off with a chorus and then go from there. What is your approach to writing lyrics? I just try to write about things or people or feelings and try to describe them as clearly and succinctly as I can. Sometimes the lyrics happen in a matter of minutes and sometimes it takes months to finish them. I have often said that it is like a distilling process for me. I have to crack through all the layers of shit that I have built up over the years in order to get to the core of a "thing." I have to destroy all my inner censors and filters and how I would like to be perceived in order for a song to work. What percentage of the songs you write are keepers? I would say about 95% are keepers. I'm not the most prolific writer in the world I'm afraid, but the ones I do write are usually keepers. What’s a song on Pale Green Ghosts you’re particularly proud of and why? I really like "It Doesn't Matter to Him" because I felt like I was able to express what vulnerability felt/feels like for me and it was not really an easy thing to do. I always feel very triumphant when I feel i've expressed myself exactly the way I wanted to or needed to. What’s a lyric or verse from Pale Green Ghosts you’re a fan of? "I wonder who they'll get to play me, maybe they could dig up Richard Burton's corpse." Is it easier, or harder to write songs, the more you write? I would say it stays the same, sometimes it's extremely easy and sometimes I feel like I'll never be able to write another song ever again. Are there any words you love or hate? Two words I love which spring to mind are "vicissitudes" and "pulchritudinous." What’s a song of yours that’s really touched people? "Queen of Denmark" is one people seem to bring up a lot. Do you ever do any other kinds of writing? I'm doing some music for an Icelandic play right now and that is a new experience for me. Other than that, no. If you could co-write with anyone living or dead, who would it be? I don't really like co-writing all that much, but I would love to write something with Dieter Meier and Boris Blank (Yello) or Nina Simone. Who do you consider an underrated songwriter? I can't think of anyone I like who I feel is underrated. What do you consider to be the perfect song? I really love the song "Animal" by Jenny and Johnny. It's a very "simple" song, but I just love the lyrics and the melody and the harmonies and it's the perfect length, too. Just a gorgeous song.

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Hear Joan Osborne’s Song For Mother’s Day

Evan Schlansky — Wed, 08 May 2013 23:15:34 +0000

What if Mom was one of us? We're excited to share Joan Osborne's "Born To See You Through" with you. The bluesy, Grammy-nominated rocker is currently offering the song (backed with a cover of Emmylou Harris'"Love and Happiness") for sale on her website, with proceeds going to the children's charities The Somaly Mam Foundation and Save the Children. This Sunday, Osborne will launch her inaugural Mother’s Day benefit concert at City Winery in New York City. Ollabelle (featuring Levon Helm's daughter Amy Helm) and Elizabeth Mitchell will also perform. "Becoming a mother has both challenged and deepened my ability to make music, and that got me interested in putting together a show that featured artists who are also moms,” says Osborne. “Amy Helm and Fiona McBain of Ollabelle and Elizabeth are all working mothers, in addition to being artists that I admire. I really think this evening is going to be a unique and special way to spend Mother’s Day, and to support these amazing organizations. Hopefully it will become an annual tradition." “‘Born To See You Through’ started as a song to a lover, but as the lyrics changed and grew it became a song to a child,” she says. “I was grappling with the reality that you can only protect your child from so much in life, and consoling myself with the knowledge that resilience is the most important defense against life's unavoidable darkness.” Listen to "Born To See You Through Below," and then go buy a copy for your mom.

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Lori McKenna

Evan Schlansky — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:59:56 +0000

"Every time you make a record, the minute you finish, you write your favorite song ever," says Lori McKenna. She and producer Mark Erelli whittled down twelve songs out of 70 to create Massachusetts, her sixth studio album. We spoke to McKenna, whose songs have been recorded by Alison Krauss, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Mandy Moore, about the first song she ever wrote, the words she loves and hates and more. You're drawn to sad songs. As someone who sometimes writes for others, are you able to get other artists to record these sad songs? I love sad songs because they draw emotions out of the listener -- that's what most artists are looking to do. Sometimes artists are looking for sad songs. It might be easier to get cuts with happy songs -- actually, I'm sure it is. I have writer friends who are fantastic at writing those party songs we all love to move to. I always say I can't make you dance -- so I'm gonna try and make you cry. What makes this album unique for you? I've never made a record with my band. In a way -- this is the only record I've made with players who know the music as well (or better) than I do. We cut this one live -- so I knew that my performances would not be technically perfect. But that wasn't the goal -- the goal was to give the songs the emotional foundation we thought they deserved. Was "Susanna" inspired by the late songwriter Susanna Clark? That song landed in my head one morning while I was in California with Troy Verges on a writing trip. It's hard to lie about it - although I wish I could because I never had the pleasure of knowing "Susanna" and I've only ever met Guy once. Part of me knows that I have no business writing a song about either one of them. But the song landed there in my head and as every songwriter knows -- it had to come out. Who are your songwriting heroes? Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Matraca Berg. And every time I hear a song I wish I'd written, that songwriter is a bit of hero in my head. What artists do you like to cover when your playing for your own enjoyment? I grew up on James Taylor, Carole King and Neil Young. When covering songs I pretty much stick to those writers who enjoy three chords as much as I do. What was the first song you ever wrote? The first song I ever wrote was a country song about a single mom and her daughter. I was like 12 years old, and I remember playing it for my brothers and my brother Richie saying "I don't know how she came up with a country song!" What’s the last song you wrote or started? Every time you make a record, the minute you finish, you write your favorite song ever. That's just how it works. The last song I wrote by myself is one called "God Never Made One Of Us To Be Alone". I've been making Mark Erelli play it with me to open some of the CD release shows. Sometimes the best songs come out of nowhere. Sometimes you chase them down for hours and hours and sometimes they chase you down. What's your approach to songwriting -- melody first? I can't write lyrics first. I start by playing something on my guitar, or piano, and mumbling words to go along with the melody. I mumble for a while until the right word falls into the right phasing with the right note. Sometimes I'll carry around a title for a while until I find the melody that it wants to go to. But usually the words and melody find each other. Do you have any standards for your songs you try to adhere by when choosing them for an album? I gave Producer Mark Erelli about 70 songs to listen to and pretty much let him pick the songs to put on Massachusetts. I'm happy with the flow of the record. I think it captures a lot the highs and lows of a typical life. I like to try and celebrate the non-celebrated stories of an ordinary life. We put songs on there that we've been playing live for years ("How Romantic Is That," "Make Every Word Hurt") and songs that are brand new ("Smaller & Smaller," "Better With Time" were both written days before we recorded). The only standard I have when choosing the songs is, "Am I going to want to play and sing this every night?" and, "Am I proud of this song?" What’s a song on your album you’re particularly proud of ? I'm proud of all of them for different reasons. I'm proud of "My Love Follows You Where You Go" because I got to write that one with two of my dearest friends, Liz Rose and Barry Dean, and it was cut by Alison Krauss on her Paper Airplane record. We wrote that about our children and when we cut it my husband and two youngest kids were in the studio. We had been working for nearly eight hours and I was getting so tired. But somehow, I think because the kids were there, I was able to sing it pretty well. Not as beautifully as Alison Krauss, of course. But I'm happy that one made my record because it is such a message to our kids. What’s a lyric or verse from Massachusetts you’re a fan of? I'm pretty happy with the chorus of "Shake." Mostly it wrote itself -- which I know is weird to say -- but I do believe that sometimes they do. Time does not waste itself /A dream can not wake itself /The truth can not disgrace itself / An unwritten prayer can not save a lost soul Arms can not embrace themselves /A heart can not break itself /and I can not shake myself from you Are there any words you love, or hate? That's a great question. I don't think I hate any words (except a few swear words). But I do get stuck on words sometimes. I like the word "baby" because I call my husband and my kids baby. I like the word "kitchen" because it seems to me, we spend a lot of our lives in our kitchens. If the word baby or kitchen is in the song, I probably put it there. Do you do any other kinds of writing? When I was a kid I decided that I was going to write a book. I was inspired by S.E. Hinton because she had written books in her teens. I discovered early into my first "novel" that I had no attention span for such things. I also realized that my language skills are pretty weak and I can't spell to save my life. My brother Donald read some of my writing and noted that most of it was a long conversation. So, a four minute song that's really just a rhyming conversation is what I fell into, and it's my favorite way to express myself. What's a song of yours that's really touched people? On Massachusetts, the song that seems to get the most reaction is "Grown Up Now," which I wrote for my big kids. Specifically my son Mark, he had just graduated high school when I wrote it. On Lorraine, which was my last record it is either "Lorraine" which is about my mom, or "Still Down Here" which I wrote with Barry Dean about losing my sister-in-law Nancy Giroux to cancer. Who do you consider an underrated songwriter? Most of my friends... Mark Erelli, certainly, he is brilliant. Barry Dean, Tony Lane. What do you consider to be the perfect song? Greg Brown's "Brand New '64 Dodge." If that song doesn't make you feel about 1,000 things then you're just not listening.

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Full Album Stream: David Ramirez, The Rooster

Evan Schlansky — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:25:46 +0000

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We're excited to bring you the advance stream of David Ramirez's The Rooster, a killer new EP from the popular Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter. It's the followup to last year's Apologies, which debuted at #2 on iTunes Singer-Songwriter charts. The highlight? The tightly-harmonized "Forgiven," which offers a road warrior's take on the audience-performer relationship. Check out Ramirez's special message to those listening along below:

I'm in love. If you haven't heard the rumors then you'll know the truth after hearing The Rooster. The Rooster will be released (exclusively on iTunes) on May 6th and in many ways is a turning point for me musically and mentally. I mention a rooster in track four "Don't Call Me Cryin," and once that line came to be I couldn't shake the idea of using that name.

In September of last year I released a full length album titled Apologies. It was a very "heart on the sleeve" journey through some of my regrets and remorse. I've healed since then in a lot of ways and I have an itch to discuss it. A Rooster, as we know, introduces the dawn. It's an opportunity for us to try again; to be new.

Although I'm now writing more about love, this isn't an upbeat pop record. I'm still carrying my low-tempo melancholy self through these beautiful new moments. "Fire of Time" is a confession of who I've become but resolves with being reminded who I was and who I can be. "The Bad Days" is an acknowledgement that love itself isn't enough. There will be days we can't stand one another but it takes work and effort if we intend to see our love through. "Glory" is a beautiful lullaby. Sweet, simple, and lovely. I revisit some old themes in "Don't Call Me Cryin," and "The Forgiven" is entirely new ground for me where I discuss my observations in the relationship between an audience and their artists.

David Ramirez Tour Dates: 5/09 - Houston, TX @ Walter’s 5/10 - Austin, TX @ Cactus Cafe (Album Release Show) 5/11 - Dallas, TX @ Prophet Bar 5/22 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Rhythm Room * 5/23 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar * 5/24 - Los Angeles, CA @ McCabes Guitar Shop * 5/25 - Ventura, CA @ Zooey's * 5/26 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst Club * 5/28 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord * 5/30 - Portland, OR @ White Eagle Saloon * 5/31 - Seattle, WA @ Q Cafe * 6/01 - Wenatchee, WA @ Cafe Mela * 6/04 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge * 6/05 - Denver, CO @ The Soiled Dove * 6/06 - Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown * 6/07 - Evanston, IL @ SPACE * 6/08 - St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway * 6/11 - Kansas City, MO @ Czar Bar * * w/ Jay Nash

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Read Bob Dylan’s “Go Away You Bomb” Lyrics

Evan Schlansky — Thu, 02 May 2013 19:40:37 +0000

A rare 1963 Bob Dylan lyric for the unpublished song "Go Away You Bomb" will go up for auction at Christie's on June 26th. The lyrics were hastily dashed off by Dylan at the request of one his early friends and mentors, Izzy Young of the Greenwich Village Folklore Center. "I asked everyone I knew to write a song about the nuclear bomb," Young tells Rolling Stone. "Bob Dylan came in literally the next day and handed this to me." "I hate the letters in yer word," muses Dylan, addressing the masters of war he would call out in a more successful song that same year. "B that means bad, yer so bad that even a dead hog in the sun would get up and run," he writes. "O that stands for 'orrible, yer so 'orrible that the word drops its first letter and runs." The lyric sheet is expected to fetch up to $55,000 dollars for Young, who helped book Dylan at Carnegie Hall in 1961. Young will also auction off a flyer from that show. Anyone care to put this song to music, Billy Bragg and Wilco style? Send us your version and we'll post it on our site. UPDATE: Thanks to Robert James Wolfe, Dennis M. Callahan Jr. and Reggie Leydens for answering the challenge

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