2012 Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Every June, I attend the annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride, Colorado.  This was my third year, and I have to say, it was the best yet.  This year I flew solo, rented a place in town, and enjoyed the dry weather and fluffy clouds wafting through the sky.

It started with a three day trip to Moab, UT, after which I made a Wednesday afternoon arrival in Telluride, just in time to enjoy the free FirstGrass show in Mountain Village.  This year, Della Mae opened it up with Peter Rowan as a guest, and delighted the audience with some first-rate upbeat all-girl tradgrass.  They were followed by the first of many (by my count, four) official Greensky Bluegrass appearances.  They played a good set, although, admittedly, my head was not really in it.

Later on in the evening, Yonder Mountain String Band played their annual kickoff party at the conference center.  I made it to my first one last year, but found this one to be far more entertaining.  They were just on this year... And they had Bela Fleck sit in during the first set, and Sam Bush during the second.  Someone later told me that Jeff Austin had "cleaned up" in the past year--either that is unfair speculation, or a reasonable explanation for a more exciting Yonder.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Things officially got started with an hour-long gapless improv by Chris Thile and Bela Fleck, under the name of "Thelma and Louise."  This performance was not for everybody, as it was abstract and improvisational in nature, and most improvisations tend to have sections that miss the mark.  I, personally, was impressed by the performance, even though I was a little drowsy during stretches (which, perhaps, could've added to the enjoyment).

I skipped Della Mae in order to catch up on sleep, and returned prior to Dan Mangan's set.  Mangan was a hit for me; I enjoyed his use of feedback and noise, and his philosophical ramblings, although the general consensus seems to be that he was too loud for a bluegrass festival.  Too each his own.

Mangan was followed by Greensky Bluegrass's 2nd official performance, which I skipped in order to see Punch Brothers at the free Elks Park stage.  This is a show that kicked off one of the most pervasive storylines of this year's festival, not just because of their Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, and Levon Helm tributes, but because, while explaining the seafaring nature of Josh Ritter's "Another New World," they proposed "Ahoy!" as the official Punch Brothers Telluride salutation.  Thus, "Ahoy!" became the most commonly heard word this year, typically shouted in unison by large groups of inebriated men.  This set was mostly covers; besides the Ritter song, they played The Car's "Just What I Needed," The Strokes' "Heart In A Cage," The White Stripes' "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," and, most memorably, The Band's "Ophelia." Ophelia was the first of four Helm tributes of which I am aware.

After Punch Brothers' Happy Hour, I returned in order to see Laura Marling take the stage 15 minutes late, and perform a slightly unenthusiastic set that was, nonetheless, enjoyable.  I guess I just had really high expectations for this set, after seeing her impress while opening for Andrew Bird a few months ago.

I didn't stay long into John Prine's set (which sounded good from the first few songs) in order to return my chair to the hotel in preparation for a long night, which began with Alison Krauss and Union Station.  As expected, I was highly impressed by their talent, but a little bored with their pop structures.  I like the songs sung by Dan Tyminski, who introduced himself as "the singing voice of George Clooney," because they tend to be closer to bluegrass than pop.

I finished the evening with the Elephant Revival show at the Sheridan Opera House.  I saw them play in Phoenix in January, and they were just as impressive, if not more so, in Telluride.

This was a very strong opening day, and the highlight was Punch Brothers at Elks Park.  

Friday, June 22, 2012

Friday started off with a laid back set from Edgar Meyer and Mike Marshall.  I appreciate their skill, but it's difficult to watch them on the main stage.  It would be easier to appreciate their technical abilities in a more intimate Elks Park workshop.  Needless to say, I fell asleep.

Seryn fortunately got things moving on Friday around lunch time.  This band, from Denton, TX, is almost completely unknown, they don't play bluegrass, but they use banjos sometimes, so I guess it "counts."  Bluegrass or not, they were impressive, and despite the lead singer's voice sounding a little too much like Eddie Vedder's, I like this band.

The always-entertaining Head For The Hills were next, but I skipped them in order to see Joy Kills Sorrow at Elks Park.  I figured I would see Head For The Hills later that night anyways, and JKS was one of the bands I was most looking forward to... So I couldn't wait for their Sunday morning set.  I was not disappointed with my decision.

I went back to the main stage for O'Brien Party of Seven and Bela Fleck & The Marcus Roberts Trio.  The first was enjoyable, at least during the part during which I managed to stay awake.  Bela Fleck & The Marcus Roberts Trio was one of the more unique shows of the weekend, as Bela projects are wont to be.  This was straight up jazz music, and it was tight.  I really enjoyed this show; it was one of my favorites of the weekend.

I skipped Del McCoury in order to rest up for John Fogerty, and return my stuff to the hotel.  There was some speculation as to how much of Fogerty's set would be CCR, and how much would be his solo/country set; if you were hoping for mostly CCR, you would not have been disappointed.  This was the set that was talked about for the rest of the weekend.

Rather than see Leftover Salmon, I saw Head For The Hills at the Fly Me To The Moon Saloon.  The first half was totally enjoyable, on account of everybody still being at Leftover Salmon, but once the Salmon crowd started showing up, it started becoming overcrowded.  The band was spectacular, however.

Friday, again, was solid, and the highlight of the day was, far and away, John Fogerty.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Saturday was all about Elks Park.  While at the main stage the band contest was going on, and Run Boy Run was following up as last year's winners, there was an instrument building Q&A with the makers of Shanti Guitars and San Juan Mandolins, featuring some "instrument demonstrations" (i.e., playing) by two of the guys in Head For The Hills.  If nothing else, I learned how difficult and interesting the art of luthiery can be.

This was followed up by a "workshop" entitled Bela Fleck & Edgar Meyer: How To Play Badly Without Anybody Noticing.  This was, of course, tongue-in-cheek, and they did not play badly at all, but joked about some techniques to hide mistakes (their favorite was pretending to tune the instrument, so the audience thinks they just went out of tune).  They noticed Chris Thile on the side, and invited him to join... He ran and grabbed his mandolin, and half the show was Fleck/Meyer/Thile.  The Bela Fleck Elks Park performance seems to always be a highlight of the festival: it wasn't as memorable this year as it was last year, but it was still very impressive.

Following Fleck/Meyer, I went to the main stage for The Devil Makes Three, and witnessed some upbeat, energetic bluegrass/folk/whatever-they-call-what-they-do.  These guys are fun, and they have an old time style all their own.

Rather than hang out for Jerry Douglas' set, I opted for some lunch, followed by a trip to Elks Park for the Woody Guthrie tribute.  This involved Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon), Tim O'Brien (Tim O'Brien), Emma Beaton (Joy Kills Sorrow), Peter Rowan (Peter Rowan), and some other lady whose identity I'm unsure of.  By now, the air was rather smoky due to the fire burning down by Mancos, which was so pervasive that Vince Herman even referred to it in an impromptu verse of Woody's "This Land Is Your Land" (although he argued that the smoke was related to the fact that it was about 4:20 on the clock).  The Guthrie tribute was entertaining, enlightening, and probably more political than what we're used to at the festival.

Seryn was next at Elks Park.  Rather than witness the Yonder Mountain String Band marshmallow war, I decided to watch the little-known band play an intimate set and chat about polyrhythms, unusual use of bows, etc.

Next, it was dinner/sleep time (I skipped k.d. lang), and back over to the main stage for the annual Sam Bush Band set.  I've always enjoyed Sam's set, but this one was even better.  Midway through, he started a song with Jerry Douglas, during which the rest of the band came out armed with electric guitars, and proceeded to rock the crowd's socks off for about ten minutes.  A guy standing near me remarked that they should've ended with this, as there was no way to possibly top this.  One thing I've learned is you never assume Sam Bush can't top himself; he did when he brought out Douglas, Bela Fleck, John Cowan, Jeff Austin, and Dave Johnston for a rousing, 16-minute rendition of The Band's "Up On Cripple Creek" (the second Helm tribute for those who are counting).  He then brought out all the bass players backstage for an encore performance of Spinal Tap's "Big Bottom."  Only in Sam Bush's Telluride set can you see six bass players playing Spinal Tap at a bluegrass festival.

The final main stage set of the night was Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, who delighted me with their piano-based jambandery.  Bruce was joined by Thile and Fleck, but I left too early too see Sam Bush's appearance.

The reason I left Bruce early was to catch The Devil Makes Three play Fly Me To The Moon Saloon.  This was my biggest mistake of the festival; the show was more crowded than Head For The Hills the previous night, it was hot in there, I couldn't see the band, and they apparently just played basically the same set they played on the main stage.  I left by 1AM.

The highlight of the day was easily Sam Bush Band.  His performance included some of my all-time favorite Telluride Bluegrass moments (though my TBF career only spans three years).

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Sunday was a main stage day for me.  It started with John Cowan Band Gospel Hour, which was entertaining, though I didn't really know any of his songs.  I do know his voice from New Grass Revival, so it wasn't completely unfamiliar.

Joy Kills Sorrow was next.  It was similar to their Friday Elks Park set, just with less intimate chat and more music.  The audience seemed to like them.

I watched the beginning of Peter Rowan's Big Twang Theory, but didn't stick around long, as I wanted to grab some lunch and catch Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass at Elks Park (their fourth official performance of the festival).  Their music and banter was enjoyable.

Next was Brett Dennen at the main stage; I was unsure of how I'd like his folk-pop stylings, but I actually found it enjoyable and refreshing.  Perhaps unfortunately, the most memorable part of his set occurred when Marshmallow War Part II broke out near the end.  It was so out-of-control that after the set, a stern warning was issue to the audience to refrain from throwing projectiles on stage.

Punch Brothers were next, and played their most typical show of the festival, with more songs from their new album than at any of their other performances.  This, of course, came with plentiful greetings of "Ahoy!" from the crowd, and Thile even changed the lyrics in "Rye Whiskey" to "A-hoy!" instead of "Oh Boy!" as promised.  The most interesting part of the set came when Rob Moose joined them onstage for a performance of the third movement of Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto."

Glen Hansard took the headlining spot Sunday, and floored me with his emotive voice and more-energetic-than-expected band.  He played a couple of Once/Swell Season tracks ("Leave" and "When Your Mind's Made Up"), several songs from his solo work, and, memorably, The Band's "The Weight" (the third Helm tribute of the weekend).  Hansard impressed.

The Telluride House Band closed the night, but I skipped their set in order to guarantee a balcony seat at the Punch Brothers nightgrass show at the Sheridan Opera House.  Unfortunately, I missed the house band play "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down:"

The Punch Brothers nightgrass show was excellent: they played Weezer, The Strokes, Radiohead, some traditional bluegrass, some of their own music, some wicked solos, and even some R&B (with Noam Pickelny sporting some cool shades).  They were just having fun all night, and they were joined onstage by Bryan Sutton, Mike Witcher (brother of Gabe Witcher), some girl they found to sing the female vocal part in "Here Or Heaven," and even Ed Helms and one of his Lonesome Trio bandmates.

The highlight of the day was, as expected, Punch Brothers.

Overall, this was my favorite Telluride Bluegrass Festival.  The music was solid all around, I met a lot of interesting people, and just had an all around good, carefree time.  I already can't wait for the 40th anniversary next year.

Anathema - Weather Systems

Release Date: April 16, 2012
Label: Kscope


Let me tell you about Anathema.  They are a British prog rock band that started off playing doom metal.  Their past alone is probably enough to turn off most prospective listeners ("you want me to check out a doom metal band???), and their present is enough to turn off most doom metal fans, so they are in an interesting position, as far as niche is concerned.

I first heard Anathema several years ago, when I was in my prog metal phase.  The record I heard was A Natural Disaster, which surprised me with its overall mellowness and delicacy.  There really isn't anything metal about Anathema anymore.  I more recently heard We're Here Because We're Here, which I wasn't totally impressed with, despite its relative popularity.  Nevertheless, when I saw that Weather Systems was due, I went ahead and ordered the vinyl.

After a few listens, I was floored.  This might be even better than A Natural Disaster.  The record starts off with a split track, "Untouchables," with a hard first half and a more delicate second half.  This is followed by another pair of songs that flow into each other, "The Gathering of the Clouds," and "Lightning Song."  "Gathering" is a fine specimen of layered vocals and effective buildup, and by the time it climaxes and segues into "Lightning Song," it is difficult to resist the urge to start pumping your fists.

Another highlight is "The Storm Before the Calm," which features one of my favorite prog tropes: tearing down the song after a few verses, and building it back up again with more grandeur than before.

Really, this whole record is solid.  So solid that I decided to purchase the surround sound edition, which I had the chance to spin for the first time today.  The sound is more crisp, with more separation between the concrete musical instruments and more abstract atmospheric elements.  The layered vocal parts especially shine; in "The Gathering of the Clouds," I heard vocal lines I hadn't heard even after a dozen or so listens.

If you're a prog rock or art rock fan, check this out.  If you're not... Well, there still might be cuts you really like.  This music is really difficult to categorize.

★★★★

75 Awesome 70s Songs, Part I: 75-51

I've been listening to a lot of 70s music lately.  What a great decade, when many timeless musicians wrote their most timeless music.  Anyways, I have all kinds of 70s records sitting on my shelf that I haven't listened to more than once or twice... And I didn't grow up in the 70s, so there are obviously all kinds of musicians from that time that I haven't even heard.  So I'm not going to have any pretense that these are the 75 best songs from the 70s; they're just 75 great songs, roughly sorted in order of how much I like them.

75. Neil Young - Hold Back The Tears
American Stars 'N' Bars - 1977
American Stars 'N' Bars kicked off a sort-of country/folk era for Neil Young.  This album is one of the least awesome in the strongest stretched of albums produced by any artist, but it's still solid.  This is probably my favorite track from the album, though "Like A Hurricane" is probably the most well-known.


74. Gentle Giant - Mobile
Free Hand - 1975
Gentle Giant weren't quite as successful as other such prog acts as Yes, King Crimson, ELP, etc., but they certainly didn't lack in originality.  I don't know what to say about "Mobile," other than it's an excellent prog track.

73. King Crimson - Ladies of the Road
Islands - 1971
"Ladies of the Road" is interesting for both its funky bass line, and the accusations of misogyny that resulted from this track.  It is most definitely naughty.  Ranks high in both humor and crudeness.


72. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - Helpless
Deja Vu - 1970
Truth be told, I like this one better when Neil does it solo, but I'll reference the CSNY version, anyways.  Nice, mellow, melodic pop song.


71. Elton John - I've Seen That Movie Too
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - 1973
I may be criticized for choosing this over more popular songs from the same album, "Bennie and the Jets," and "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting."  But this one simply has a better melody, and a nice feel.


70. Yes - Turn of the Century
Going For The One - 1977
I really like the sound of this one... Little, if any, percussion; just atmosphere.  It actually builds up nicely, despite its relative sparseness.


69. Gentle Giant - On Reflection
Free Hand - 1975
This song is a clinic on vocal harmony.  It sounds like there are at least 30 vocal parts playing off of each other.  Also, the band member switch instruments during the song, even when playing live.  Cool.


68. Jackson Browne - Under The Falling Sky
Jackson Browne - 1972
An excellent track from Browne's debut album, "Under The Falling Sky" really works because of its interesting traditional/minimalist percussion.


67. Yes - Release, Release
Tormato - 1978
Tormato was not well-received in the Yes community due to the perception that they were shunning prog in order to write pop music.  But it's hard for me to denounce this album, because it has some great music, even if they are slightly poppy.  "Release, Release" is certainly better than that completely unlistenable "Owner of a Lonely Heart" that somehow became their biggest hit in the 80s.


66. Crazy Horse - Dance, Dance, Dance
Crazy Horse - 1971
Crazy Horse has actually been Neil Young's backing band on many an occasion, but they did release an album or two on their own.  I believe "Dance, Dance, Dance" was actually penned by Neil, but it sounds great here.


65. Neil Young - Campaigner
Decade - 1979; Chrome Dreams - 1975 (unreleased)
"Campaigner" is the best Neil Young song never to make it onto a Neil Young studio album, besides maybe "Ohio."  I like the feel of this song, from the acoustic guitar, to the vocal dynamics.


64. The Rolling Stones - Far Away Eyes
Some Girls - 1978
I like the Rolling Stones when they get weird, and this is a weird song.  It features a spoken word verse with Mick Jagger talking like a country bumpkin, which makes the chorus that much more catchy.


63. Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore
Led Zeppelin IV - 1971
At some point in time, John Paul Jones fell in love with the mandolin, and this was one of the first songs to really showcase the instrument.  Pair a few mandolins up with a renaissance-sounding vocal melody, and you get one of the more interesting songs Zeppelin conjured up.


62. Billy Joel - You're My Home
Piano Man - 1973
This is one of those songs that doesn't really stick out when you're listening to the record, but when you hear it in a mix, it shines.  I think it largely has to do with the guitar sound.


61. Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young - Ohio
Decade - 1979; So Far - 1974
"Ohio" was one of the most well-known protest songs in the 70s, but it never appeared on a record until CSNY's So Far collection.  Penned in response to the Kent State shootings, Ohio sometimes resurfaces when the issue of police violence enters into the public consciousness.


60. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Travelin' Band
Cosmo's Factory - 1970
John Fogerty was never accused of making his songs too complex, and this song is a perfect example of how great a really simple song can be.  It almost sounds like a late 50s rockabilly tune, except with Fogerty's distinctive vocal style.


59. The Rolling Stones - Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
Goats Head Soup - 1973
This track is the perfect marriage of the British Invasion sound better characterized by early Stones work, and the 70s rock they were fully immersed in by Beggar's Banquet or Exile.


58. Led Zeppelin - Tangerine
III - 1970
Led Zeppelin's III has some great work, but this song best epitomizes Zep's folky side, which is my favorite side of Led Zeppelin.


57. Yes - Clap
The Yes Album - 1971
Possibly an unconventional choice, since it's really just a guitar solo, but it is one of my favorite guitar solos.  I'd consider my guitar playing ability sufficient if I could just learn this song.


56. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
Second Helping - 1974
Who doesn't like this song?  It has one of the most popular guitar riffs ever.  The history of this song makes it even better; it was written in response to one or two Neil Young songs about racism in the South (hence the reference to Neil Young in one of the verses), one of which is


55. Neil Young - Southern Man
After The Gold Rush - 1971
Neil Young is great when he stirs up controversy, and this one made quite the dig at the South.  Besides its being a scathing critique of racism in the South, it is just a great song.


54. King Crimson - Cat Food
In The Wake Of Poseidon - 1970
Poseidon was one of Crimson's weaker albums in the 70s, but it still produced some gems... One of which is the weird little track "Cat Food."  This one may need to be heard in surround sound, due to its many instrumental and vocal tracks.


53. King Crimson - Fallen Angel
Red - 1974
By the time Red came around, King Crimson was a trio, creating a much different feel than classical- and jazz-influenced work from Poseidon, Lizard, and Islands.  "Fallen Angel" has a nice melody and great dynamics, and is possibly the song that best utilizes the trio format.


52. Billy Joel - Why Judy Why
Cold Spring Harbor - 1971
Cold Spring Harbor, Joel's debut record, never achieved the fame his later records did, but it is, in my opinion, one of his best.  "Why Judy Why" was one of his first great ballads, and served as a great starting point for one of the best songwriters of the 70s.


51. Kris Kristofferson - Don't Cuss The Fiddle
Waylon & Willie - 1978
This song was recorded by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, but it was written by Kristofferson, generally considered one of the best country songwriters ever.  I'm not hugely familiar with Kristofferson's work, but this is probably one of my top five country songs ever.

25 Favorite Albums of 2011

Last year I did mini-reviews of every album I listened to in 2010.  However, given that I listened to over fifty new albums which were released in 2011, I figured I'd just make a list of the 25 best.  All of these are good albums, but only three achieve greatness.  It was a solid year, but light on the eventual classics.

25. Crooked Still - Friends of Fall
Just an EP, but a solid one.  Aiofe O'Donovan was involved in three of the albums on this list, but this is the one that is carried by her delicate, whispery voice.  Can't wait to see her open for Punch Brothers in March.



24. Noam Pikelny - Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail

Punch Brothers banjo player Noam Pikelny made this record in October, which I bought mostly because of his hilarious pitch in the Punch Brothers email newsletter urging me to do so.  Fairly standard, but expertly arranged, bluegrass fare, and all instrumental besides a contribution from Aiofe O'Donovan.

23. REM - Collapse Into Now

This was the first REM record I listened to in some time, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  And truthfully, I'd probably move it up if I got around to listening to it more.

22. Opeth - Heritage

Mikael Akerfeldt's music keeps getting more and more complex, but for some reason, it doesn't seem to have quite the impact it had back in the Blackwater Park days.  The loud/soft dynamic that made them so awesome as recently as their previous album is missing here.  Even so, it's a very good progressive rock album.

21. Chris Thile & Michael Daves - Sleep With One Eye Open

Never before had I thought anyone could do so much with just a guitar, a mandolin, and two voices.  This album is not groundbreaking, but very, very fun.

20. The Head And The Heart (self-titled)

These indie-folksters had a fair amount of attention there for awhile.  Solid, melodic folk balladry with a pleasant piano-heavy sound, but may not survive the test of time.


19. Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong
2011 will go down in my personal history as the year I fell in love with alternative country.  This alternative country/rock band from LA made a solid record here with a bit of a jangly pop feel.



18. Paul Simon - So Beautiful Or So What

Paul Simon always writes solid music, but this is said to be his best since Graceland.  Admittedly, I haven't heard any of his work during that stretch, so it's true by default.

17. Greensky Bluegrass - Handguns

This is a recent find for me, a result of their being revealed as part of the 2012 Telluride Bluegrass lineup.  Starts out OK, and gets better and better as the album progresses, and ends with a solid 12 minute jam.

16. The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time

These guys were pioneers in the alternative country genre, and they're back together, and stronger than ever.... Well, maybe not ever, but at least since Tomorrow The Green Grass.  It's almost criminal how good they are at vocal harmony.

15. Old 97's - The Grand Theater, Vol. 2

Confession: I haven't even listened to Vol. 1.  That's weird, right?  Either way, more solid alternative country from another influential alternative country band.  This one seems, to me, to be a little more artful than the two above similarly-styled albums.

14. Dead Man Winter - Bright Lights

What do you get when you take much of Trampled By Turtles, and add drums and electric guitars?  You get Trampled By Turtles-flavored alternative country.  A few of the songs have a nice TBT flavor (and one doubles as an actual TBT song), and a few others are closer to being alternative rock.  At any rate, they're better as a progressive bluegrass band, but this is still thoroughly enjoyable.

13. Blackfield - Welcome to My DNA

I was really tentative about this album before it came out, but it turns out that everything Steven Wilson touches sounds good (this is one of three albums on this list with which he was involved).  This time around, Aviv Geffen was almost solely responsible for writing the songs, but what makes this record great is not the writing, but the recording and production.  Wilson did his usual phenomenal work here.

12. The Dodos - No Color

This progressive indie-folk duo has a sound that is all their own.  It is fairly minimalist, but they use acoustic guitars in a way I've never heard them used before.  For their minimalist instrumentation, their songs can actually be somewhat complex.  I like it.

11. David Lowery - The Palace Guards

It's really difficult to pinpoint what exactly Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven frontman David Lowery's first solo album is... Is it art rock?  Whatever it is, it's Lowery's best work since Greenland, with more mellow and introspective music than what we get from his bands.  Well, maybe "All Those Girls Meant Nothing To Me" isn't introspective, but that's the exception...

10. The Roots - Undun

I always kind of respected the Roots, but I was never one to sing their praises.  But this album is good.  One of the most intelligently-penned rap albums I've heard.  It's nice to have rappers who actually have something interesting to say, which hasn't been mainstream since Public Enemy (maybe an exaggeration...).

9. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Rocket Science

For this album, the Flecktones reformed their original incarnation, with piano player Howard Levy.  The result is one of their best albums ever.  These guys are one of the most entertaining instrumental bands around, and they're doing their part to keep jazz music alive.

8. Pain of Salvation - Road Salt Two

It's not as good as Road Salt One, but it still has enough stellar tracks to make it a worthy record.  My favorite is the mandolin tune "Healing Now."  Gildenlow is doing a great job alienating his prog-metal fanbase, but I always respect a musician who makes music for music's sake.

7. Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive

This is my pick for country record of the year.  Earle's country-folk style comes across as incredibly authentic, and he actually has something to say here.  Steve Earle is an excellent songwriter and a man with something to say, and that combination often results in timeless works.

6. Okkervil River - I Am Very Far

Okkervil River have managed a very long string of good-but-not-spectacular records.  It's nice when a rock band has this much instrumental depth.  It gives them a sound much richer than most bands around, and Will Sheff's overly narrative vocal style adds some valuable uniqueness.

5. Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know

This album is like crack.  I get one of the catchy melodies from this record stuck in my head, and I absolutely must listen to it.  The usual culprits are "Sophia" and "Salinas."  Her writing is accomplished and intelligent, and her sexy British accent certainly doesn't hurt her cause.

4. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead

For half the year, this occupied my top spot.  This is not The Decemberists' most interesting album, but it is very accessible and likable.  It is well documented that they're paying homage to REM here, but they do it in a way that maintains their own unique style.

3. Yo Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile - The Goat Rodeo Sessions

What happens when you take three of the best bluegrass musicians in the world, and add the world's most accomplished cellist?  This.  You get this.  This is the most recent of the three great records to come out this year, and it is simply thoroughly enjoyable and impressively performed progressive bluegrass instrumentals, with two tracks with vocals by Chris Thile and Aiofe O'Donovan.  I constantly have the urge to listen to this disc.


2. Abigail Washburn - City of Refuge
This album came out in January, but never struck me until I saw her perform the material live in Telluride.  After that I was hooked.  This record is sheer beauty and texture, and her voice fits like a glove.

1. Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning

Steven Wilson has spent the past few years remixing old King Crimson records, and here it finally manifests itself in his songwriting.  Grace For Drowning is the best all-around package I've run across in some time; the music is up there with his best work, the visual artwork (both the physical packaging and the music videos) is stunning, and the sound is better than any other I've heard.  The Blu-ray version has a clarity I never thought possible.  If you're someone who likes to immerse yourself in your music, rather than relegating it to rhythmic background noise, you have to listen to this record.

The Ghost of Eastside Records

Talk about a score.

I got a tip about a new record store in the Phoenix area.  It is called Ghost of Eastside Records, and seems to have risen from the dust of the old Eastside Records that used to be located in Downtown Tempe.  I heard about their great selection, and their great prices, so I decided to check them out.

I was blown away by their selection...and their prices.

Some of the purchases almost felt like I was stealing from them:
Jay Farrar & Benjamin Gibbard - One Fast Move or I'm Gone - $9 ($18+ on discogs)
Uncle Tupelo - Anodyne - $11 ($22+ on discogs)
Rolling Stones - Goat's Head Soup - $5 ($10+ on discogs)
REM - Out of Time - $7.50 (not sure which pressing I have, but the US one is $40 on discogs)
REM - Fables of the Reconstruction - $13 ($35 on discogs)
Pink Mountaintops - Axis of Evol - $5 ($10 on ebay and discogs)
The Jayhawks - s/t (the bunkhouse album) - $5 ($10+ on discogs)
Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama - $5 ($18+ on discogs)
Neil Young - Le Noise - $18.50 ($60+ on discogs and ebay)

I realize the advertised price of something is not always its true value, but that's about $80 for nine albums that would cost about $225 on the internet (if you don't look too hard).

So, whoever it is who runs the new Ghost of Eastside Records... I don't know how you can offer me these records at these prices and stay in business, but I salute you, and I hope you keep it up.

The Mandolin, and Rock and Roll

I purchased this low-end mandolin,
the Epiphone MM-20 A-style.

A month ago, I decided to pick up the mandolin.  I've been listening to a lot of bluegrass the last couple of years, and that instrument plays a large part in that genre.  I've been particularly inspired by the work of Chris Thile in his band Punch Brothers, and having seen the likes of Thile, Sam Bush, and other masterful mandolin players, I became drawn to the mandolin.

Subsequently, I started noticing mandolins in rock music, and I decided to go buy one.  A mandolin is an excellent way to add an extra dimension to an otherwise basic tune.  Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones was one of the early pioneers in this technique, and many Zeppelin songs contain mandolin parts (further cementing John Paul Jones into his position as my favorite Led Zeppelin member).

Later, R.E.M. raised the bar, and the instrument became a prominent feature of their music, starting around Green or so.  Their most successful song, "Losing My Religion," brings the mandolin to the front, and might be one of the most popular songs to heavily rely on the mandolin for its sound.  In fact, the mandolin is the only musical instrument to make an appearance in the music video for the song.  See for yourself.

The cool thing about mandolin parts in rock songs is that in most cases, the musician using the mandolin is not a virtuoso mandolin player, which means the mandolin parts tend to be easier to play.  This is nice for a beginning mandolin player like me.

Last night, I even decided to figure out how to play Pain of Salvation's "Healing Now," which is one of my favorite new songs this year, and features not one, but (at least) two mandolin parts.  Listen to this awesome song:



The mandolin has never sounded better, nor has rock music.
 

Six bluegrass artists you should pay attention to

With the rise to prominence of bands like Mumford & Sons, people are paying more attention to bands that play good ole' acoustic instruments, like banjos, mandolins, resonators, etc.  It has yet to become the flavor of the week, so there's still time to hop on that bandwagon before it gets moving too fast.  With that in mind, here are a few projects worth checking out, in no particular order.

Abigail Washburn
Washburn is known for her mastery of the clawhammer technique of banjo playing.  Her music is not traditional bluegrass, but it is very traditional.  Her original backing band, The Sparrow Quartet, was assembled to put into music some of the ideas she came up with as a result of her time spent in China, and the Chinese cultural influence on the music is profound.

Washburn has two solo albums, Song of the Traveling Daughter (2005) and the superb City of Refuge (2011), and The Sparrow Quartet has The Sparrow Quartet EP (2006) and Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet (2008).



Check her out if you like rich, textured, traditional music.


My favorite tracks: "Divine Bell," "His Eye Is On The Sparrow," "Chains."




Trampled By Turtles

This Duluth quintet will play you right into a frenzy.  My personal theory is that they have to play as fast as they do in order to stay warm all the way up there in Northern Minnesota, but whatever the reason, they are blazing fast.  A Trampled By Turtles show has the energy of the most amped up metal or punk show, but with more melody and strictly acoustic instruments.  In the olden days, TxT was not as adrenaline-saturated, and used some electric guitars and a drum or two (check out their Trouble album for this version of the band), but since Duluth, it has been all acoustic, all the time.



These gentlemen have quite a unique thing going, and it is a lot of fun.  They have five studio albums: Songs From A Ghost Town (2004), Blue Sky and the Devil (2005), Trouble (2007), Duluth (2008), and Palomino (2010).



Check them out if you like your music blazing fast.


My favorite tracks: "Never Again," "The Darkness and The Light," "Wait So Long," "New Orleans"


Yonder Mountain String Band

Yonder Mountain String Band is a jambgrass quartet out of Nederland, Colorado.  One thing you don't do is listen to Yonder for their studio output.  A Yonder Mountain studio album only exists to tide you over until their next show, where the real entertainment happens.  Here you'll hear classic bluegrass standards, their own compositions, and extended jam sessions sometimes up to a half hour long.  You'll also get a different performance every night, and you'll probably hear some songs you've never heard before (I've never counted, but they have to have at least two hundred songs in their repertoire).  You'll hear excellent playing on every instrument, and maybe even some vocal improvisation from Mr. Jeff Austin (mandolin).  



Yonder Mountain String Band have five studio albums, Elevation (1999), Town By Town (2001), Old Hands (2003), Yonder Mountain String Band (2006), and The Show (2009), as well as five live albums, and about a billion live shows available for download.



Check them out if you like jams, live bands, and catchy hooks.


My favorite tracks: "Must've Had Your Reasons," "A Father's Arms", "Peace of Mind," "Out Of The Blue"


Crooked Still

Crooked Still are a traditional-yet-not band out of Boston, which plays a delicate flavor of bluegrass highlighted by Aiofe O'Donovan's textured voice and a somewhat prominent banjo.  I'm not sure what it is I like about this band; they're nothing groundbreaking about what they do.  Perhaps it is just the soothing quality of O'Donovan's voice.  At times the sound coming out of her mouth is barely more than a whisper.



Crooked Still have four studio albums: Hop High (2004), Shaken by a Low Sound (2006), Still Crooked (2008), and Some Strange Country (2010).  Each successive album seems to have more original compositions than the last, which is a positive trend (though I can't complain about a Rolling Stones cover).



Check them out if you like soft vocals, banjos, and delicate, unassuming arrangements.


Some songs I like include "Distress," "Sometimes In This Country," and the gospel tune "Calvary."


Punch Brothers

Punch Brothers are a progressive blueglass outfit currently based in New York City.  Led by Chris Thile (of Nickel Creek fame), they are breaking new ground in the area of progressive music with acoustic instruments with elements of classical composition and rock-influenced vocals.  Every member of this band is a virtuoso on his respective instrument, yet they don't overplay.



I've caught these guys live three times now (I even drove all the way up to Moab, UT to see them), and it's not nearly enough.  This is, in my mind, the most exciting thing happening in music right now.


Punch Brothers have two or three studio albums (depending on whether you count How to Grow A Woman From The Ground): How to Grow A Woman From The Ground (2006), Punch (2008), and Antifogmatic (2010).



Check them out if you like challenging music, with great harmony and musicianship.


My favorite songs include "You Are", "Don't Need No," "This Is The Song (Good Luck)", and "The Blind Leaving The Blind."


Yo Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile

Yes, this one is brand new, and who knows if it will remain a thing going forward.  But they just made an album, and it is spectacular.  Here you have four musicians playing what sounds on the surface like bluegrass, but is really more a sort of a Celtic-jazz-grass thing.  I never thought I could be so entertained by an album that is nearly completely instrumental (there are two tracks with vocals by Aiofe O'Donovan and Chris Thile).



Here's hoping these guys go on tour, come to Phoenix, and continue to record music together.


They have just one album, The Goat Rodeo Sessions (2011), although Ma has collaborated with Meyer on a couple of albums, and Meyer with Thile on one or two. 



Check these guys out if you like instrumentals, strings, and chamber music.


Some songs I like include "Here or Heaven," "Where's My Bow?," and "Franz and the Eagle" (which features Edgar Meyer on piano).