Went off. Would've liked to see some horns next time to fill out the soul but the guitar, bass drums combo did pretty good.
Brief vid of some of the encore, the sound is fuzzy because I was right next to the amps on front of stage.
Despite all the consternation changes at eMusic have caused over the past year, I can't quit. At least not while I keep finding treasure troves there like a bunch of CAAMA (Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association) releases. I got The Best of Coloured Stone, Playing with Fire by Frank Yamma and Piranpa and the four volumes of CAAMA 25th Anniversary Collection.I'll certainly be back to get more, particularly want a Deadheart album or two. A treasure trove, as I say, in a wide variety of styles. Some big names like the above, the Warumpi Band, Warren H Williams and Roger Knox etc but far more these downloads have allowed me to hear for the first time. So here's an 8tracks of 10 songs, appropriately for Survival Day perhaps but I've been meaning to do it more months so its more slackness than symbolism.
The wonders of The Johnny Cash Show to be had on YouTube never cease to amaze and delight. I think Col Joye was pulling his leg with that definition of jumbuck tho ...
FINALLY updated the Sydney Dylan Society page with 2011 dates. As there is a tour shortly I'll update later on where we will be meeting before the show. It's usually the Crystal Palace but as we now meet at the Market Tavern maybe it will be there. Will consult and get back to you.
Australia!* You may have all missed his previous tour, just this past November, but the opportunity arises to spare you the #FAIL of missing out twice as Joe Pug is coming back.
Namely:
March 11 Sydney--Notes Newtown
March 12 Port Fairy--Port Fairy Folk Festival
March 13 Port Fairy--Port Fairy Folk Festival
March 17 Adelaide--Grace Emily
March 18 Fremantle--Norfolk Basement
March 19 Victoria--Mossvale Music Festival
March 20 Melbourne--The Toff in Town
Messenger from last year is a stunner and I can attest to the excellence of his live performance. So go, OK?
*Offer applies only to selected states.
So I went and saw Emmylou the other week. I didn't immediately rush to blog with it because of the redundancy of anything I could say. If she hadn't been sublime, that would be news. I'll play fearless citizen journalist a bit and say there was something a bit off about the sound. As we know, I am a dullard at musical perception but my old cloth ears picked up an imbalance to the band, a clattering loudness to the drums at time and a sharpness at times to the mando and an indistinctness at others. Due once again to the herculean incompetence of my nemesis, Ticketmaster, I wasn't in the front row where you expect a certain muddiness, but half way back in the prime position for the mixers.
In any event I shouldn't complain, she did "Goodbye" and "Pancho and Lefty" plus a whole bunch from Wrecking Ball including "Every Grain of Sand." And a new song dedicated to Kate McGarrigle.
I found a lot of great music perusing the various Best of 2010 lists, so much so that 2010 listening is going to bleed way, way into 2011. I also (followed a link from somewhere lost in the tubes of internet time now, apologies) found the Freight Train Boogie podcast a weekly survey of what's new in Americana, roots and country (does that cover everything?) It's hosted by Bill Frater who keeps the commentary personable and informative and still gets in a good 10-15 songs each hour long show and it's a good mix of well known or established artists and a bunch of folk I've never heard of (it even skews a little to the independent since all the tracks are played with permission and they're the most likely group to respond to a request), many of whom have become Must Acquires.
I've been listening religiously the last few weeks, starting with the end of 2010 and first couple for 2011 and going back to download everything in the iTunes archives. This guy is going to cost me some serious money. There's a related blog with each week's new releases. So yeah, can't say enough about it and you should check it out.
I did the BBC's How Musical Are You? test which confirms what I (and everyone who has tried to teach me music from the Year 2 teacher who wouldn't let me join the choir onwards) knew anyway; I love it but really, really, really suck at it. PITCH SCMITCH!
"We may be tone deaf, but we have the music." I think Leonard Cohen said that.
Winter's Bone is a film that's got a lot of attention recently, a gothic tale which is a wonder of economical film making and note perfect acting. I liked it a lot. It's set in the Ozarks and features a great soundtrack of traditional music. Over at The 9513 is an interview with Marideth Sisco a local singer and folklorist who sings in the movie and helped shape its sound. Really terrific interview not just about her role in the film but the processes of adapting traditional songs for it.
I should note it does contain one spoiler, and it sort of "spoils" a key moment (the moment everyone I've talked to who has also seen the movie has mentioned) so be warned, but it really is a good read.
One musical release of 2010 I should have mentioned in my retrospective was Rosanne Cash's memoir Composed. It's not music but it's musical and should be considered along with the CDs as a musical event. Open the cover not, those looking for a blow by blow account of Nashville Babylon, her own or her father's (actually I don't think she had one of her own) or even any messy domestic details surrounding marriage/divorce to Rodney Crowell- it's mentioned more than once of course, this being an account of a life, but in a ... mature way that speaks of lessons learnt and growth and whatnot. I do not mean to make it sound precious, for Cash is wickedly funny although for a full exposure to that side of her I recommend her Twitter feed; she's a riot. Rodney Crowell himself has an autobio coming out and at the time of its launch she tweeted something about hoping he was as nice to her in his book as she was to him in hers. LOL.
Composed is very much about an artist, the winding road to knowing you want to be one, to becoming one and living as one.
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