Look at the ease of approach, the cleverness, and the pure musicality. Unfortunately the majority of the current purveyors of the genre are nowhere close to this and it really is, with few exceptions a dying art.

Murder by Death – The Devil Drives.

I first heard Murder by Death when they opened for Lucero a few years ago. I really dug their stage show and I am almost always a sucker for strings…especially when played by attractive women.

This song has so much going for it – the beautiful crooning, the shutdown to a solo voice – the bizarre party singing ending. It is the perfect way to close out the album and in my mind rivals even ‘Rock N Roll Suicide’ for closers.

New Neko Case album due March 3rd. This track has been released and is being played heavily on the local public radio channel including heavy rotation on World Cafe.

Enjoy the track and the sweet picture of Ms. Case and her Tenor SG.

Meanwhile, Pitchfork announced the March release of a new Neko Case Album. Then the cover art was released and is sure to adorn the walls of many a alt-country boy’s walls or cubicle. Enjoy.

When Icky Thump came out I listened a bit and the disk migrated away. I found it again the other day and have been listening to it quite a bit. Especially the middle part of the album and these four songs:

Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn
St. Andrew (This Battle Is In The Air)
Little Cream Soda
Rag And Bone

Especially the St Andrew song which is bizarre and tape loopy and just a pleasure to listen to.

I highly recommend this album and it will be some time before I let it slip from rotation again. Here is the official video of the lead track – it’s a scorcher…

I have been feeling ill so I laid off the bike ride on Friday. That freed up some time at lunch to work on a sketch I have had in my mind. I started off thinking about something to the effect of “Ride your Bike – It’s good for America”. But I soon settled on something at least a tad more subversive with a pop culture tinge to it. I finished with the drawing above. It’s a clear homage to the Woody Guthrie guitar seen in this famous picture:

I was thinking it would make a great cover for a pocket sized bike journal. To the bike riders in the crowd – what information would you like to see inside a bike journal? Obviously date and mileage spots, then maybe the rest of each page for a brief summation of the ride?

Tim suggested maybe a shirt as well, I still have screen printing equipment in the basement. I might be inclined to make a screen if there was interest. It would mostly hinge on getting a colleague to take care of the actual screen making part. I’m gonna look into that.

This was also my first sketch into this beautiful book my friend Dave brought me back from St Louis:

It came from a letterpress shop called The Firecracker Press. It’s a beaut’.

I first became interested in Woody Guthrie as a result of the Wilco/Billy Bragg collaboration called Mermaid Avenue. I suspect I am not the only one. Here are two tracks off of the album – one upbeat, one a little slower. It is Americana at its finest.

California Stars

Sad and Lonely
[audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/8/28/2070901/07%20At%20My%20Window%20Sad%20And%20Lonely%202.mp3]

I headed home to take care of my obligations at home. Leaving early is always a strain on the other to get three little ones to bed including infant twins. To make it worse as I looked into the times it showed that the doors were to open at 7 and the show was to start at 8. Kinda early. I had the feeling that both bands could play 2 hours plus and I was concerned that the show would in fact start at 8. Tim called back and confirmed he was going, that he could drive me there, and that the box office confirmed it was going down on time.

We headed down to the bar formerly called Coyote’s now referred to as City Block for the show. Spirits were high as we lined up to get in. I heard a girl come out with a smallish camera bag and tell someone they wouldn’t let her carry her camera in. As at most shows I go to I had mine in my back pocket. It is one of my favorite things about the shows.

We got in around 8, grabbed some beers and sure enough the DBT’s came out shortly thereafter. This was my first time seeing the band live and it was impressive. It is great to see people play who are clearly so comfortable together. It absolutely rocked. They have a guy how took Jason Isbell’s place playing the lead guitar fills but does no singing. This seems to greatly free up Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley to just do their thing. And they played “Zip City” A little into the show a burly security guy informed me that if I took any more pictures he would take my camera. That’s weak. I am not really for sure why this happened – the band, the venue, or the beginning of the tour? It doesn’t seem characteristic for either band but who knows. I did manage to get these snapped prior to the “ban”:

After a quick break The Hold Steady took the stage. We made some good moves towards the front (not as good as we could have with Ms. Tim) during the break. Then some other bike nerd overheard us talking about bikes and joined on in.

As soon as the music started I felt locked into the tractor beam and pulled close to the stage. The kids were going wild and it was tons of fun. There did not appear to be any trash cans at the City Block and there quite a lot of loose bottles and busted bottles on the floor. It made me think of “Kicking and a’ gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer”. It left my shoes looking like this:
This was a rawk show at its finest – crowded, hot, loud, with everybody jumping around dancing and singing. Here are a few pictures I took from my new position and increased courage – not to mention everybody else was doing it:

Tim bailed around 11 which I understand. I’m sure he intended to ride his bike to teach school the next day.

My good friend Ian hooked me up with a ride home – quite nice since it was certainely not on his way. I had to laugh because Chelsea indicated that Tim used to be one of her high school teachers. I don’t think I have been to one show with him where we have not encountered former students.

It was a great night and really recharged my battery. I made it to work on time (6:45) and really felt fine even though I didn’t get to bed until around 1:00. I made my ride the next day and life was good.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh3bleXWaCk]

Bulldozers and Dirt is to me the best song I can think of to explain the ideas of “The Duality of the Southern’ Thing” & of being “No Depression”. The opening stanza presents the narrator having the cops called on him for stealing a TV, the same person who calls the cops is the one who signs her trailer to the bail bondsman.

Here is a fan video retelling:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHuYnqoXzjc]

The idea of “No Depression” is one that floats around a bunch on a email list I read somewhat regularly – A postcard from hell(don’t sign up unless you can handle copious amounts of email). I think it ties in closely to the idea of Southern Gothic. These tragic flawed characters who you just can’t help but like. People doing things because that’s how they used to be done. Pure stubbornness. Behind the trailer my dessert….

I went to your schools, I did my detention
But the walls are so gray, I couldn’t pay attention
I heard your gospel- it moved me to tears,
But I couldn’t find the hate, and I couldn’t find the fear
I met your Savior, I knelt at his feet,
And he took my ten bucks, and he went down the street

The Hold Steady and the Drive-by Truckers announced for Coyote’s 10-30-08 – downtown Louisville – should be all killer, no filler….

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daUyogS1wjM]