My friend Aram suggested the Deadstring Brothers for 3hive, and I think I know why. You see, Aram knows the oeuvre of Bob Dylan the way the rest of us know our birthday or the alphabet. I think, in the roots rock of the Deadstring Brothers, he hears a little tribute to Bob, or at least a recognition of the work of Bob’s son Jakob and his band, The Wallflowers. On the other hand, maybe he just thinks they’re a decent band. Either way, enjoy that pedal steel guitar slide in “27 Hours,” and thanks, Aram!
Richard Swift
Richard Swift has gone to great lengths to make his music sound seventy years old. Whether hacking a Victrola into an iMac, or fudging the fuzziness of decades into his recordings, Swift distresses his songs with just enough texture to make you doublecheck the copyright date. None of these lo-fi antics however overshadow the songwriting skills of this post-modern troubadour.
Wally Pleasant
“From the Northwest Territory to Madagascar, you’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen by far…” — a little message to my wife via Wally Pleasant’s “Let’s Play Life.” She spent a year at Michigan State, and I think a small part of her heart will always belong to Wally, a local legend and all-out goofball. Many Michiganders, I imagine, feel this way. Sure, he’s one of the worst singers you’ll ever hear, and yes, his songs can sometimes (okay, often) be undeniably dumb, but when once you’ve surrendered your haughtness to his charm, you, like my wife, might consider naming your next child (assuming there is one and it’s a boy) Walter.
Blue Mountain
The words “country,” “rock,” and “Mississippi” evoke Blue Mountain in my ears and mind. A foundational band from the early days of the alt-country scene, Blue Mountain gave a needed soundtrack to Faulkner’s Yoknapatawpha County (they really were from Oxford, Miss.) while I was doing time in grad school. Check out “Riley and Spencer” here for a sample of their roots rock style, or their 1995 debut album Dog Days for a classic of the No Depression genre.
Magnolia Electric Company
Apparently there’s this guy named Jason Molina whose jangly voice and honky-tonk geetar owe a great debt to Neil Young and who had a band called songs: ohia. Apparently he renamed his band after one of the latter band’s album titles. And apparently the hazy barroom rock sounds as sweet as Tennessee bourbon whiskey on Magnolia Electric Company’s debut live release. If you’re wondering why all the parenthetical talk, it’s because Molina’s as new to me as he might (or might not) be to you. And apparently I’m kicking myself for not discovering him about five years ago.
Flogging Molly
Allie told Jared about the Celtic punk intensity of Flogging Molly, and this is what he told me (Allie was at the dentist, or I’d have asked her, too): “Sometimes you’re just in a happy mood and want to listen to something upbeat, like when I’m driving around in Minnesota with my friends, running red lights and honking at people and acting crazy. That’s a good time to listen to Flogging Molly, you know.” But of course, young man, but of course. And thanks, kids.
Personally, I’m loving the memories these tunes evoke, like the time when Sam and I went to see The Pogues but Shane MacGowan passed out dead drunk during the first song (I’m pretty sure it was “Boat Train”) and Spider Stacy sang the rest of the set. Yeah, Flogging Molly should have been the opening act who ended up playing all night long.
Stephen Duffy & the Lilac Time
In my teenage years I listened to everything from T.S.O.L. to the likes of Mr. Duffy here, recording at the time as Tin Tin. Stephen Duffy was the instructions, the map, and the soundtrack to getting the girl, while T.S.O.L. et al provided the musical score after I’d been dumped, refused, or otherwise unable to, um, score. Alright, let’s be honest. I never came close. Fast forward a number of years and Duffy has matured from British dance pop to stripped-down, acoustic folk songs, without much change in theme. He’s still trying to figure out exactly how love works. Join the club.
Rachael Cantu
In the “girl-with-acoustic-guitar” sub-genre, it can sometimes be difficult to, well, not sound exactly like every other song that fits the category. Rachael Cantu manages to clear out some space of her own, with a sense of maturity and experience that seemingly can’t match up with her age and offer these thoughtfully pleasant tracks. The assistance of Mates of State‘s Kori Gardner on “Summer of Cycling” doesn’t hurt, either.
P.S. You can also catch Rachael Cantu providing guest vocals for Limbeck and on tour with Tegan and Sara.
ED NOTE: the mp3 links are now dead. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Spaghetti Western
Sometimes melancholic, sometimes dimly hopeful compositions perfect for drives through the Mojave at dusk. The suggestion comes with a warning: Spaghetti Western may induce hallucinations of a Parisian circus circa 1890, slow-mo, black and white, flashbacks to a dizzy meal at La Mela in Little Italy, or of rainy Sunday mornings in a dark bedroom, illuminated by a PowerBook G4, eating Hershey’s Kisses, keying MP3 reviews into Movable Type.
Kelley Stoltz
I’m a sucker for bedroom recordings and Kelley Stoltz has certainly raised my lo-fi expectations. Unable to settle with any one sound, Stoltz wanders from spaced-out, folk songs, to downtempo Nick Drake moments, to Theremin-tinged psychedelia. Add to this his solo interpretations of classic Echo & The Bunnymen songs and it’s as plain as the nose on your face that you’ve been missing something. This may be your first taste of Kelley Stoltz, but I’d wager it ain’t your last.