American Songwriter » November/December 2007

10/30/07 The Whigs @ Exit/In, Nashville, Tenn.

Murray Sharp — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:39:59 +0000

When I arrived midway through Broken West's set at the Exit/In in Nashville, Tenn., I felt like I was at an open mic night. Certainly this wasn't the rock show I had so anxiously awaited all day long. The room lacked the typical energy of an elbow to elbow crowd sipping $3 PBR's.When I arrived midway through Broken West's set at the Exit/In in Nashville, Tenn., I felt like I was at an open mic night. Certainly this wasn't the rock show I had so anxiously awaited all day long. The room lacked the typical energy of an elbow to elbow crowd sipping $3 PBR's. By the time The Whigs hit the stage, the crowd came in and sang along to a slew of highlights from their debut, Give Em' a Big Fat Lip, such as "Technology," and "Nothing is Easy." The old songs were a hit with the crowd, but the two new tunes off their upcoming sophomore release, "Like a Vibration" and the kiss off, "Already Young," were the highlights of the night. Parker Gispert set the record straight singing, "I don't care what your old man thinks," over and over again. Much like the songs off their debut, the new ones are a gritty mix of minimalistic garage rock and wonderfully constructed pop. And despite the small crowd, The Whigs never lacked energy: their drummer beat the skins like a red headed stepchild and frontman Parker Gispert did his best Pete Townshend impression by jumping around and thrashing on his guitar (while wearing his guitar high on his chest-like The Beatles used to do). The show was a short one, about three or four beers long with no encore, but The Whigs did not disappoint, and it sounds like their new record won't either.

THE HOME STUDIO MANIFESTO: DIY Tips and Tricks

Matt Reasor — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:40:35 +0000

There are infinite possibilities for recording situations and environments. Everyone loves discovering that their favorite Stones songs were recorded in a French chateau, or that a mega hit was recorded in the bass player's garage and made it to No.1. There are infinite possibilities for recording situations and environments. Everyone loves discovering that their favorite Stones songs were recorded in a French chateau, or that a mega hit was recorded in the bass player's garage and made it to No.1. In the meantime, we as songwriters and players have the real world around us, and the everyday sonic barriers we get to adapt to or modify. I have chosen three pretty common scenarios for anyone trying to record in their space. Each example utilizes a different level of construction skills and tools-ranging from basic carpentry and upholstery to thumb tacks. Please don't stop reading just because you saw the words construction, tools, carpentry and upholstery. You might not be Bob Villa or some pin cushion wizard, but your Uncle Buck and Aunt Bea might know a thing or two about both. Tell them your ideas and situation and see if they can help. Show them this article, and they'll get the picture. If not, be like me, a completely stubborn Capricorn who has an unquenchable need to learn everything first hand. Dig it? Funky Walls and a Window If you check out the illustration, this is a common corner in a room: Mötley Crüe poster, blinds, outside lawn mower noise and all the fixins for a nasty-sounding corner. To me, it looks perfect-a great guitar corner or maybe bass world. First things first-call on Uncle Buck and his workshop. You're gonna need to measure the window and make a wooden inside frame. This does minimal damage to the existing window frame and kills the outside noise. Uncle Buck needs to cut a square piece of wood to match the measurements of the window. A trip to the hardware store can get you two handles and two peg-style latches. Put ‘em on the wooden cutout and mount it in the window frame. Now for Aunt Bea and her wonderful sewing fetish; let's put the old gal to work, shall we? If you look closely at the illustration, you will see the strange-looking items mounted on the window cutout and side wall. That is a Nurf^TM ball cut in two halves and covered with the fancy pants fabric Aunt Bea had left over from a few Easters ago. What I am trying to achieve is a little variety in that funky corner. Fabrics offer a ton of varieties based on what you need. Foam, for example, completely absorbs sound. Burlap stretched over a frame captures sound and lets it reflect off of the backing wall, yet eliminates a lot of harsh sound waves because of the burlap barrier between the surface and reflection. Velvet, think velvet...it's great for the eyes, ears and hands. Keep the Noise In, Keep the Noise Out This is a situation where you either own your own house or apartment, have a really long lease, or have a landlord who allows the tenants to modify the property. I do not recommend dropping a sand floor just any old place; they are heavy, and extremely messy to cleanup. Now the disclaimer has been made and the lawyer has been notified. Let's build a sand floor to keep out the noise below and maintain the sounds you create. This is a mega Uncle Buck project. It might take a few weeks really, depending on how much sand you can carry in one day. Ok, what you need is a measuring tape, pencil, saw, screwdriver, wood screws, play sand, garbage bags, two-by-fours and flat board wood. The basic procedure goes like this. First, measure the floor of the room. You are going to build a wooden frame that lies on the floor, like building a frame to hang drywall. Take the measurement and cut the two-by fours wood beams to fit. Every 16 inches you need to put a new beam down to build the frame, i.e. a Tic-Tac-Toe board. Screw everything together. Don't use nails. Nails make noise. Within each 16" by 16" square, put down garbage bag lining. Once you have filled each square with the plastic lining, fill each square with play sand. It takes a lot of play sand to do this, like 1,500 lbs. for an eight-foot-by-seven-foot room. Don't get construction sand. Construction sand often contains the eggs of bugs. It would really suck if those bug eggs hatched when you're tracking Aretha Franklin. Last step. Put the wood board over the sand-filled squares, creating a new floor. Put down planks and throw your peanuts on the floor. Or, put down a rug, and no one will ever know why that room sounds so peaceful...like the beach. You Live in a Box and Can't Do Construction Alright road dawgs, this one's for you. You've got the Ricochet gig, your Roland recorder is ready to go, and the first thing after the first show is four days off in Midland, Texas. That's right, Midland. Semi-home of George W. Bush. What else? Umm, good BBQ? OK, that and umm...a Hobby Lobby? It's the perfect time to set up shop and record some tunes in your hotel room, but the newlywed couple next door is breaking through the wall. Look what you have around you, and use it to your advantage. The newlywed couple can be blocked out by propping your mattress against their wall. Go over to the Hobby Lobby and get the following items: thumb tacks, a red light bulb and some Christmas lights. On your way back to the room, stop by housekeeping and pick up some more pillows. Tell ‘em your back hurts from doing a back flip off the drum riser. Pillows absorb sound. The more harem the less you hear ‘em. Now, simply hang those bedding covers over problem areas with the thumb tacks in hard-to-see areas for pin point-no need paying for room damage. Problem areas come in the form of windows, open closets and room-connecting doors. String up the Christmas lights and put the red light bulb in the lamp. Plug in your Fender Super Six Reverb and blast the newly weds with some Viagra Falls love rock!!!!!

EMMA POLLOCK > Watch the Fireworks

Mark Saleski — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:57:24 +0000

Watch the Fireworks" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/emma-pollock-cover-300x300.jpg" alt="EMMA POLLOCK > Watch the Fireworks" width="200" height="200" />

A strange thing happens in the middle of an Emma Pollock song: the story is temporarily deconstructed, leaving couplets suspended and held in sharp relief by Pollock's gorgeous voice. This effect is most pronounced during the more sparsely instrumented selections such as "Fortune" and "Limbs," where the accompaniment is only acoustic guitar and piano. From the latter comes "Sitting by the bed/I can see through her skin." It's a slightly jarring, but ultimately moving transcendence from the theme. Elsewhere on Watch the Fireworks, Pollock moves away from the "singer/songwriter" mode, leaning more toward a kind of eclectic, very textural indie rock. Melody is the key here, with Emma's singular voice tumbling out lines that swoop through the chord changes with a graceful ease. Highly recommended.

ANN WILSON > Hope and Glory

Gillian G. Gaar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:54:55 +0000

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This record could be subtitled "War and Peace," for that's the underlying theme. But though one could infer that this is very much an anti-war record, Wilson has largely chosen to draw on the past, seeking out favorite songs that still have resonance today.Label: ZOË
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Wilson's been a recording artist for more than 30 years, so it's strange to realize that this is her first solo album-even odder, perhaps, that she's opted to do covers, when she's a more-than-capable songwriter herself. She's also invited along a bevy of guest stars, and doesn't hesitate to rework a song to her tastes, so "Bad Moon Rising" becomes a lively backwoods stomper (with a harmony vocal from Gretchen Wilson). She teams with Elton John for a charged "Where to Now St. Peter?" and turns "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" into a mother/daughter lament with help from Wynonna Judd. Nonetheless, she's best on her own (or with sister Nancy); check out the way she holds the word "insane" on John Lennon's "Isolation" (her beloved Led Zeppelin gets a nod on "Immigrant Song"). Then there's the closing track, her own "Little Problems, Little Lies," the lament of a dying soldier, that fully brings home the gravity-and the insanity-of war.

MINDY SMITH > My Holiday

Brian T. Atkinson — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:52:44 +0000

My Holiday" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/mindy-smith-cover-300x300.jpg" alt="MINDY SMITH > My Holiday" width="200" height="200" />

Don't scoff. This unlikely jewel isn't bound for gas station checkout counters. My Holiday-a fresh, invigorating and intriguing celebration, both lively and soulful-succeeds precisely why so many holiday albums flat line: It offers something new. Mindy Smith wrote or co-wrote more than half of these yuletide offerings. "Some will say it's not about how many gifts are given out/It just makes a holiday feel/Like Christmas when Christmas time is here," Smith sings on the title track. She infuses the same subtle mix of faith, hope and poignancy in each original song. "Follow the Shepherd Home" stands a particularly good chance of someday joining the covers here (Smith brings a limitless joy, by the way, to "Silver Bells") as a seasonal standard.

SUZY BOGGUSS > Sweet Danger

Edd Hurt — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:50:18 +0000

Sweet Danger" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/suzy-bogguss-cover-300x271.jpg" alt="SUZY BOGGUSS > Sweet Danger" width="200" height="180" />

Suzy Bogguss sings well on Sweet Danger, but the material is so recessive as to be baffling. "Everything" is a bossa nova that never gets into the sunshine, and when she sings, "It's crazy it's boring/I'm falling I'm soaring," she sums up the record's virtues and shortcomings. Still, "Even If That Were True" is exquisite, and the simplest thing here-just her first-rate voice, piano and guitar. It's probably too much to ask this refugee from country music to record with, say, Arto Lindsay, but Bogguss could easily be Nashville's answer to Bebel Gilberto-a purveyor of languid pop dreams.

FERRABY LIONHEART > Catch the Brass Ring

Jay Steele — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:48:08 +0000

Catch the Brass Ring" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/ferraby-lionheart-cover-300x300.jpg" alt="FERRABY LIONHEART > Catch the Brass Ring" width="200" height="200" />

Upon your first glance, Ferraby Lionheart definitely fits the mold of the modern day, folk-singing troubadour. Traveling Guitar? Check. Poetic lyrics? Check. Rustic look? Check. No Car? Check. But is this another run-of-the-mill folkie? Absolutely not. The Los Angeles-via-Nashville singer/songwriter illustrates an expansive talent on Catch the Brass Ring, an impressive full length debut that charms with immediate hooks, deft orchestration, and goodhearted-though sometimes somber-tales. With "Un Ballo Della Luna," a cheerful opener that conjures thoughts of "The Big Rock Candy Mountain," Lionheart sets a pastoral tone. But as soon as the first chorus hits on the piano-pop of "Small Planet," with lavish string arrangements harmonizing riveting, Rufus-flavored vocals, you get your initial glimpse of Lionheart's aforementioned range. It's a diversity best exemplified on songs like "Before We're Dead," which opens with marching New Orleans brass and then cruises into an interesting alt-country melody. Or "A Bell and Tumble," on which vagabond train rhythms, nifty fingerpicking, and sundry production soundtrack Lionheart's dance through the belly of whale. If only there was more space to describe such a refreshing debut.

HEAVY TRASH > Going Way Out With Heavy Trash

Jay Steele — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:45:33 +0000

Going Way Out With Heavy Trash" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/heavy-trash-cover-300x300.jpg" alt="HEAVY TRASH > Going Way Out With Heavy Trash" width="200" height="200" />

In "Walk the Line," June Carter refers to Johnny Cash's voice as "Steady like a train, sharp like a razor." If she were speaking of his Sun Studio sound, then with Heavy Trash, the tandem project of John Spencer and Matt Verta-Ray, the train would be a runaway and the razor rusted out. Sporting elephant's balls and a gallon of whiskey, the duo, along with a supporting cast, including The Sadies, completes a hair-raising rock retrospective here. There's high-heeled strutting rhythms, ass-whipping guitars, and vocals ranging from the King to Cash to Lux Interior on numbers like "Pure Gold," "Double Line," and "Way Out." But there's really nothing new here; just a couple of buddies letting it all hang WAY OUT.

THE EVERYBODYFIELDS > Nothing Is Okay

Robin Aigner — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:42:53 +0000

Nothing Is Okay" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/the-everybodyfields-cover-300x262.jpg" alt="THE EVERYBODYFIELDS > Nothing Is Okay" width="200" height="174" />

On Nothing Is Okay, Johnson City, Tenn., darlings The Everybodyfields transition from folk duo to roots rockers. Their third LP kicks off with the fantastic "Aeroplane," which showcases what is perhaps their strongest suit: the vocal sparring between longtime musical partners salty Sam Quinn and honey-voiced Jill Andrews. Throughout the album, the pair (on bass and guitar) are augmented by supple fiddle, grounding drums and pulsing piano here and there (mostly new developments for the heretofore guitar/bass/dobro outfit). The album plays like a conversation: Quinn and Andrews call and respond on alternating melancholic/tongue-in-cheek odes of loss, longing and love, and deftly layer melody with harmony in carefully chosen places. Nothing Is Okay is yet another indie release that is wiser and wittier than anything you're likely to hear on the FM, with hooks far tastier than the gruel they're force-feeding on the MTV.

LEVON HELM > Dirt Farmer

Barry Mazor — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 21:40:13 +0000

Dirt Farmer" src="http://www.americansongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/levon-helm-cover-300x298.jpg" alt="LEVON HELM > Dirt Farmer" width="200" height="198" />

For many, the basic facts here will provide ample excitement and information: After a throat cancer siege that had sidelined him as a vocalist for nearly a decade, Levon Helm is singing again and recording again. On this new CD he's bringing that slightly roughened, but still unmistakable, indelibly soulful Arkansas voice that empowered so many of The Band's strongest sides to songs as traditional as the Carter Family's "Single Girl, Married Girl," and as contemporary, surprising and seemingly built to suit him (now that he's sung them) as Steve Earle's " The Mountain," Buddy and Julie Miller's "Wide River to Cross," and Paul Kennerley's Basement Tape-goofys "Got Me a Woman." With instrumentation to match, Helm's special ability to make rock sound timeless and traditional tunes rock is fully on display.