What are you listening to?

I am recently enamored with Doug Pettibone's great tasteful lead work on Lucinda William's Live at the Fillmore West Album....after seeing them on Austin City Limits.....I love the way he blends in with her raspy dive bar style.

__________________
THIS SPACE FOR RENT

On my current heavy rotation:

The Kinks - Arthur, or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire. "Brainwashed" may be the catchiest thing ever written. I highly suggest you check it out if you don't know the song already.

Drive-By Truckers - Brighter than Creation's Dark. I love pretty much everything these guys have ever thought about doing, but this new one is quite possibly their best yet. Layer after layer both lyrically and musically to dig through, but presented in the simplest manner possible just like all the best art. Plus all the guitar (including pedal steel) you can stand. When these guys are playing in your town, GO! I don't care what you're into - metal, jazz, punk, country, Northeast Indian ragas, whatever. If you like guitars, you'll walk out a fan.

The Dexateens - Red Dust Rising. This one's been out awhile, but keeps making its way into the CD player. Lock Chuck Berry, John Fogerty, and Hank Williams in a room with a bunch of speed and this is what comes out. They don't tour much outside the southeast (my neck of the woods) but are another not to be missed live act.

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky. Wilco's albums always take a few listens to grow on me. This one took maybe two times through before it clamped its beautiful pop claws into me. And it gets noisy as hell too, thanks to Nils Cline.

Bruce Springsteen - Nebraska and Darkness on the Edge of Town. Two albums that take me back to being a little kid listening to my uncle's records and stealing peaks at his Creem magazines while he was at work. If you are a young'un and decide to run out to the record store (or iTunes, I guess) be forewarned, Nebraska is one dark ass record. Emo kids may find themselves with a bad case of the explosive heads.

The Drams - I've been listening to some of the live shows from their tour(s) supporting their album, Jubilee Dive. Crunchy crunchy crunchy with a heavy Big Star influence. Another ridiculously good rock and roll band with kick ass guitars.

Jason Isbell - Sirens of the Ditch. Formerly a third of DBT's three headed guitar-songwriting monster, Isbell is on his own now and his album brings the rock. This album is what the record of the year sounds like in my own little perfect world.

Something I just found:

You can download The Dexateens' latest record, "Lost and Found," for free at http//:www.dexateens.net

DO IT!

BMiller, you just gave me at least 5 new bands to research. Thanks!

No problem! Hope you enjoy. You'll find that my taste in music, like I'm sure many of the posters on this board, runs to guitars (loud, glorious guitars...).

DBT has quite an extensive catalog (even more if you count the shows circulating on Archive.org and bittorrent). So here's the bmiller quick guide in order of release:

Ganstabilly - Country with a shiteating grin. Key tracks: "The Living Bubba," "Steve McQueen," "Sandwiches for the Road." "Late for Church" gets an honorable mention because it's so pretty and true, especially in the south.

Pizza Deliverance - Depending on the time of day and my mood, my favorite record ever. Key tracks: "The Company I Keep," "Uncle Frank," "Tails Facing Up." Everything on this one is great.

Alabama Ass-Whuppin' - An early live album that is no longer in print. Runs about $50 on ebay, but the band has said they would rather people burn it than pay that. Contains the definitive version of "18 Wheels of Love."

Southern Rock Opera - The double album that got the big review from Rolling Stone and really gained traction for the band. Key tracks: "Ronnie and Neil," "Zip City," "Women without Whiskey," Shut Up and Get on the Plane," "Let There Be Rock."

Decoration Day - Nothing resembling a weak song on this one. Rock solid top to bottom. Key tracks: all of them.

The Dirty South - Not quite the record the last two are, but better than 95% of the stuff you hear everywhere. Key tracks: "Where the Devil Won't Stay," "Lookout Mountain."

A Blessing and a Curse - Taken individually, I like all the songs on this one. Taken as a whole, it's not my favorite. Still very good, with two songs I refuse to listen to on the grounds that I burst into tears every time I hear them.

Brighter than Creation's Dark - 19 songs and nothing that begs to be skipped past. How many records can say that? This one is quiet and loud all at the same time.

There's also a live DVD from the 40 Watt in Athens, GA available.

Check these guys (and girl) out. If you don't know their music, you are really missing something special.

BMiller,

Wow man, excellent recommendations....you've given me a lot to research. I'm really digging Jason Isbell and The Drams. I'm a huge Ryan Adams fan, and these recommendations are in line with some of the stuff Ryan does....Check out the "Gold" and "Cold Roses" albums.

Some of the local bands in my haunts (LA and SF) that are pretty cool are:

Firecracker - check out "Box of Hearts" and "Welcome Back" on So Long Someday These guys are straight ahead Americana.

Young Dubliners - They're like a more rockin Pogues....Irish and damn proud of it....and they can drink like fishes! We've opened for these guys and partied afterwards. Check out With All Due Respect

Maktub - A bit more on the funky side from Seattle, of all places. These guys put on an amazing show that mixes funk, rock, and R&B elements. Check out their cover of Zeppelin's "No Quarter" on Kronos (their best album IMO) . These guys are super cool.

Richmond Fontaine - back on the Americana side of things....these guys are on my buddy's label. They have a Uncle Tupelo type of sound....more atmospheric.

Jeff Austin Black - another friend of ours...more on the pop side of Americana. Great songs & voice. He's had some songs on TV shows.

Eric McFadden - this guy is San Francisco's resident undiscovered guitar legend and anti-rockstar. Puts on a show that must be like what seeing the Jimi Hendrix Experience was like. His records don't do him justice.

Luce - SF's local pop stars. Beatles influenced well crafted pop rock. These are are cool, and there is never a shortage of pretty girls at their shows.

Gooding - Sacramento's kick-ass guitar heavy trio. Again, incredible musicianship and songs, but their live performances blow away their studio stuff.

__________________
THIS SPACE FOR RENT

Ryan Adams is a favorite of mine, although I like the Whiskeytown stuff more than his solo work in general. Faithless Street is probably my favorite record of his overall. Rural Free Delivery is another you should find if you haven't heard it. It's got Black Flag covers . And that song "Hipshake" will get any bar crowd going simply because no girl in her right mind can resist dancing to it. I haven't picked any of his stuff up since the Rock n Roll album, but I've heard very good things about Cold Roses and Jacksonville City Nights in particular. I'll have to check them out.

Speaking of such, Adams has been accused of riffing on Gram Parsons' legacy. I'm a big Parsons fan and can say that I think Ryan Adams just has damn good taste. Parsons is great not only on songwriting, but you get Clarence White, Roger McGuinn, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, and James Burton in the mix as well. Interestingly, Sneaky Pete also worked on the Jetsons cartoon. This brings my life full circle in too many ways to explain.

I'll be looking into the Young Dubliners, as I haven't had a good Pogues-esque (yes, that is not a word) fix in a good while. My family's German-Irish, so I can definitely relate to the thin, angry, and drinks too much thing.

Eric McFadden... that sounds way too interesting to leave be.

BTW, for all you west coast guys... there is a Drive-By Truckers show that should be on Archive.org. The Fillmore 2005. You must download this show! This is 3+ hours of full on rock as it should be played, as all those guys way back when played it - with its heart on its sleeve, a bottle of Jack , and the conviction that three chords can change the world. Sounds sappy as hell, I know. But this show won't leave your CD player for months, guaranteed. This show should come out on triple vinyl.

Taking this in a different direction, I just put in "True Democracy" by Steel Pulse. Released in 82, this is my all-time #1 Reggae album. More driving than most with great drumming, some tasty intros with nice, fuzzy guitar leads, and strong lyrical content. I love this album. Haven't listened to it in a while, and now it's on constant rotation.

If you're into Reggae, check out this album and anything released before it by Steel Pulse. Just great music.

I saw them open for INXS on the Kick tour in the early 90s. Phenomenal show.

I downloaded (on Rhapsody, which is an incredible all you can eat music service for music lovers) True Democracy yesterday and chilled out to it in the afternoon. It sounds like a richer Bob Marley + jazz influenced reggae. Kind of reminds me of when Ben Harper does raggae ("With My Own Two Hands"). He latest album is excellent....probably his best studio work to date.

Lots of new music on deck to check out.

__________________
THIS SPACE FOR RENT

That's very cool, Adaptable. Glad you checked them out.