The Wizards of Vision and Sound

It’s hard to believe some five weeks have passed since the last installment of my monthly recurring feature about music producers and sound engineers. In this post, I’d like to take a closer look at Daniel Lanois, a name I first encountered in connection with my favorite U2 album The Joshua Tree, which he co-produced with Brian Eno. In addition to who Rolling Stone called the “most important record producer to emerge in the Eighties,” Lanois is also an accomplished musician with a sizable catalog of solo and collaboration albums. Given this feature’s topic, I’m only focusing on his production work, which leaves more than enough to cover!

Daniel Lanois (born Daniel Roland Lanois on September 19, 1951) grew up in Hull, Quebec, which his bio describes as a Canadian town “best known for gambling and drinking”. While his family was poor, it provided a foundation that seemingly was a destination for music. His father played the fiddle, his mother sang, and his parents, uncles, aunts and other family members regularly gathered to play music together. As a child, Lanois listened to Motown, R&B, rock & roll and psychedelic music, and by the time he was in high school, he already knew music would be his career.

At age 17, before he even finished school, he and his older brother Bob Lanois set up a studio in the basement of their mother’s home. That was in Ancaster, Ontario, to where she had relocated with the boys after the separation from her husband. Among the first local artists the brothers produced were rock band Simply Saucer. Daniel’s bio notes he built a reputation “as someone who could work the studio but thought as a musician.”

During the ’70s Lanois developed his technical skills as a producer. In 1976, he co-founded Grant Avenue Studio, together with his brother and Bob Doidge, who eventually became the sole owner in 1985 before selling it to two partners in early 2023. Toward the end of the ’70s, Lanois came to the attention of Brian Eno who recruited him to assist on Eno’s ambient series of albums. Their professional relationship led to Eno’s invitation to co-produce The Unforgettable Fire, the first of five U2 albums on which they worked together.

Daniel Lanois (center) with Bono (left) and Brian Eno at Slane Castle in Ireland in 1984 during the recording sessions for The Unforgettable Fire

Lanois’ early work with U2 led to production assignments with other top artists, such as Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Neil Young. His production style, which has been characterized for its ‘big’ and ‘live’ drum sound, atmospheric guitars and ambient reverb, has served him well. To date, Lanois has won seven Grammy awards and received 15 nominations. In 2005, he was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame. He also received a lifetime achievement award in June 2013 at the annual Governor General’s Performing Arts Award. Time for samples of Lanois’ production work.

I’d like to kick it off with an early production effort: an album by the aforementioned Simply Saucer, for which Lanois initially co-produced demo material with his brother in 1974. The music wasn’t released until 1989 under the title Cyborgs Revisited when it was combined with material from a 1975 live recording. Here’s Electro Rock from the ’74 demo. While it’s very different from what was to come, I find that raw punk sound with a psychedelic touch charming – reminds me a bit of early Pink Floyd.

Next I’d like to jump to February 1983 and Danseparc, the fourth studio album by Canadian new wave band Martha and the Muffins. They are best known for their 1980 international hit single Echo Beach. Danseparc was the second album Lanois co-produced for the group after 1981’s This Is the Ice Age. Here’s Danseparc (Everyday Day It’s Tomorrow).

Of course, I couldn’t skip a song off The Joshua Tree, U2’s fifth studio album from March 1987, and the second Lanois co-produced with Eno. The majestic With or Without You became the first single. “The making of that started with a beatbox – an available Yamaha beatbox that we had,” Lanois told Songfacts during an April 2021 interview. “Then we came up with a chord sequence. Adam [Clayton] played a lovely bass part. And then we had a little secret weapon. It was called the “infinite sustain guitar,” invented by my good friend Michael Brook, a Canadian associate. Michael had invented this instrument where you didn’t have to use your right hand on the guitar. You just held a note with your left hand, and he had a little self-looping system built into the instrument, which caused it to go into this [sings guitar part].”

I think it’s fair to say Lanois’ magnificent co-productions of U2’s The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree changed his trajectory. In 1986, Robbie Robertson worked with Lanois to co-produce his self-titled solo debut album, which came out in October 1987. Somewhere Down the Crazy River has been one of my favorites for a long time. “Robbie Robertson was describing what it was like to hang out in Arkansas with Levon Helm in his old neighbourhood,” Lanois recalled. “He was telling me about the hot nights and fishing with dynamite, and was asking someone for directions for someplace somewhere down the crazy river.” Lanois went on, “I had presented him with this instrument that [Brian] Eno introduced me to called the Suzuki Omnichord, like an electric autoharp. He found a little chord sequence with it that was sweet and wonderful. As he was developing his chord sequence I recorded him and superimposed his storytelling, which I was secretly recording, on top. That was the birth of ‘Somewhere Down The Crazy River.’ It’s kind of like a guy with a deep voice telling you about steaming nights in Arkansas.”

In 1995, Emmylou Harris decided to move away from her traditional acoustic toward a more atmospheric sound – and to work with Daniel Lanois and sound engineer Mark Howard. The result was Wrecking Ball, her 18th studio album that came out in September 1995. Here’s the beautiful opener Where Will I Be, which has a noticeable U2 vibe.

Given Lanois’ extensive and impressive production credits, I could go on and on. But his post is already getting pretty long, so the last album I’d like to touch on is Time Out of Mind. Bob Dylan’s 30th studio album from September 1997 is recognized as an artistic comeback for Dylan. It also marked his first album of original material since 1990’s Under the Red Sky. Here’s the stunning Make You Feel My Love. This send chills down my spine!

I’m leaving you with a Spotify playlist that features the above songs and some additional tracks from albums produced or co-produced by Daniel Lanois.

Sources: Wikipedia; Daniel Lanois website; Songfacts; YouTube; Spotify

The Black Crowes Are Flying Again

Ray Davies and Dave Davies. John Fogerty and Tom Fogerty. Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher. Oftentimes, it appears rock & roll and brotherly relationships just don’t mix well. Some inflict wounds too deep to heal. Only few manage to overcome their differences. The latter apparently include Chris Robinson (57) and his younger brother Rich Robinson (54), who after they had not spoken to each other for eight years decided to revive The Black Crowes for the third time in late 2019. They are now out with Happiness Bastards, their first new album of original music in 15 years.

One could be forgiven to think that after a successful tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their 1990 debut album, the two brothers wanted to continue to shake their money maker. In addition to the new album, The Black Crowes are launching their international Happiness Bastards Tour on April 2 in Nashville, Tenn. Whatever might drive the Robinson brothers, this much is clear: not only has the new album, released last Friday (March 15), received mostly positive reviews, but the music surely sounds great.

Chris Robinson (left) and Rich Robinson

From the official album release statement: Serving as a salute to their past and a celebration of the present and future, the new album…includes 10 new tracks, with a very special feature from GRAMMY-winning country superstar Lainey Wilson on “Wilted Rose.” Produced by GRAMMY Award-Winning producer Jay Joyce, the project emphasizes The Black Crowes’ influence as one of the most vital rock bands of this generation. Following decades marked by sex, drugs, fights, breakups, and divorce, Happiness Bastards finds the brothers leaving their bullshit behind and leaning into their creative common ground to deliver their most compelling work to date.

While I feel sorry the Robinson brothers’ past toxic woes resulted in missed birthdays, health crises, birth of children, marriages and divorces, as noted by Billboard, I have limited patience for what largely looks like self-inflicted rock & roll drama. I’d say it’s time to check out some music!

Here’s the great opener Bedside Manners. Like all other tracks on the album, it’s credited to both brothers. The lyrics are about the unforgiving music industry’s ruthless game, explains the official album release statement. Rich told Billboard the song came together in 5 minutes, similar to what had happened 30 years ago with She Talks to Angels, one of their most popular songs. “This one f-king plopped out and it was so great, Chris and I were both right there with it,” he said. The result sounds mighty sweet!

Most tracks on the album are up-tempo, “loud” blues rockers from start to finish. Cross Your Fingers sets a bit of a contrast with a quieter acoustic start, before picking the intensity level about 40 seconds into the song. Like the next track, Wanting and Waiting, which I’m skipping here since I included it in my most recent weekly new music review, Cross Your Fingers first appeared as a single.

This brings me to the aforementioned Wilted Rose featuring Lainey Wilson. Billboard points out the country singer-songwriter has frequently worked with producer Jay Joyce. The soulful country song about the journey of a man, who has lost both, love and his way, marks the band’s first-ever collaboration. “It’s an honor to wail on this record with these legendary, pioneering rockstars,” Wilson said. Wilted Rose, a mostly acoustic track that remains on the slower side throughout, also first appeared as a single, two days ahead of the album.

On the great Stonesy rocker Dirty Cold Sun the intensity picks up again. The song bites back against a toxic relationship with the confidence of someone thriving even when faced with the frost of a former flame, the official album release statement points out.

Let’s do one more: Kindred Friend, characterized as a piano-tinged ballad about making the most of the present and moving on from the past. The album’s closer could be viewed as an olive branch from Chris to Rich. Not only is Chris the group’s vocalist, but he also pens the lyrics for their songs, while Rich composes the music. Billboard calls the ballad “Beatlesque.” I’m more reminded of Bob Dylan.

“These guys came to town like a freight train. Ready to lay it down, no bullshit. Old school real, live and raw,” said Jay Joyce. The songwriter and session musician has also produced for the likes of The Wallflowers, Tim Finn, Emmylou Harris and Eric Church. “They brought the OG magic of their early albums along with some young punk spirit. I was honored to have captured it.”

As far as the members of The Black Crowes are concerned, the official album release statement only notes the Robinson brothers, leaving no doubt who is in charge. ‘Who else is in the group?’ you might wonder. Sven Pipien (bass, backing vocals) is the third core member. He first joined the band in 1997. Additional musicians on the album include Nico Bereciartua (guitars), Erik Deutsch (keyboards) and Brian Griffin (drums), as well as backing vocalists Vicki Hampton, Joanna Cotton and Robert Kearns (backing vocals). Jay Joyce also contributed additional guitars and keyboards.

“Happiness Bastards is our love letter to rock n’ roll,” Chris summed up, as reported by Rock Cellar. “Rich and I are always writing and creating music; that has never stopped for us, and it is always where we find harmony together.” Added Rich: “This album is a continuation of our story as a band. Our years of experience writing and making music and touring the world are represented in this record, and we were brilliantly guided by one of the best producers in the business, Jay Joyce. I am incredibly proud of what we put together.”

Sounds like brothers in full harmony? One really would hope so after their eventful past. That said, Billboard noted Chris and Rich spoke to the publication separately instead of giving a joint interview. They also keep their own dressing rooms on the road. Perhaps maintaining a certain distance works out better for the two.

Sources: Wikipedia; The Black Crowes website; Billboard; Rock Cellar; YouTube; Spotify

Song Musings

It’s Wednesday and, as such, time for another installment of my weekly feature taking a deeper dive into a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date. Today’s pick is Pancho and Lefty by Townes Van Zandt, an artist I had earmarked for this series months ago.

Pancho and Lefty, solely penned by Van Zandt, appeared on the singer-songwriter’s sixth studio album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, released in September 1972, only nine months after predecessor High, Low and In Between. Originally misspelled Poncho and Lefty, the song became his best known, largely because of a successful cover by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.

When Pancho and Lefty was first released by Van Zandt as a single in connection with the album, it was ignored, which sums up the fate of much of his music overall. It wasn’t until July 1983 before Pancho and Lefty scored major U.S. chart success, when Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard took the song to the top of the country charts, after they had recorded it as part of their collaboration album of the same name.

Pancho and Lefty is an outlaw ballad that seems to be based on famous Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. “I realize that I wrote it, but it’s hard to take credit for the writing, because it came from out of the blue,” Van Zandt said during an interview in 1984 for the PBS series Austin Pickers, as documented by Songfacts. “It came through me and it’s a real nice song, and I think, I’ve finally found out what it’s about.” Here’s a nice live version captured in 1975.

Pancho and Lefty starts with Lefty leaving home and his caring mother losing her favorite song. Pancho is introduced in the second verse as a bandit boy who wore his gun outside his pants. The third verse tells of Pancho’s death, implying Lefty had betrayed him and left for Ohio after he had been paid off by the Mexican federales. In the final verse it becomes clear that Lefty ends up alone and growing old in Cleveland, living in cheap hotels.

“I’ve always wondered what it’s about,” Van Zandt said, further reflecting on the song. “I kinda always knew it wasn’t about Pancho Villa, and then somebody told me that Pancho Villa had a buddy whose name in Spanish meant ‘Lefty.’ But in the song, my song, Pancho gets hung. ‘They only let him hang around out of kindness I suppose’ and the real Pancho Villa was assassinated.”

In addition to Nelson and Haggard, Pancho and Lefty was covered by Emmylou Harris and folk singer Hoyt Axton, both in 1977, and Steve Earle, for his 2009 tribute album, Townes. Van Zandt was a friend and mentor. The royalties Van Zandt collected from Pancho and Lefty became an important source of income for an artist who otherwise didn’t enjoy commercial success. Here’s Earle’s rendition.

Pancho and Lefty also once let Van Zandt off the hook in Texas for speeding, as he recounted during the above interview for Austin Pickers. “We got stopped by these two policemen and…they said ‘What do you do for a living?’, and I said, ‘Well, I’m a songwriter,’ and they both kind of looked around like “pitiful, pitiful,” and so on to that I added, ‘I wrote that song Pancho and Lefty. You ever heard that song Pancho and Lefty? I wrote that’, and they looked back around and they looked at each other and started grinning…” They explained their police-radio code names were Pancho and Lefty and let Van Zandt off with a warning.

In 2020, Pancho and Lefty entered the Grammy Hall of Fame. By that time, Van Zandt sadly had been dead for 13 years. One has to wonder why they needed to wait that long when the song had been a no. 1 hit on the country charts in 1983! In June 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Pancho and Lefty at no. 41 on their list of the 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time. The outlaw ballad was also listed at no. 498 on magazine’s 2021 edition of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Following are some additional insights from Songfacts:

In the music video for Haggard and Nelson’s version, Van Zandt cameos as one of federales who takes down Pancho, presumably with the help of the double-crossing Lefty. “It was real nice they invited me,” Van Zandt told Aretha Sills in 1994. “They didn’t have to invite me and I made I think $100 dollars a day. I was the captain of the federales. And plus I got to ride a horse. I always like that. It took four and a half days and that video was four and a half minutes long.”

Van Zandt could certainly relate to the opening lyrics “Livin’ on the road, my friend.” Most of his life would be spent on the road, playing dive bars, living in seedy hotels when he could afford them, and sleeping on abandoned concert stages or friends’ couches when he couldn’t. No road was long enough to help him escape his depression and various addictions, which cast a shadow over his repertoire of songs about loving, leaving, and often ending up alone.

During a late-night recording session for their first duet album, Nelson’s daughter Lana showed up with a copy of Emmylou Harris’ Luxury Liner album, which featured a version of Van Zandt’s tune. Although Haggard and Nelson were determined to record the track, they ran into trouble with the instrumental bridge, so producer Chips Moman took the lead.

“Actually, that’s Chips playin’ the guitar,” Nelson explained in The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits. “Me and Grady [Martin] took a shot at that chorus, and it’s so unusual in there that I couldn’t get the feel of it. Chips knew more about what he wanted than either one of us, so we let him put it in, and I think he stacked two or three guitar parts on top.”

If Haggard sounds worn out on the last verse, it’s because he recorded it at 4:00 a.m. “I’d been asleep about an hour, and I was just completely bushed,” he remembered. “I couldn’t get my bearings, and he had this song and it seemed like it was half a mile long. It had more words than any song I’ve ever seen in my life. I said, ‘Great, I’ll try to learn my part in the morning,’ and he said, ‘No, let’s do it now.’ I remember doing it and thinking, ‘Well, I’ll have to do this over when I wake up,’ but I never did have to do it over.”

On the first shipment of Haggard and Nelson’s Pancho & Lefty album, the title was mistakenly printed as Poncho & Lefty. It’s now a collector’s item.

Van Zandt, who died in 1997, explained that songs seemed to come to him as if dropping from the sky. “Pancho And Lefty,” he claimed, came to him “through the window of a seedy hotel room.” (As reported by Texas Monthly.)

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

The Sunday Six

Happy Sunday! In case you’ve been celebrating the holidays and perhaps feel a bit exhausted between indulging in food and drink and gatherings with family and friends, I’d like to offer you a great remedy just in time before the new year: Come and join me for the final music time travel trip of 2023! If none of the aforementioned applies to you, hop on board of the magical music time machine anyway. We’re gonna have a lot of fun!

The Charles Owens Trio/Best Part

This time, our little excursion starts in the present with contemporary jazz by The Charles Owens Trio. His web bio notes Owens is a master tenor saxophonist, composer, band leader, recording artist, and educator and has been performing, composing, and teaching for over 25 years…He has made 9 albums as a leader and appeared and continues to appear on a plethora of recordings as a hired soloist. He’s performed with such jazz luminaries as Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner, Omer Avital, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Brian Blade, Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings, Ari Hoenig, Alexander Claffy, Jeff Watts, and Joel Frahm among many others. Off his latest album Here It Is, released earlier this month on Dec 8, here’s Best Part. Owens is backed by Andrew Jay Randazzo (hybrid guitar) and DJHarrison RVA (drums).

Bob Dylan/Man of Peace

After what may have been a smoother opening than what you anticipated based on the slightly creepy album cover, let’s pay a visit to Bob Dylan. To borrow from a famous mid-’90s movie, the brilliant master is like a box of chocolate – you never know what you gonna get! After Dylan’s conversion to Christianity and three evangelical records, he returned to secular music on his brilliant 22nd studio album Infidels, which came out in October 1993. The album, co-produced by Dylan and then-Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, who also played guitar on it, was well received by fans and critics alike. Other musicians on Infidels included Dire Straits’ Alan Clark (keyboards), Mick Taylor (guitar), Benmont Tench (keyboards), Robbie Shakespeare (bass) and his Sly and Robbie partner Sly Dunbar – that’s what I call a neat backing band! Here’s Man of Peace.

The Everly Brothers/Wake Up Little Susie

Our next stop takes us back to Sep 1957 and the second big hit by The Everly Brothers. Wake Up Little Susie was penned by husband and wife songwriting team Felice Bryant and Diadorius Boudleaux Bryant. They also gave the duo of Don Everly and his younger brother Phil Everly their first big hit with Bye Bye Love. Wake Up Little Susie, first released as a single, did even better, topping the pop charts in the U.S., Canada and Australia and surging to no. 2 in the UK. Both songs were also included on The Everly Brothers’ eponymous debut album released in January 1958. Amazing harmony singing and a captivating groove make for my kind kind of combo!

Pretenders/I’ll Stand By You

Time to pay a visit to the ’90s with a great song by Pretenders: I’ll Stand By You, off their sixth studio album Last of the Independents, which appeared in May 1994. At that time, the English-American rock band already had seen significant changes, leaving frontwoman Chrissie Hynde (guitar, vocals) and Martin Chambers (drums) as the only remaining original members. Adam Seymour (guitar) and Andy Hobson (bass) were still new to the group. Notably, the entire line-up only recorded one song, while for the remaining tracks Hynde relied on Seymour and a rotating series of musicians on bass and drums. There’s no doubt who ran that band and still fearlessly does to this day! I’ll Stand By You was written by Hynde, along with songwriting partners Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Not only does this ballad sound beautiful, but Hynde once again proves what an outstanding vocalist she is!

Iron Butterfly/In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

For our next stop, take a deep breath for a psychedelic rock tour de force from June 1968. That’s when American group Iron Butterfly released their sophomore album In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Peaking at no. 4 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200, the album sold an incredible more than 8 million copies within just its first year of release – outselling every record in the history of recorded music to that time! Eventually, it would rake up worldwide sales of more than 30 million. Here’s the epic title track, which at 17:05 minutes occupied all of side two. It was written by co-founder Doug Ingle (Vox Continental organ, vocals). The strange title reportedly came to be when Iron Butterfly drummer Ron Bushy misinterpreted the words “In the Garden of Eden” when writing down the lyrics for Ingle who was drunk and slurred the words as he sang the song to Bushy. Well, it was the late ’60s!

Gram Parsons/Ooh Las Vegas

After all that brilliant weirdness, I hope you’re still with me! If yes, congratulations, we’re getting to the final stop of today’s trip. For this, let’s set the time controls of the magical music machine to January 1974, which saw the release of the second and final studio album by Gram Parsons. Sadly, by the time it came out, Parsons already had died from an overdose of morphine and alcohol. He was only 26! Grievous Angel was compiled from recording sessions that had taken place in the summer of 1973. They prominently featured his singing partner Emmylou Harris and other prominent guests, such as Linda Ronstadt and Bernie Leadon, co-founder of the Eagles. Here’s the incredible Ooh Las Vegas.

Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist featuring the above tracks. I also would like to take this opportunity to thank of all my readers for reading and commenting and wish everybody a Happy New Year! If you’re out there celebrating, please be safe. Peace and Love!

Sources: Wikipedia; Charles Owens website; YouTube; Spotify

The Sunday Six

As we’re now well into the final month of the year, the weeks seem to fly by even faster than it usually feels. Sunday is here once again, and whether it’s the morning, afternoon, evening or night in your neck of the woods, I hope you’re up to join me for some music time travel. I got the itinerary ready, so let’s start up the magical music time machine and go now!

The Quintet/Perdido

Our journey today starts in December 1953 with jazz by what in pop or rock you’d call a super-group: Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet); Charlie Parker (alto saxphone), who fellow blogger Music Enthusiast featured the other day; Bud Powell (piano); Charles Mingus (bass); and Max Roach (drums). While I visited all of these outstanding musicians during past Sunday Six excursions, this is the first time here we’ll get to hear all of them and the only occasion when they recorded together: a concert at Toronto’s storied Massey Hall on May 15, 1953, appropriately titled Jazz at Massey Hall. The show also marked the last recorded meeting of Parker and Gillespie. Except for Mingus’ mostly under-recorded basslines, which were subsequently overdubbed in a New York studio, everything we hear on the album is from the live performance. Here’s Perdido, a composition by Puerto Rican jazz trombonist Juan Tizol.

The Rembrandts/Just the Way It Is, Baby

How about some power pop? For this we shall set the controls of our music time machine to September 1990 and the eponymous debut album by The Rembrandts. I think it was my often-mentioned longtime German music buddy Gerd, who first brought the American duo of Phil Solem and Danny Wilde on my radar screen. At least in the U.S., they’re probably best known for co-writing and performing the main theme song of NBC sitcom Friends, I’ll Be There For You, which became a big hit in the mid-’90s. The Paul McCartney-esque Just the Way It Is, Baby was their first single, which also did pretty well.

Ian Hunter/Just Another Night

Time to kick up the dynamics a notch with a great rocker by Britain’s Ian Hunter who first came to prominence as a young dude with Mott the Hoople, serving as the English rock band’s lead vocalist from inception in 1969 until their break-up in 1974. Hunter subsequently launched a solo career that frequently saw him work together with David Bowie’s sideman and guitarist Mick Ronson. Not only did their collaboration include Hunter’s above album, You’re Never Alone With a Schizophrenic, but Ronson also co-wrote the neat opener Just Another Night. Hunter, now 84, is still active and came out with a nice new album in April 2023, which I covered here at the time.

Sheryl Crow/Weather Channel

Next, let’s hit the current century and travel to April 2002. That’s when Sheryl Crow, one of my favorite female American singer-songwriters, came out with her fourth studio album C’mon, C’mon. Even if you’re generally not familiar with Crow’s music, you’ve probably heard All I Wanna Do, off her 1994 debut album, which catapulted her to international stardom. Or her second-biggest hit after that song, Soak Up the Sun, which brings me back to C’mon, C’mon and my proposition from that album: the closer Weather Channel, a more obscure cut. Penned by Crow, the song features guest vocals by Emmylou Harris, another great artist in my book!

The Moody Blues/Go Now

On Tuesday, we lost another great music artist with Denny Laine who passed away at age 79 from a severe from of lung disease. Laine is best known as co-founder of The Moody Blues and Wings, Paul McCartney’s backing band from the early ’70s till the early ’80s. Since 1973, he also had a solo career and was still active as recently as earlier this year. Laine co-wrote Mull of Kintyre with Macca, a November 1977 non-album single that not only became Wings’ biggest hit in the UK but also one of the best-selling singles there of all time. While Laine did some writing for the Moodies, he didn’t pen my pick but sang lead on it: Go Now, a stunning rendition of a song first recorded by American R&B and soul singer Bessie Banks she released in January 1964. The Moody Blues included what became their first and only no. 1 in the UK on their July 1965 debut album The Magnificent Moodies. What a gem!

Chris Isaak/Wicked Game

We’re reaching our sixth stop, which means it’s time to wrap up today’s trip. This takes us to June 1989 and Heart Shaped World, the third studio album that became the breakthrough for American singer-songwriter and occasional actor Chris Isaak, fueled by Wicked Game. After the track got featured in the 1990 David Lynch film Wild At Heart, Isaak’s signature song also became his biggest hit. Kudos to another dear friend who reminded me about Wicked Game the other day: Mike Caputo, a professional songwriter, musician and leader of Good Stuff, a great tribute band to Steely Dan, who also play select songs by Sting, Stevie Wonder and Gino Vannelli (I previously covered him and the group here and here). I’ve always loved Wicked Game’s cool guitar sound.

Before wrapping up this post for good, here’s a Spotify playlist of the above songs. As always, I hope there’s something there that tickles your fancy and you’ll be back for more.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

Song Musings

It’s Wednesday and I’d like to welcome you to another installment of my midweek feature that is taking a closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or haven’t covered at all to date. My pick for today is Boulder to Birmingham by Emmylou Harris.

While I had known of the country and Americana-focused singer-songwriter for decades, it wasn’t until July 2017 that Harris really entered my radar screen. That month, I saw her live in Philadelphia, sharing the bill with John Mellencamp and Carlene Carter, and was truly impressed by her performance.

Boulder to Birmingham was co-written by Harris and Bill Danoff, a singer and songwriter who penned John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads, among other hits. Inspired by Harris’ grief over the death of her friend and mentor Gram Parsons, it’s the only original track she recorded for her second studio album Pieces of the Sky, released in February 1975.

Harris knew Parsons early in her career. She toured with him and sang on his January 1973 solo debut album GP. She can also be heard on Grievous Angel, Parsons’ second and final solo album that appeared in January 1974, four months after his untimely death at the age of 26 from a morphine and alcohol overdose.

When Harris first met Parsons, she was a struggling artist playing bars in the Washington, D.C. area, with a debut album that had gone nowhere. They became good friends and had great chemistry on their recordings and during live performances. When Harris learned Parsons had died, she was devastated and reportedly said she felt “like falling off a mountain.” Here’s a great live version of Boulder to Birmingham with Mark Knopfler in June 2006, captured in Los Angeles for the concert film Real Live Roadrunning.

Co-writer Bill Danoff also recorded the song with his group, Starland Vocal Band, for their eponymous debut album, which appeared in July 1976. It became the opener – beautiful rendition and, gosh, it’s definitely a bit of a tearjerker!

Listening to the words of the song it’s hard to escape the notion Harris’ feelings for Parsons likely went beyond admiration of the mentorship he offered. Harris did not revisit his death in such an outspoken manner until The Road, a song off her 26th studio album Hard Bargain, which came out in April 2011.

Following are additional insights from Songfacts:

Emmylou Harris cowrote this song with Bill Danoff after the death of Gram Parsons. The song has become famous for its heart-rending chorus:

I would rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham
I would hold my life in his saving grace
I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham
If I thought I could see, I could see your face

The song is specifically about Parsons, but the song became a source of comfort for many people who could relate to the sentiment of losing someone close.

Harris wrote about half of the songs on her 1969 debut album, but this was the only one she had a hand in writing for her second album, Pieces of the Sky. She wrote the lyrics to the song, and Bill Danoff composed the music...

…Danoff and his wife Taffy Nivert were well known in the DC music scene; they had co-written the John Denver hits “Take Me Home Country Roads” and “Friends With You.” The year after Harris released Pieces of the Sky, Danoff had a huge hit with his group the Starland Vocal Band in “Afternoon Delight,” which is titled after the appetizer menu at a DC restaurant/bar called Clyde’s Of Georgetown. Harris had a regular gig there in the early ’70s.

After Gram Parsons died, two of his friends stole his body and set it on fire in the Mohave desert, which they claimed was Parsons’ directive. The line in this song “I was in the wilderness and the canyon was on fire,” is often interpreted to be about this burning, but it was actually a reference to 1974 wildfires in the Coldwater Canyon section of Los Angeles, which is where Harris recorded the album.

Brian Ahern, who had previously worked with Anne Murray, produced the Pieces of the Sky album. This song is a great example of his production strategy, which was to focus on the voice. There are no background vocals and the various instruments – including acoustic and pedal steel guitar – are carefully mixed to accentuate the singing.

Ahern stayed on as Harris’ producer and the two formed a romantic relationship. They married in 1977 the same month Harris’ third Ahern-produced album, Luxury Liner, was released. They divorced in 1984.

The Hollies recorded this for their 1976 album Write On.

A cover by the Alternative Rock band The Fray appears as a bonus track on the iTunes deluxe version of their third album Scars & Stories. They persuaded Harris to appear on their version but nearly fell out with the Nashville legend when working on the song with her. “We met and sat down with Emmylou,” singer Isaac Slade recalled to Jam! Music. “She showed us the ropes. She scolded me a little bit and put me in my place because I was getting a little rock star and giving Emmylou advice, which is something you don’t do. You listen and don’t talk. And we just did it in one afternoon.”

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

Song Musings

Happy Hump Day and I hope your week is off to a good start. If you’re in the U.S. or Canada and hold a job, I also hope your work week only started yesterday, though sometimes short weeks can feel the longest. Regardless of your situation, Wednesday means it’s time to take another closer look at a song I’ve only mentioned in passing or not covered at all to date.

Daniel Lanois is best known as a Grammy award-winning record producer who has worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the late Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson. And, of course, U2, co-producing the magnificent The Joshua Tree in collaboration with Brian Eno. What I didn’t know is that the Canadian also is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who has released several solo albums and film scores – that is until my dear longtime German music friend Gerd suggested that I check out The Maker.

Penned by Lanois, this great song appeared on his debut studio album Acadie, which was released in September 1989. Unlike the artists Lanois has produced, it doesn’t appear his albums enjoyed great chart or commercial success. According to Wikipedia, Acadie reached an underwhelming no. 166 in the U.S. on the Billboard 200.

Of course, chart success and sales figures can be imperfect indicators of an album’s significance. Acadie was named the 20th greatest Canadian album of all time in Bob Mersereau’s 2007 book The Top 100 Canadian Albums. Mersereau is a music columnist and longtime arts reporter for Canadian broadcast television network CBC. Here’s a nice live version of The Maker.

Taking a look at the album credits reveals some intriguing guests, including Brian Eno (keyboards, vocals), U2’s Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums) on two (other) songs, as well as Cyril Neville (percussion), Art Neville (piano) and Aaron Neville (backing vocals on The Maker and vocals on Amazing Grace), formerly of The Neville Brothers.

For some additional tidbits about The Maker, let’s turn to Songfacts:

The music of Daniel Lanois often reflects his spiritual journey, an open-hearted relationship with the divine. In this song, he goes down that path, singing, “I’m a stranger in the eyes of the Maker.” The lyrics are filled with biblical imagery: “the fields of Abraham,” “east of Eden.”

This kind of song about searching under the eye of God is found in the work of U2, whom Lanois has often worked with. He’s co-produced several of their albums, including The Joshua Tree and All That You Can’t Leave Behind.

“The Maker” was released in Europe as a single from Lanois’ debut solo album, Acadie. He recorded it in New Orleans, with has a rich musical history and ties to Lanois’ French-Canadian ancestors. The Acadians were forced out of their native Canada in the 1700s and settled in Lafayette, near New Orleans (thus the album title). They came to be known as “Cajuns.”

A few years after the album was released, Lanois established a studio in New Orleans called Kingsway.

That’s Aaron Neville on backing vocals; around this time Lanois was producing the Neville Brothers album Yellow Moon. Art Neville (piano) and Cyril Neville (djembe drum) also appear on the track.

This song was used at the end of the 1996 movie Sling Blade and appears on the soundtrack, which Daniel Lanois compiled.

The song found a following in Lanois’ native Canada, where it charted at #72, but despite great reviews, his solo work never had anywhere near the audience of his productions for other artists. This owes in part to promotion, as Lanois would quickly start a new project instead of going on tour.

Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris recorded “The Maker” for Nelson’s 1998 album Teatro, which Lanois produced. Others to cover the song include The Tea Party, and Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds.

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

An Evening With James Taylor in Philly

When I saw a few months ago that James Taylor is touring, the decision to look for a ticket didn’t take long. One of my biggest regrets is having missed his 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour with Carole King. While King would have been the bigger draw, I’ve always liked Taylor and had never seen him. Finally, last Saturday evening, it was showtime, at the TD Pallivion of The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Pa. Taylor and his amazing band did not disappoint!

Not only have I admired Taylor for many years as a great acoustic guitarist but also as a singer-songwriter with a distinct smooth baritone that instantly puts me at ease – even if he sings about a less-than-cheerful topic like in Fire and Rain, a song I absolutely love.

TD Pavillion. According to The Mann Center for the Performing Arts, James Taylor is the artist who has most often performed at the Mann since the venue was built in 1976 as the summer home for the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Taylor, who in March turned 75, has enjoyed an impressive 55-year-plus run. Among others, this includes more than 100 million albums sold, multiple Grammy Awards, as well as inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Taylor’s current tour is billed as An Evening with James Taylor & His All-Star Band – makes me wonder whether that band name may have come with a little inspiration from a friend! Speaking of with a little help from his friends, in 1968, Taylor became the first non-British act signed to Apple Records, which of course is the label founded by The Beatles that same year. It all happened after Paul McCartney and George Harrison listened to a demo tape Taylor had given to Peter Asher.

James Taylor’s All-Star Band (left to right, starting with upper row: Kate Markowitz (vocals), Dorian Holley (vocals), Henry Taylor (vocals, guitar), Andrea Zonn (vocals, fiddle), Larry Goldings (piano), Walt Fowler (keyboards, horns), Lou Marini (horns), Michael Landau (guitar), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Michito Sanchez (percussion) and Steve Gadd (drums)

Coming back to Taylor’s All-Star Band, the name wasn’t hyperbole, as his website reveals. The first musician who jumped out was legendary drummer Steve Gadd. The other members are certainly no slouches either: Michael Landau (guitar), Larry Goldings (piano), Walt Fowler (keyboards, horns), Lou Marini (horns), Michito Sanchez (percussion), Jimmy Johnson (bass), Andrea Zonn (vocals, fiddle), as well as vocalists Kate Markowitz, Dorian Holley and Taylor’s son Henry Taylor (also guitar). This is one killer band!

In addition to performing many beloved songs, Taylor also proved to be an engaging storyteller with a great sense of self-deprecating humor. After the first tune of the evening, Something In the Way She Moves, which was mostly delivered in the form of a video montage, Taylor recalled the above beginning of his recording career, jokingly adding, “George liked the song so much that he wrote it as his own song.” Beatles fans know it was a reference to Harrison’s Something, which starts with the words, Something in the way she moves.

Sometimes, Taylor’s anecdotes behind his songs felt a bit like standup comedy, especially the story about Mona, a pig he once owned as a pet. It certainly was hilarious and also involved some acting when Taylor pulled out a large handkerchief to bemoan the accidental death of Mona, who had grown from a little piggie into a 290-pound specimen. That said, he probably could have shortened it a little! 🙂

With 20 studio albums released to date, Taylor had plenty of material to choose from and he did. For his original songs, he mostly drew from his 1968 eponymous debut album and his ’70s catalog, including Sweet Baby James (1970), Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971), Gorilla (1975), In the Pocket (1976) and JT (1977). He also briefly acknowledged the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s with picks from That’s Why I’m Here (1985), New Moonshine (1991) and October Road (2002). Taylor rounded out the evening with four covers. Time for some music!

Let’s kick things off with Copperline, a tune from Taylor’s 13th studio album New Moon Shine, which came out in September 1991. He announced it as a song about his home state of North Carolina, adding, “but it’s probably not the one you’re thinking of.” He proceeded by holding up big signs of his two setlists, cheerfully pointing to the song that may have been in the minds of many folks in the audience.

Sweet Baby James is the title track of Taylor’s sophomore and breakthrough album released in February 1970. Like its predecessor and the next three albums, it was produced by Peter Asher. Unlike his debut, it appeared on Warner Bros, Taylor’s new label until the mid-’70s. Sweet Baby James is about the son of Taylor’s older brother Alex, who named the child after him.

And then it was time for some smoldering blues, a genre Taylor isn’t commonly associated with. But he actually wrote a blues tune for the Sweet Baby James album. Taylor felt there were too many pretentious white blues bands, so he decided to mock them with Steamroller Blues. This may be a parody tune and at times Taylor clearly treated it as such, but watch his band turn up the heat in this one, especially Lou Marini on trumpet, Walt Fowler on the mighty Hammond and Michael Landau on lead guitar.

After a 20-minute intermission, which Taylor insisted they really didn’t need since they would just stand right behind the stage and count down the time, it was on to the second set. As a huge Carole King fan, it’s a no-brainer I must cover You’ve Got a Friend, off Tapestry, her timeless gem from February 1971. Taylor recalled how King and he played the song together for the first time at The Troubador in Los Angeles before it had come out. He added it blew him away and he decided then and there to record it himself. And that he did and put on his third studio album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon, which came out two months after Tapestry.

Next up is a tune I sadly missed capturing, but fortunately Kelly K did, at Taylor’s May 31 gig at Santa Barbara Bowl – thanks, Kelly! To me, Raised Up Family, a tune Taylor included on his 15th studio album October Road, released in August 2002, was a musical highlight of the second set and in fact the entire evening. It nicely showcases the chops of Taylor’s backing vocalist and his amazing band.

Another must-cover is my all-time favorite song by James Taylor: Fire and Rain, off Sweet Baby James. This tune still gives me chills every time I hear it. Do I need to say more? I don’t think so!

Yet another highlight, especially from a vocal perspective, was Shower the People, the opening track of In the Pocket. Taylor’s seventh studio album was the first relying on a producer other than Peter Asher, in this case, Russ Titelman and Lenny Waronker, and his last before signing with Columbia. The performance showcased the impressive vocal chops of Dorian Holley.

And then it was time for the encore, which included three tunes. I decided to leave you with the last, You Can Close Your Eyes, another tune from Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. This performance featured Taylor and his son, Henry Taylor, both on vocals and guitar.

Following is the entire line-up of the songs Taylor performed in Philadelphia. Based on Setlist.fm, it has stayed unchanged up to this point in his tour.

Set 1
• Something in the Way She Moves
• Rainy Day Man
• Copperline
• Everybody Has the Blues
• Mona
• Some Days You Gotta Dance (The Chicks cover)
• Sweet Baby James
• Country Road
• Steamroller Blues
• Mexico
• Up On the Roof (Carole King cover)

Set 2
• Secret o’ Life
• You Make It Easy
• You’ve Got a Friend (Carole King cover)
• Carolina in My Mind
• Raised Up Family
• Fire and Rain
• Shower the People
• Your Smiling Face

Encore
• Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran cover)
• Shed a Little Light
• You Can Close Your Eyes

As I think you can see from the clips, the audience clearly loved James Taylor. So did I and I’m glad I finally got to see him! This wasn’t my first visit to the Mann, a great open-air venue where I previously saw Bonnie Raitt with opening act Lucinda Williams, as well as John Mellencamp with Emmylou Harris and Carlene Carter (see here). Despite some logistical challenges with parking and getting into the venue, which I had not encountered in the past, it likely wasn’t my last visit.

Evidently, Taylor enjoys the Mann as well. In fact, last Saturday marked his 21st concert there. According to the Mann, this makes him the artist who has most often performed at the venue since it was opened in 1976 as the summer home for Philadelphia’s symphony orchestra.

If you like Taylor and can make it to one of his shows during the remainder of the tour, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Some of the gigs for which tickets still appear to be available include Huntsville, Ala. (Aug 22); Cincinnati, Ohio (Aug 24); Mt. Pleasant, Mich. (Aug 26); Bridgeport, Conn. (Aug 29); and Boston, Mass. ( Aug 31 and Sep 1). The two immediately upcoming shows in Lenox, Mass. (Jul 3 & 4) are sold out. Taylor is currently scheduled to be on the road until Sep 10. The full schedule is here.

Sources: Wikipedia; James Taylor website; Setlist.fm; YouTube

My Playlist: Lucinda Williams

Ever since I saw Lucinda Williams open up for Bonnie Raitt in Philadelphia last June, I’ve been wanting to take a deeper dive into her music. This post is a first attempt to further explore the singer-songwriter who has been active since 1978. Over a 45-year-and-counting career, Williams has released 14 studio albums with no. 15, Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart, scheduled to drop June 30. I recently featured the excellent lead single New York Comeback in a Best of What’s New installment.

Before getting to some music, I’d like to provide some background. From Williams’ website: Lucinda Williams’ music has gotten her through her darkest days. It’s been that way since growing up amid family chaos in the Deep South, as she recounts in her candid new memoir, Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I told You [Crown, April 25, 2023 – CMM].

Over the past two years, it’s been the force driving her recovery from a debilitating stroke she suffered on November 17, 2020, at age 67. Her masterful, multi-Grammy-winning songwriting has never deserted her. To wit, her stunning, sixteenth studio album, Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart, brims over with some of the best work of her career. And though Williams can no longer play her beloved guitar – a constant companion since age 12 – her distinctive vocals sound better than ever.

“I’m singing my ass off,” she told Vanity Fair in February, following her first European tour since 2019. The love emanating from audiences and her musical family onstage and in the studio exemplify the healing power of music, says Williams. In 2020, she spent a week in intensive care, followed by a month in rehab before returning home. The blood clot on the right side of her brain impaired the left side of her body’s motor skills, forcing her to relearn some of the most basic of activities, like walking.

In July 2021, she played her first gig, opening for Jason Isbell at Red Rocks. She began seated in a wheelchair, but soon she was upright. “Just the energy of the audiences being so welcoming and warm and the band playing so great and being so supportive gave me so much strength,” Williams relates. “I figured, ‘Hell, all I have to do is stand up there and sing. How hard can that be?”

Williams got into songwriting and music at an early age. She started writing as a six-year-old and was playing guitar by the time she was 12. Five years later, she found herself on stage in Mexico City for her first live performance, together with her friend and banjo player Clark Jones. This was followed by gigs in Austin and Houston, Texas in her early 20s. In 1978, a then-25-year-old Williams move to Jackson, Miss. and recorded her debut album Ramblin’ on My Mind, which appeared the following year.

Williams first gained critical acclaim with her third, eponymous studio album from 1988, which was voted the 16th best album of the year in The Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. Lucinda Williams has since been viewed as a leading work in the development of the Americana movement. In 1998, Williams broke through into the mainstream with Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Her fifth album topped the aforementioned Pazz & Jop poll and won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. It also became her first album to chart on the Billboard 200, climbing to no. 68.

Time for some music! I’m going to highlight six tunes, followed by a Spotify playlist featuring these and additional songs from all of her albums. Kicking it off is a great rendition of Robert Johnson’s Ramblin’ on My Mind, the title track of Williams’ above-mentioned 1979 debut album, which she recorded together with guitarist John Grimaudo.

After two blues, country and folk-oriented albums, Lucinda Williams started to embrace a more Americana and roots rock-oriented sound on her third, eponymous album. Here’s Changed the Locks, which also became the album’s first single. Like all except one tune, it was penned by Williams. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers covered this song on their 1996 soundtrack album She’s the One.

This brings me to Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Williams’ acclaimed fifth album. It featured guest appearances by Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle who in addition to Williams served as one of the producers, along with Ray Kennedy who was working with Earle at the time, as well as Roy Bittan, best-known as longtime keyboarder of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. While the recording process was drawn out, in part due to some tensions between Earle and Williams who ended up bringing in Bittan to finish the album, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road overall became her most successful album to date. Here’s the great opener Right in Time – love the guitar sound on that cut!

Next, let’s jump to October 2008 and Little Honey, Williams’ ninth studio album. It featured guest appearances by Elvis Costello, Susanna Hoffs, Matthew Sweet and Charlie Louvin. Little Honey earned a nomination for the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Americana Album, the category’s inaugural year, which was won by Levon Helm for Electric Dirt. Here’s the excellent opener Real Love, which also appeared separately as a single. Penned by Williams, with backing vocals by Hoffs and Sweet, the roots rocker was also featured in the 2007 American comedy-drama The Lucky Ones.

In September 2014, Williams released her 11th studio record Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone, the first on her own label Highway 20 Records. The double album debuted at no. 13 on the Billboard 200, becoming one of Williams’ highest-charting on the U.S. mainstream chart. It also won the 2015 Americana Music Award for Album of the Year. Once again, there were various guests, including Jakob Dylan, Tony Joe White, Ian McLagan and Elvis Costello, among others. Here’s the great Burning Bridges, penned by Williams.

Fast forward to April 2020 and Good Souls Better Angels, Williams’ 14th and most recently released studio album. Another widely acclaimed album, it earned Williams yet another Grammy nomination, for Best Americana Album. Here’s When the Way Gets Dark. Like all except one other track on the album, it was co-written by Williams and Tom Overby who also served as producer, along with Williams and Ray Kennedy.

Last but not least, here’s the aforementioned Spotify playlist featuring the above and some other Lucinda Williams tunes. This artist is a true treasure! Hope you have as much fun listening to her music as I had putting together this post. I’m really looking forward to her new album, which based on the lead single sounds very promising.

Sources: Wikipedia; Lucinda Williams website; YouTube; Spotify

Best of What’s New

It’s Saturday, and I’d like to welcome everybody to another installment of my weekly new music revue. According to my count, this is the 150th Best of What’s New post. All four highlighted tunes are on albums that were released yesterday (March 10).

The Nude Party/Word Gets Around

Kicking things off is a great tune from the third and latest studio album Rides On by The Nude Party. I first featured this North Carolina group in January 2022 when covering their eponymous debut from July 2018. As I wrote at the time: The Nude Party were formed in 2012 when freshman students at  Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. decided to start a band. Their members are Patton Magee (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica), Shaun Couture (guitar, vocals), Don Merrill (piano, vocals), Alexander Castillo (bass, vocals), Austin Brose  (percussion, vocals) and Connor Mikita (drums). At the end of their freshman year, they all moved together to a house outside of town and learned how to play their instruments. It still almost sounds a bit like a fairytale! What’s very real is Word Gets Around, a cool-sounding rocker with a ’60s vibe, credited to the entire band!

The War and Treaty/Lover’s Game

And we’re on to The War and Treaty, a hot-sounding husband and wife duo of Michael Trotter, Jr. and Tanya Blount – and I’m happy to say another act I featured before, in October 2020. Borrowing from that post: Apple Music describes their style as impassioned soul music that draws on traditional folk, country, R&B, and spirituals, often combining them all. Initially known as Trotter & Blount, they released their debut album Love Affair under that name in 2016. This was followed by the EP Down to the River in July 2017, their first music appearing as The War and Treaty. Healing Tide, the first full-fledged studio album under the current moniker, came out in August 2018. The record, which featured a guest appearance of Emmylou Harris, was well received and reached no. 11 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums and no. 26 on the Independent Albums charts. Blount first became prominent in 1993, when she performed a duet with Lauryn Hill in the comedy picture Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. The following year, she released her solo debut album Natural Thing. This brings me to Lover’s Game, the smoking title track and opener of The War and Treaty’s third and new album. It’s credited to the duo and producer Dave Cobb who has also worked with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell, The Highwomen and Rival Sons.

Meet Me @ The Altar/Same Language

Meet Me @ The Altar is a pop punk trio who has been around since 2015. Initially, Téa Campbell (guitar, bass) and Ada Juarez (drums) met on YouTube and developed a bond that led to their decision to form a band. Following an online audition, Edith Victoria (vocals) joined them in 2017. Three years later after they had publically been endorsed by pop punk veterans Alex Gaskarth and Dan Campbell, of the bands All Time Low and The Wonder Years, respectively, Meet Me @ The Altar went viral and were signed by label Fueled by Ramen in October of the same year. Their debut EP Model Citizen appeared in August 2021. Now Meet Me @ The Altar are out with their first full-length album Past // Present // Future. Here’s Same Language, a catchy tune.

The Luka State/Bring Us Down

Wrapping up this week’s Best of What’s New are English indie rock group The Luka State. From their AllMusic bio: A British indie rock band with a solid guitar attack and urgent melodies that are both catchy and powerful, the Luka State burst out of the mining town of Winsford, Cheshire in 2013, scoring an early success with the song “30 Minute Break.” A change in drummers coincided with a shift in the Luka State’s creative approach, as synthesizer lines began winding their way into their guitar-based arrangements on their 2015 EP The Price of Education. A steady stream of tracks followed before the band scored another success with 2018 single “Feel It.” Fast forward to March 10, 2023, and the band’s sophomore album More Than This. Here’s the opener Bring Us Down, credited to all four members of the band: Conrad Ellis (lead vocals), Lewis Pusey (guitar), Sam Bell (bass, vocals) and Jake Barnabas (drums).

This post wouldn’t be complete without a Spotify playlist of the above tracks, as well as a few additional tunes by each of the featured artists.

Sources: Wikipedia; Apple Music; AllMusic; The Luka State website; YouTube; Spotify