The Wizards of Vision and Sound

Dan Auerbach first entered my radar screen in April 2020 when I reviewed southern guitarist Marcus King’s soulful debut album El Dorado, which was produced by Auerbach. At the time, I didn’t realize yet how prolific the now 44-year-old musician, singer-songwriter and producer is. Between two solo albums, his involvement in The Black Keys and various side projects, as well as his record engineering and production work, Auerbach has had his fingerprints on more than 90 albums to date! In this post, I’d like to primarily focus on his activity as a producer.

Dan Auerbach (born Daniel Quine Auerbach, May 14, 1979) was born in Ohio and grew up in a family who exposed him to a variety of music during his childhood. Reportedly, his first concert experience was a Whitney Houston show where his mother took him; his second a Grateful Dead concert, thanks to his dad who also got the boy hooked to the blues via his vinyl collection. Auerbach’s uncles liked bluegrass.

Dan Auerbach (left) and Patrick Carney ca. 2005

Around the age of 9, Auerbach started playing guitar. While attending high school in Akron, Ohio, he became friends with his future Black Keys partner and drummer Patrick Carney. The two had first met when there were 8 or 9 and lived in the same neighborhood. In 1986, they began jamming together. Eventually, this led to the formation of The Black Keys after both had dropped out of college.

During college, Auerbach was heavily influenced by blues guitarist Junior Kimbrough, leading him to drop out, so he could focus on his guitar-playing. Other major influences include the likes of Robert Johnson, R.L. Burnside and Hound Dog Taylor, as well as artists outside the blues, such as bluegrass and country singer Clarence White and rapper RZA.

The Black Keys released their debut album The Big Come Up in 2002, but it wasn’t until 2004 and their third album Rubber Factory that they were started to get noticed. A couple of years later, Auerbach began recording, engineering and producing for other artists, using downtime from The Black Keys. He also opened his own recording studio in Akron.

By the time The Black Keys hit their commercial breakthrough in 2010 with their sixth album Brothers, Auerbach had already worked on more than 15 albums for other artists. Some of his projects during this period included garage punk band SSM, blues rock musician Patrick Sweany and garage rock revival band The Ettes. In 2009, Auerbach also launched The Fast Five, a side project with Carney and members from the bands Hacienda and My Morning Jacket. Somehow, Auerbach also managed to release his debut album Keep It Hid in February 2009!

Dan Auerbach (second from left) with The Arcs in 2015

After Auerbach moved to Nashville in 2010, he established Easy Eye Sound studio there. In 2015, he launched garage rock band The Arcs, another side project. They released their debut album Yours, Dreamily in September of the same year. And, he also co-produced it, together with band member and multi-instrumentalist Leon Michels. Two years later, Auerbach founded his own label in Nashville, naming it after his recording studio. The first album that appeared on Easy Eye Sound was Auerbach’s second solo effort, Waiting On a Song, in June 2017.

This may be hard to believe. I’m in the eighth paragraph of this post, and I feel I’ve only provided a topline summary of Auerbach’s extensive bio. I wonder whether he ever sleeps or takes any other breaks! Let’s take a closer look at some of his work as a producer.

Black Diamond Heavies, a blues rock band from Nashville, turned to Auerbach for their sophomore album A Touch of Someone Else’s Class, released in June 2008. It was recorded at his studio in Akron, and he also served as producer. Here’s Bidin’ My Time featuring Auerbach’s Black Keys partner Patrick Carney on drums.

In April 2012, New Orleans R&B artist Dr. John released Locked Down, a well received studio album produced by Auerbach, which won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Blues Album. It was mixed by him and recorded at Easy Eye Sound studio. Auerbach also co-wrote the songs and played guitar. Here’s Getaway.

In May 2014, outlaw country singer-songwriter Nikki Lane released her sophomore album All or Nothin’. It was recorded at Easy Eye Sound and produced by Auerbach who also co-wrote five of the 12 tracks, and shared vocals with Lane on one of them. “Working with Dan and his professionalism on top of his creative capabilities is so great,” Lane told Billboard in July 2014. “To watch him bring together such a wide variety of artists – legends like Kenny Vaughan, who is such a guitar bad ass, and Russ Pahl [pedal steel guitar – CMM]. Just watching him work with all those people, is such an inspirational experience.” Here’s the opener Right Time.

In 2016, Auerbach worked with Chrissie Hynde on what became the 10th studio album by Pretenders. At that time, the English-American rock group had become a project of Hynde with her as the sole member. Appropriately titled Alone, the album was recorded at Easy Eye Sound and produced by Auerbach. The session musicians, among others, included Arcs members Leon Michels (keyboards) and Richard Swift (drums). Auerbach also co-wrote two songs and provided guitar, keyboards and backing vocals. Hynde was very complimentary about Auerbach, telling the Akron Beacon Journal, “He’s very involved and dedicated to it, and he has just stellar ideas and his instincts are good.” Here’s the title track.

Next I’d like to turn to British singer-songwriter Yola, who blends vintage country, soul and R&B with contemporary pop, and her compelling debut album Walk Through Fire, which I reviewed here. It was recorded at Easy Eye Sound, produced by Auerbach and released on his label (with distribution by Nonsuch Records). He was also involved in the writing of most songs and assembled an impressive cast of session musicians and guests. The latter included Vince Gill and Molly Tuttle who contributed vocals. Here’s the tasty Love All Night (Work All Day).

I’d like to wrap it up with Black Bayou, the fourth full-length album by blues and soul singer-songwriter and guitarist Robert Finley, released in October 2023 on Auerbach’s label and produced by him. Finley and Auerbach had first met in 2017 when they worked together and released an original soundtrack for the graphic novel Murder Ballads. Auerbach had also produced Finley’s two albums that preceded Black Bayou. Once again, Auerbach played a key role in the songwriting on Finley’s latest album, which was well received by critics. Let’s listen to What Goes Around (Comes Around).

To date, Easy Eye Sound has released more than 20 albums that have received 16 Grammy nominations, according to a short profile on the website of Concord Records, which entered into a joint venture with Auerbach’s label in 2021. The profile also quotes Auerbach: “Because I’ve lived many aspects of a musician’s life, I have a unique connection to my artists, and I channel that into this label and studio to record and share with musicians that inspire me. I look for honest and overlooked voices and stories and try to shine some light on them.”

Well, Auerbach certainly has a long and impressive track record, especially when considering he’s only 44 years! Following is a Spotify playlist that features the above songs and others produced by Auerbach except for music he produced for himself, The Black Keys or any of his side projects.

Sources: Wikipedia; AllMusic; Billboard; Akron Beacon Journal; Concord Records website; YouTube; Spotify

Best of What’s New

Happy Saturday and welcome to another installment of Best of What’s New. While the first two tracks are included in releases that came out yesterday (July 15), the two remaining tunes are picks from upcoming albums. Let’s get to it.

Interpol/Renegade Hearts

Interpol are an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1997. Apple Music calls them a key player in the 2000s post-punk revival with a dark, atmospheric sound that’s influenced such successors as The Killers. Here’s a bit more from their profile: BBC Radio 1 host John Peel liked their demo and asked them to record a session for his show, leading to a deal with Matador Records. Interpol’s debut LP, 2002’s Turn On the Bright Lights, was named one of the top albums of the decade by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. In 2004, the band had their first Top 20 US hit, “Slow Hands”…Their major-label debut, 2007’s Our Love to Admire, was their biggest chart success, debuting in the Top 5 in both the US and the UK. The band’s current lineup includes co-founders Paul Banks (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, bass) and Daniel Kessler (lead guitar, piano, keyboards, backing vocals), as well as Sam Fogarino (drums, percussion). Renegade Hearts, credited to all three members, is a track from Interpol’s seventh and new studio album The Other Side of Make-Believe.

Zach Bryan/Oklahoma Smoke Show

Zach Bryan is a talented red dirt country singer-songwriter I featured in previous Best of What’s New installments here and here. Red dirt is a music genre named after the color of soil found in Oklahoma, which includes elements of Americana, folk, alt-country and a few other genres. Soon after receiving his first guitar as a 14-year-old, Bryan learned how to play and started writing songs. Later he followed in the footsteps of his family and enlisted in the Navy. But he didn’t give up music, and during a break in Jacksonville, Fla., Bryan and his friends spontaneously decided to record some tunes that would become his 2019 debut album DeAnn. Two additional full-length studio albums have appeared since, including an ambitious 34-track triple album that just came out in May. Oklahoma Smoke Show is a song from Bryan’s latest release, Summertime Blues, an EP.

Marcus King/Blood On The Tracks

Marcus King is another great artist who I’m happy to say I covered on previous occasions here and here. From the 26-year-old’s website: GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist, performer, and songwriter Marcus King was downright destined to play music. By eight-years-old, the fourth generation Greenville, SC native performed alongside pops, grandpa, and his uncles for the first time. Logging thousands of miles on the road as “The Marcus King Band,” he established himself with unparalleled performance prowess and a dynamic live show. During 2020, he linked up with Dan Auerbach [The Black Keys] and cut his solo debut El Dorado, garnering a GRAMMY® Award nomination in the category of “Best Americana Album.” In between packing venues on his own, he performed alongside Chris Stapleton, Greta Van Fleet, and Nathanial Rateliff in addition to gracing the bills of Stagecoach and more with one seismic show after the next. Along the way, he caught the attention of Rick Rubin and signed to American Recordings. Here’s Blood On The Tracks from King’s second solo album Young Blood, scheduled for August 26. His debut on American Recordings will be produced by Auerbach, who also co-wrote the tune with King and Desmond Child. Love this song and really looking forward to the album!

Julian Lennon/Breathe

I’d like to wrap up this week’s new music revue with an artist I thought essentially had retired from music. After all, Julian Lennon has become involved in many other endeavors over the past 20-plus years, including photography, publishing children’s books and producing film documentaries. His 1984 debut album Valotte was great. While I selfishly loved that the title track could have been a John Lennon ballad, I think it was smart for Julian to subsequently record songs that sounded different from his father. After his 1991 single Saltwater, his last more significant chart success, he kind of fell off my radar screen. On September 9, Julian Lennon will be back with Jude, his first new album in 11 years. The title is a nod to the legendary song ‘Hey Jude,’ by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney to comfort 5-year-old Julian following his parents’ separation, according to an announcement on Lennon’s website. “Many of these songs have been in the works for several years, so it almost feels like a coming-of-age album,” said Lennon. With great respect for the overwhelming significance of the song written for me, the title JUDE conveys the very real journey of my life that these tracks represent.” Here’s Breathe co-written by Lennon and Peter-John Vettese.

Last but not least, following is a Spotify playlist featuring the above and some additional tunes.

Sources: Wikipedia; Apple Music; Julian Lennon website; YouTube; Spotify

The Year that was 2020 – Part 1 of 2

At first, the thought of writing a year in review type post didn’t look very appealing. After all, it’s safe to assume most of us can’t wait to kiss 2020 goodbye and erase it from our memories. This certainly describes my sentiments in many ways. But while the past 12 months brought unprecedented challenges, including for the music business, I think not all was doom and gloom. Initially, this was supposed to be one post. Then, it got longer and longer, so I decided to break it up in two parts. Here’s part 1

The good and the bad…

On the positive side, the music industry recorded rising revenue fueled by streaming. As Music Business Worldwide noted in September, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported a 5.6% year-over-over increase in total U.S. recorded music retail revenue to $5.6 billion for the first half of 2020. This included a 12% surge in streaming music revenue to $4.8 billion. If streaming kept that pace in the second half of the year, it would be up one billion year-over-year. However, according to this Billboard story from earlier this week, growth in streaming volume has stalled since the end of June.

At the same time, the concert business, the main source of income for most artists, is in the toilet. The Los Angeles Times recently reported America’s largest concert promoter Live Nation experienced a nosedive in revenue of 98% and 95% during the summer and fall, respectively. The same article also stated 90% of independent performance venues will close for good without government aid, while long-established venues like the Troubador in L.A. are hanging on but face an uncertain future. This doesn’t only put the livelihoods of many artists at risk but also of all the folks working at performance venues or whose job are otherwise tied to live entertainment.

New music kept coming out…

Despite COVID-19, new music continued to be released throughout the year – lots of it. In fact, at least some of this activity can be explained by the pandemic. Artists who weren’t able to tour found themselves with more time on their hands to work on new material. New albums by Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Paul McCartney are just some of the examples that come to my mind in this context.

I’m happy new music was a major theme for my blog in 2020, more than ever before. As frequent visitors know, I’m not talking about music you can find in the present mainstream charts. As of this blog post, I reviewed more than 20 new albums. That’s only counting new original music, not other releases, such as new installments from Springsteen’s great live bootleg series or James Taylor’s cover album of the American songbook. Yes, while I know next to nothing about American standards, I did review that album and enjoyed listening to it!

Frankly, I could have reviewed more new albums. I didn’t. In addition to lack of time, part of the reason was because of Best of What’s New. This weekly recurring feature on newly released music, which I launched in March, focuses on songs rather than entire albums.

It’s gratifying to me that except for one time due to a death in my close family, I posted new installments each week, meaning I’ve been able to discover new music week after week I found decent enough to write about. Keep in mind this is the same guy who as recently as last year kept complaining how “terrible” contemporary music is! I forgot one important qualifier: Music that’s in the mainstream charts. Let’s take a look at some of the new music I wrote about over the past 12 months.

My favorite new albums…

While it’s hard to narrow things down, from the 20-plus new albums I reviewed the four ones I feel most excited about are AC/DC/Power Up (released November 18), Walter Trout/Ordinary Madness (August 28), Norah Jones/Pick Me Up Off the Floor (June 12) and Ruby Turner/Love Was Here (January 24). Following is a tune from each:

AC/DC: Shot in the Dark (Power Up)

Shot in the Dark, the album’s great lead single, is classic AC/DC and makes you feel you just time-travelled back to 1980. Like all other tracks on Power Up, it was co-written by Angus Young and his older brother Malcolm Young during the period between the Stiff Upper Lip (February 2000) and Black Ice (October 2008) albums. You can read more about Power Up here, a must listen to for AC/DC fans.

Walter Trout: Wanna Dance (Ordinary Madness)

I love Walter Trout, a no BS artist and decent guitarist who has lived through dramatic ups and downs. Perhaps, he’s the ultimate blues rock survivor! Here’s Wanna Dance. “I had Neil Young and Crazy Horse in mind when I wrote the tune,” Trout told American Songwriter. Dancing is a metaphor for enjoying and celebrating every moment in life, since We ain’t gonna live forever, as Trout sings. He knows all too well. This is one hell of a blues rocker! See here for more about Ordinary Madness.

Norah Jones: Flame Twin (Pick Me Up Off the Floor)

I had been aware and always liked Norah Jones and her piano-driven lounge style jazz for ,any years, but had never explored any of her albums. I’m glad Flame Twin from her seventh studio album Pick Me Up Off the Floor finally changed this. Written by Jones, the tune injects a dose of blues, which rarely if ever is a bad thing in my book. I also dig the Hammond B3 accents from Pete Remm who plays electric guitar as well. And, of course, there are Jones’ great soothing vocals and piano playing. Like other songs on Pick Me Up Off the Floor, the tune was inspired by poetry. My review of this great album is here.

Ruby Turner: Don’t Cry Over Yesterday (Love Was Here)

Don’t Cry Over Yesterday was the track that made me listen to Love Was Here, a beautiful classic soul album by British soul, gospel and R&B vocalist Ruby Turner. I hadn’t heard of Turner before, even though she’s performed since 1983 and worked with other artists like Bryan Ferry, Steve Winwood, Mick Jagger and UB40. “Discovering” great artists like her is part of the reason why I love music blogging. If you’re into ’70s style soul, I’d encourage you to check out this album, a true gem! You can read more about it here.

Other new 2020 studio releases I’d like to call out include McCartney III (Paul McCartney), Letter to You (Bruce Springsteen), Bless Your Heart (The Allman Betts Band), Hate for Sale (Pretenders), Rough and Rowdy Ways (Bob Dylan), Homegrown (Neil Young), Self-Made Man (Larkin Poe), Blues with Friends (Dion), Early Morning Rain (Steve Forbert) and El Dorado (Marcus King).

In part 2 of this post, I’m revisiting the Best of What’s New feature and concerts before wrapping things up with final thoughts.

Sources: Music Business Worldwide; Billboard; Los Angeles Times; Christian’s Music Musings; YouTube

23-Year-Old Southern Rock Guitarist Marcus King Shines On Soulful Solo Debut

Two weeks ago, I blogged about Playing For Change and that organization’s incredible videos produced with musicians from all over the world, covering well-known songs. One of the clips I highlighted was The Weight, featuring Robbie Robertson, Ringo Starr and professional musicians from eight other countries. The first thing I thought was, ‘how cool is it that Robertson and Starr are in the video. My second thought: ‘The young dude playing guitar and singing is killing it on vocals with his soulful voice. That guitarist was 23-year-old Marcus King. Earlier today, I listened to his solo debut album El Dorado and have to say I’m pretty blown away!

King who hails from Greenville, S.C. is not a newcomer. In fact, he has performed for a whopping 15 years! After beginning to play guitar at a very young age, already as an eight-year-old he started to be on stage with his father Marvin King, a professional blues guitarist. In 2013, as a 15-year-old, he formed the Marcus King Band. In October 2015, their debut album Soul Insight appeared. They have since released two additional records and two EPs. El Dorado, which came out on January 17 this year, was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Let’s get to some music!

Here’s the beautiful opener Young Man’s Dream. Spill Magazine called it reminiscent of Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush era. With King’s high pitched vocals and the tune’s sound, I think that’s not too far-fetched. Co-written by King, Auerbach and Nashville singer-songwriter Pat McLaughlin, the track also has some early Rod Stewart feel. It’s just cool!

The Well, a nice blues rocker that’s right up my alley, was co-written by King, Auerbach and Ronnie Bowman, a bluegrass vocalist and songwriter. I dig the main guitar riff and sound of that tune. Check it out!

Next up is Wildflowers & Wine, another co-write by King, Auerbach and Bowman. I really find it impressive how much soul the 23-year-old has in his vocals. That’s three great songs in a row, which already make it worthwhile to listen to this album.

There’s more. How about some country? Ask and you shall receive. Here’s Sweet Mariona, yet another tune co-written by King, Auerbach and Bowman. Listen to that sweet-sounding pedal steel guitar!

Another soul gem with a dose of country flair is Beautiful Stranger. I also love the gospel type backing vocals. To write this song King and Auerbach teamed up with country singer-songwriter Paul Overstreet.

The last track I’d like to call out is Too Much Whiskey, another co-write by King, Auerbach and Overstreet. It’s a great mix of blues and country.

In addition to King (lead vocals, guitar) and Auerbach (bass, guitar, backing vocals), other musicians on El Dorado include Gene Chrisman (drums), Matt Combs (strings), Paul Franklin (steel guitar), Chris St. Hillaire (percussion), Russ Pahl (guitar), Ray Jacildo (Glockenspiel, keyboards), Dave Roe (bass), Mike Rojas (keyboards), Billy Sanford (guitar), Bobby Woods (keyboards), as well as backing vocalists Ashley Wilcoxson and Leisa Hans.

Deservedly, El Dorado has received great reviews. Rolling Stone called it “excellent” and King “one of the most exciting guitarists to break through in years.” NPR’s rock critic Ken Tucker characterized the record as “a real beauty — and a turning-point for King.” Last but not least, Spill Magazine opined the album is a “musical masterpiece.”

King seems to be happy with the result as well, as he should be. “I’m really proud of it,” he told Rolling Stone. And what did Auerbach, who has produced for other artists like Dr. John, Ray LaMontagne and The Pretenders, have to add? “It’s staggering how good he is, how crazy-good his vocals are, how he can go anywhere on guitar.” I think that nicely sums up my sentiments.

Sources: Wikipedia; Spill Magazine; Rolling Stone; NPR; AllMusic; YouTube