American Songwriter » MUSIC

Matthew Ryan on Bob Dylan

Evan Schlansky — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:35 +0000

How did you first get into Bob Dylan? I can't remember not being a Bob Dylan fan. For a songwriter, it's like asking when did you get into breathing? How has he influenced your music? In Dylan's work there's always been a progressive traditionalism. I fear that's often overlooked since for us now it seems like it's always been here. But that marriage of old and new along with simple and complex has always intrigued me and ignited my own sense of what was possible via creativity as it relates to the present, and as the present relates to the future. How many times have you seen him play live? What were those shows like? I've seen Bob Dylan twice. And just as the folklore suggests, one was pure genius and the other screeched, thumped and mumbled like a very thorough train wreck. Both were beautiful in their own ways. Did it take you awhile to get into Bob Dylan, given his strange singing style? I loved Dylan's voice from the beginning. I just thought he sounded cool. The first things I heard were the earlier recordings, the more spare and folky ones. His voice matched perfectly the worn tragedy where cynicism and hope create friction. It sounded a thousand years old to me and somehow seemed to carry the wisdom of all of that time. There's a thin line between a threat and a promise, Dylan's voice always rang that way to me. At the end of the day the truth is rarely pretty, so why should the voice delivering it be? What’s the closest you’ve ever gotten to him? I've walked on the same street as him a couple times, just not at the same time. Do you have a favorite Bob Dylan quote or lyric? My favorite Bob Dylan quote is, "Peace is the time it takes to reload your rifle." My favorite lyric is, "The sun's not yellow, it's chicken." I was a kid when I first heard it, and I got the joke. That made me feel perty cool. What are some of your favorite songs or albums, and why? There are brilliant gems to be found in every era of Bob Dylan. But my favorite album is probably The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. It's just so pure. I don't suspect he quite knew what he was then. Earnest, genius, timeless, troubled, romantic, and funny. And on and on and on. Is there a period of Dylan’s music you think is underrated or overrated? I couldn't say really. He's an artist, you get the feeling he does exactly what he's compelled to do. I appreciate some songs or periods above others, but I assume all of it is art. What do you admire about Bob Dylan? I honestly don't know what I admire about Bob Dylan. I just know he inspires me. He's made music for every occasion and has helped me to commiserate with almost every feeling a man can have. Visit Americansongwriter.com daily during our 30 Days Of Dylan countdown to read exclusive interviews with artists on Dylan, exclusive audio and video, and more.

Miss Willie Brown on Bob Dylan

Evan Schlansky — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:12 +0000

How did you first get into Bob Dylan? Kasey Buckley: When I first started involving myself in music, I asked a friend to make me a list of every song I needed to hear to make me a better songwriter. He gave me a list and at the bottom of it said, "...and everything Bob Dylan has ever written." Amanda Watkins: I was actually 10 years old and had gone to a Melanie concert down on Clearwater Beach with my family. She sang the song “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” and I absolutely fell in love with it. I’d go around singing it and telling everyone about my favorite folk singer Melanie and my favorite song thinking for sure this was her song and her song only. A couple years later my sister -- instrumental in introducing me to all kinds of music –- said, ”You know “Hard Rain” is a Bob Dylan song, right?" to which I replied, “Who is Bob Dylan”? Needless to say my relationship with his songs grew exponentially from there. How has he influenced your music? Kasey: His melodies are very outside the lines. Even today his music, regardless of when his songs were written, pushes the envelope. He has a gift to say things with such simplicity and beauty. I strive for that in my songwriting. Amanda: The biggest influence he has had on me is allowing my writing to have no boundaries. No walls. When my guitar teacher, Doug Travers, told me there are no rules in music, I immediately reflected on Bob Dylan to confirm that to be true. My comfort and confidence in playing and writing music that doesn’t necessarily fit the mold definitely stems from my admiration and appreciation for the art of Bob Dylan. I’ve never been afraid to break ground. How many times have you seen him play live? Amanda: Unfortunately, I have only seen him live once. Dylan was playing Nashville River Stages with The Black Crowes opening. It was surreal. He really is a walking legend, like someone I never thought would exist during my lifetime. All jaws were dropped to the floor witnessing pure art unchained and accepted. Did it take you awhile to get into Bob Dylan, given his strange singing style? Kasey: No. I always approached Dylan’s music as a higher learning. It’s hard sometimes to be completely open to something and let it hit you just because the world tells you it should. His songs just evoke such emotion in me, and the ones I really fall in love with just happen so naturally with no need for discipline. Amanda: It did. I loved his songwriting immediately but I’m pretty much an Aretha Franklin-lovin’ kind of singer. While his voice can be odd at times, nothing has ever overshadowed the truth and passion that keeps people all over the world listening. I really feel he has ended up redefining what great singing really is, or can be. Do you have a favorite Bob Dylan quote or lyric? Amanda: To this day, “I’ve Forgotten More Than You’ll Ever Know” from Self Portrait has to be, by far, the best way to let someone know they just might not be getting it. Even an insult is made poetic. What are some of your favorite songs or albums? Amanda: One of my favorite songs is “Meet Me In The Morning.” I just love the way this song makes me feel. And it never fails to make me want to sing it. What do you admire about Bob Dylan? Kasey: In a time of great adversity in this country, he created a voice for himself and others, regardless of what was being said. I think that’s courageous. Amanda: The simple fact that Bob Dylan can play any style of music he wants and still be true to himself is probably the greatest gift a musician/writer can have. The man can put out Christmas music and a Christian album and pull it off. Seriously… bad ass. Visit Americansongwriter.com daily during our 30 Days Of Dylan countdown to read exclusive interviews with artists on Dylan, exclusive audio and video, and more.

Counting Crows Cover Bob Dylan, Big Star, Dawes On New Album

Jessica Adkins — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:14:33 +0000

On April 10, 2012, Counting Crows will release their first independent album: a collection of covers entitled Underwater Sunshine (or What We Did On Our Summer Vacation). Underwater Sunshine includes their versions of new and old songs, from legendary artists like Bob Dylan and Gram Parsons to relatively new bands like Romany Rye and Dawes. Crows frontman Adam Duritz says, “These songs come from bands young and old, stretching from the early 60s to last year. They’re all great and will hopefully be heard by a few more people now.” The entire album is now available for presale, and will be streaming on online radio stations and other digital partners soon. Their new song, “Mercy” is now free to download when you sign up for their mailing list. Underwater Sunshine will feature fan-made album art by the winner of the Crows' album design contest. The band will also launch a Counting Crows cover contest and will award prizes for the top three covers of their songs in the contest. Underwater Sunshine track listing: 1. "Untitled (Love Song)" by Romany Rye 2. "Start Again" by Teenage Fanclub 3. "Hospital" by Coby Brown 4. "Mercy" by Tender Mercies 5. "Meet On The Ledge" by Fairport Convention 6. "Like Teenage Gravity" by Kasey Anderson & The Honkies 7. "Amie" by Pure Prairie League 8. "Coming Around" by Travis 9. "Ooh La La" by The Faces 10. "All My Failures" by Dawes 11. "Return of the Grevious Angel" by Gram Parsons 12. "Four White Stallions" by Tender Mercies 13. "Jumping Jesus" by Sordid Humor 14. "You Ain’t Going Nowhere" by Bob Dylan 15. "The Ballad of El Goodo" by Big Star

Video Premiere: backwords, “Anywhere Now”

Evan Schlansky — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:33:43 +0000

Check out the brand new video for "Anywhere Now" from Brooklyn indie-folk outfit backwords.

The video was filmed in Brooklyn's Prospect Park during a full-scale Larping invasion. The song hails from backwords' upcoming album By The Neck, out March 6, 2012 on Campers’ Rule Records.

backwords guitarist/vocalist Brian Russ sets the scene:

On a particularly bright and sunny day about a year ago I happened to spy out of the corner of my little eye a group of medieval-clad lads and lasses battling it out, right smack in the open lawns of Prospect Park in Brooklyn. I instantly became mesmerized. I had to stop the stroll and watch these guys for a few minutes. I was really drawn to their intensity as they all battled hard but with smiles on their faces. There were old guys, high schoolers, Dungeons and Dragons-dudes, women, ex-cops, hippies, people of all races and cultures – New Yorkers- going at it – LARPING!

After witnessing one if their live-action battles an idea popped into my brain... We got to make a music video with these guys! So I approached the group and had a pleasant conversation with its organizer, Bruce Lindsay. He explained the deal. They call themselves “Dagor” and they meet in Prospect Park every second Saturday of the month. They make their own weapons, armor, cloaks and apparel. They script out battles, they ad-lib, they just get out there and have lots of fun.

They even let us battle with them. It was a beautiful combination of fighting yet making new friends – being violent with your body yet being peacefully open to the camaraderie of the group – “go attack that guy” and then laugh with him!

The concept of the video is kind of loose. But there we are in the very beginning, doing things that people do in the morning when they wake up – the daily routines of life -shaving, reading the paper (on the toilet? that remains unclear), doing yoga, and brewing up some coffee. The point it, the band is oblivious to their surroundings and it takes a magical spell (by Bruce himself) for us to wake up and snap out of it… We then become part of the crew – with our own Dagor personalities – and have a blast out there in battle. Sometimes you cruise by life without even realizing something amazing is happening right in front of your eyes – that’s the spirit of the song “Anywhere Now” and that’s the spirit of the video. What’s real – what’s a dream? What means the most in the long run?…

Joe Pug Readies The Great Despiser, Tour

Cale Tyson — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:59:06 +0000

The Great Despiser, Tour" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/joe-pug-2012-press-photo.jpg" alt="Joe Pug Readies The Great Despiser, Tour" width="200" height="187" />
On April 24, singer-songwriter Joe Pug will release a new studio album entitled The Great Despiser. For his new album, the Chicago-based folk artist drafted The Hold Steady's Craig Finn to sing backup vocals on the title track. The 11-song album was recorded in Chicago with producer Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Califone). The Great Despiser is the follow-up to Pug's critically acclaimed debut album Messenger. NPR Music praised the album, saying "it's nearly impossible to avoid drawing comparisons between Pug and folk legends like Bob Dylan or contemporaries like Josh Ritter." Pug embarks on a nationwide headlining tour this month to commemorate the release of The Great Despiser. Stream the album's first single "Hymn #76" here. Joe Pug Tour Dates: February 21 Manchester, UK The Castle Hotel February 22 Bristol, UK Bonaventure Social Club February 23 London, UK The Borderline February 24 Dublin, IRE The Sugar Club February 25 Belfast, UK Black Box February 26 Glasgow, YK Captain’s Rest March 14-18 Austin, TX SXSW March 19 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater* April 20 Dallas, TX Club Dada† April 21 Austin, TX The Parish April 22 Oklahoma City, OK Blue Door April 24 Albuquerque, NM Low Spirits April 25 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom April 26 San Diego, CA The Casbah April 27 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite April 29 Pioneertown, CA Pappy and Harriet’s April 30 Santa Cruz, CA Crepe Place May 1 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill May 3 Vancouver, BC The Media Club May 4 Portland, OR The Doug Fir May 5 Seattle, WA The Crocodile May 6 Pullman, WA Tower Theater May 9 Boise, ID Neurolux May 10 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge May 12 Denver, CO The Bluebird May 13 Kansas City, MO Record Bar May 14 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway May 16 Madison, WI Frequency May 17 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Eatery May 18 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall May 19 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall‡ May 20 Bloomington, IN The Bishop‡ May 22 Columbus, OH Rumba Cafe‡ May 23 Cleveland, OH The Beachland Tavern‡ May 24 Pittsburgh, PA Club Café‡ May 26 Toronto, ON The Horseshoe‡ May 27 Ottawa, ON Mavericks‡ May 29 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall** May 31 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom‡ June 2 Washington, DC 9:30 Club** June 3 Charlottesville, VA The Southern‡ (additional dates to be announced) *supporting Levon Helm †supporting Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit ‡with support from David Wax Museum **co-headline with David Wax Museum

Hangout Music Festival Announces 2012 Lineup

Jessica Adkins — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:41:34 +0000

The Hangout Music Festival revealed its 2012 line-up today, which is set to include Dave Matthews Band, Wilco, the Flaming Lips, String Cheese Incident and many more. DMB is headlining along with Jack White, who announced Friday that he’d be headlining the festival. Update: The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been added to the bill.

The diverse lineup also includes Skrillex, Dispatch, Steve Winwood, Chris Cornell, STS9, Gogol Bordello, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Mac Miller, Flogging Molly, Coheed and Cambria, Paul Oakenfold, G. Love and Special Sauce, Randy Newman, Dr. Dog, Young the Giant, Cage the Elephant, Dawes Alabama Shakes, M. Ward, Yelawolf, Switchfoot, Julian Marley, Zeos Dead, Mavis Staples, Shpongle, Gary Clark Jr., Rebelution, Allen Stone, Big Freedia, The Devil Makes Three, Paper Diamond, Futurebirds, Hey Rosetta!, Sleeper Agent, The Lumineers, Archnemesis, Tribal Seeds, Rich Augdin, and Jamie Bergeron & the Kickin Cajuns.

Hangout Music Festival will take place May 18, 19, and 20 this year, directly on the white, picturesque beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Festival tickets go on sale Friday, February 10. Advance tickets will be $194, and regular tickets will be $209 if there are any left for purchase at the door. You might want to hurry, because when they went on sale in November 2011, the Early Bird general admission, VIP and Super VIP three-day passes for the 2012 festival all sold out in just 3 hours.

For more info on the festival and how you could win tickets, visit Hangout Music Fest’s site.

Hangout was honored as the best festival of 2011 at the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards on Friday, and the stacked 2012 lineup indicates the young festival may be able to live up to the title a second year. The family-friendly grounds will also feature more space but the same carrying capacity, to improve fans’ comfort and access to facilities.

Hamell On Trial on Bob Dylan, “Maggie’s Farm” Cover

Evan Schlansky — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:00:11 +0000

How did you first get into Bob Dylan?

I was young and heavily into the British Invasion, but the babysitter had a boyfriend who was a folkie; he had Eric Anderson, Dave Van Ronk, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, and of course Dylan. I kinda dug it all. The first album, where he was more of an interpreter, with “Song to Woody” was just a glimmer of what what was to come.

By the second album it was brutally apparent he was going to outshine everybody. Then I kinda got into the whole “folk-rock” thing. It was all over the radio. Simon and Garfunkel, The Byrds, even Sonny and Cher. I still dig that stuff, especially when it got garage band sounding; The Seeds, The Leaves, The Beau Brummels...

How has he influenced your music?

He influenced everybody’s music. Especially those that have non-traditional voices and want to take it in a more “literary” direction.

How many times have you seen him play live? What were those shows like?

Five. Well, I love him live. I stopped going with other people because I didn't want to hear stupid comments about what they expected him to do. I enjoy him better alone. Never saw him with The Band, saw him with G.E. Smith a couple of times -- that was pretty uninspired but his phrasing was always masterful and inventive, very Miles Davis like. And his thing with Tom Petty was cool. But the current band with Charlie Sexton is awesome, particularly around the time of the movie Masked and Anonymous. (I'll go to my grave saying it's a great movie... check the dialog.)

Did it take you awhile to get into Bob Dylan, given his strange singing style?

No. I was too young. It just seemed like that's what artists did. I was lucky I guess nobody made a big deal out of it.

What’s the closest you’ve ever gotten to him?

I've never worked with him, and I feel bad for the guy that questions like this are asked. This is why the “hood is up.”

Is there a period of Dylan’s music you think is underrated or overrated?

He's writing some of his best stuff now.

What do you admire about Bob Dylan?

There are no apologies for genius.

Read more 30 Days of Dylan.

Visit Americansongwriter.com daily during our 30 Days Of Dylan countdown to read exclusive interviews with artists on Dylan, exclusive audio and video, and more.

The Muse: Sharon Van Etten – “Serpents”

Dan Weiss — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:43:08 +0000

Sharon Van Etten – “Serpents” Singer-songwriters’ public closeups rarely get more ominous than this. Van Etten’s vibrato has hints of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s human singing-saw qualities, though the moaning, bluesily layered chorale she comprises on “Serpents” sounds more like Layne Staley stomping out an Arcade Fire anthem. Come to think of it, the mantra “Serpents in my mind/ Trying to forgive your crimes” isn’t that far off from Alice in Chains either, who should be remembered as rather swampy and hypnotic in their day as well. Click here to download track.

Stream Dr. Dog’s New Album Be The Void

Evan Schlansky — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:23:47 +0000

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Tomorrow, Dr. Dog's seventh studio LP Be The Void hits stores. Hardcore fans and newcomers alike will be delighted with the album, which finds the beloved Philadelphia psych-rock outfit firing on all cylinders. American Songwriter is proud to bring you a sneak preview of Be The Void; we're currently offering a free stream of the album on our website.

So relax, sit back, get the good headphones out, repeat your favorite mantra, and get ready to be the void.

Look for our feature on Dr. Dog in the March/April issue.

Gotye

Evan Schlansky — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:00:43 +0000

Aussie singer-songwriter Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" has become a bona fide global hit, thanks in part to the striking video and an inspired, mind-bending cover by Walk Off The Earth. Gotye's album Making Mirrors has just been released stateside. We talked to the Belgian-born artist about his love for Depeche Mode, his approach to songwriting, and more. When did you start writing songs? I was about 15 or 16. I started scribbling lyrics down and tinkering with the family piano. Were they good right away? Oh no. They were pretty bad. And even some of the things I’ve written in the past year, sometimes, I go “Oh god, they’re terrible.” So it’s always a gradual process. Who are some of the artists that inspired you to start writing? In my teenage years, Depeche Mode. As a songwriter, Martin Gore had a huge influence on me. I spent my first three years teaching myself harmony by discovering chord progressions on the piano - a lot of it by trying to work out Depeche Mode songs. For a long time, I borrowed a lot of Martin Gore’s very heavily minor chord-based harmony approach, and his vocabulary. I sang a lot of his songs in my high school band. When I turned 20, I had to consciously broaden my horizons and move through that, and not let myself kind of rot in that imitative style. What was the last song you wrote? I haven’t really completed anything since I finished the record. So it might be "Making Mirrors," a little piece that opens the album. But the last main song I wrote was “Somebody That I Used To Know”. When you wrote "Somebody That I Used To Know," did you sense that it was going to be a hit right away? I had a good feeling about it, but no. It completely exceeded expectations. I didn’t think it would have a pop crossover aspect as strongly as it's had. What would you say is the reason for its success? People seem to respond to it just as a song, regardless of whether it's my voice or the production or the fact that Kimbra is on it. The Canadian band Walk Off The Earth’s version -- apart from the clever novelty aspect of five people playing one guitar to it -- that kind of shows people seem to really respond to the song. I think it’s the kind of slow build and drama that it has, the two-part story, and the multiple perspective aspect that has struck people. It’s written openly enough that it expresses that confusion you can have after a broken relationship, and the way you can feel emotionally quite up and down. You can feel nostalgic and rosily melancholy, in a way. But sometimes we often feel quite bitter about things, when you have nothing to do with that relationship or maybe with that person anymore, at least not actively. It can be quite a confusing feeling. So maybe the way the song expresses those feelings appears to strike people as quite true, and quite relevant with their experiences. What did you think of Walk Off The Earth's cover? It’s very faithful, obviously. The concept behind the video is fantastic. It’s great – it makes you laugh, as well. Especially the guy holding the machine heads at the end of the guitar. What’s a song that you really want people to hear on Making Mirrors? One of my favorites is “State Of The Art”, which I think probably will divide a lot of listeners, especially the wider audience who have discovered my music through a song like “Somebody That I Used To Know.” I get the feeling that a song like “State Of The Art” confounds some of those people, whereas others really take to its peculiarity. I would love to see a song like “State Of The Art” be a hit single, because I think it’s quite catchy and it’s written like a pop song for me, but in that way that I’d like to see more pop music be -- very idiosyncratic, kind of strange, and requiring a little bit of understanding about what the hell the concept behind it is. Those are the things I think are the strongest about it. But they're also the things that turn a lot of people off about it, apart from maybe the vocoder talk box voice on it. What's a lyric on the album you're particularly proud of? It might be “State Of The Art” as well. I feel like I can stand behind all the lyrics on the record, which is good. I’m proud of “Bronte,”the album closer. “Bronte” as a whole lyric I kind of like, because of its directness and the way it sort of captures an experience I had. What’s your typical approach to songwriting? It varies. I respond a lot to textures and sound itself. There’s been a few songs on this record that started with a melody or a lyric that had been floating around in my head, but often you kind of wait for that trigger from the break, or from even just a little instrumental canvas for a song that I’ve had floating around for a while. And then sometimes it just correlates with words or things that have been floating around in my head and then the greater concept of the possibility for a song develops from there. Who do you consider an underrated songwriter? There’s a band in London that I’m a huge fan of called The Chap. They are some of my favorite songwriters and producers. here’s also a guy from Australia who operates under the name Machine Translations, and he’s very under-recognized in Australia, let alone anywhere else in the world, but he’s one of my favorite songwriters. What's a song you consider to be perfect? Kate Bush’s “Cloudbusting” is a song I come back to a lot. It has a transcendent quality and I melt into every time I hear it.