Every child of the 80's recognizes those E-E-A-B chords that kick off the Joan Jett & The Blackhearts hit "I Love Rock-n-Roll. Back in those days we would go to the Pizza Hut on Friday night or the skating ring on Saturday night and fill the jukebox with quarters. It was great because you could play the songs you loved, but you'd also get exposed to music you might not have known that other people selected. We don't have that luxury anymore, but that doesn't mean we can't expose one another to new music (even if it's old music). For a long time I have intended to write about music that you may not be familiar with, but you need to give a chance. My musical tastes have grown and changed so much in my lifetime. The first song I remember knowing and liking (read: standing on my parents bed in my underoos, looking in the mirror, using a hairbrush for a mic to sing at the top of my lungs) was "Another One Bites The Dust" by Queen. It's so funny looking back, because I can vividly remember thinking to my little five year old self, "I sound just like him" as it blasted from mamma's stereo while she listened to WZYP getting ready for work in the morning. Then came the early to mid 80's and I was convinced I was Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran. As the late 80's and middle school rolled around I drifted into Hair Metal (Poison, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue), then hip hop (MC Hammer, Beastie Boys), by high school the 90's had arrived along with Grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden). Mixed in was the country music my dad liked, along with 50's music he listened to when he picked me up from school. Eventually I locked in on the Black Crowes (of course if you've read anything I've written you probably already know that). In early adulthood there was a bluegrass phase and the occasional pop song, but for the longest time I stopped accepting any new music. Not because I didn't want to, but I just didn't have time to listen to new stuff. As I've grown older my tastes have mellowed quite a bit, and have even expanded to things I had never heard of or would have even considered. So today, I wanted to share with you a few things you may not have heard before, but you need to know about. This list won't include anything you will likely hear on the radio and certainly not top 40 fare. With Beats Music, Pandora, iTunes Radio, Grooveshark, IHeartRadio, Spotify and all the other online/on demand music sources, you can certainly find these and find the time to give them a spin. You may just find something you didn't realize you loved.
Gram Parsons - In My Hour Of Darkness (Album - Grievous Angel) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERhhkjqDGsA; She (Album - The Complete Reprise Sessions) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6YMdZdD9iQ; Sin City (Album - The Complete Reprise Sessions) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Ngs8W3B48. If you haven't heard of Gram Parsons, I guarantee you've heard his influence. The country-rock sound owes great credit to Gram Parsons. Everyone from Emmylou Harris to The Rolling Stones to The Eagles to Elvis Costello were shaped by his sound. If you like what you hear and really want to dig deep, he was in The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and frequently dusted with Emmylou Harris. This is what I put on when I just need something easy to listen to.
Hard Working Americans - Blackland Farmer (Album - Hard Working Americans, this is actually a cover of Frank Miller, 1959) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mue_VtX2Do; Stomp And Holler (Album -HWA, a Hayes Carl cover) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXF-qf3_xvQ; The Mountain Song (Album - HWA) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxt-vOE1JWs (bad quality but the only video I could find). This band is fronted by Todd Snider (heir apparent to Jerry Jeff Walker, John Prine) and made up of members of Widespread Panic, Ryan Adams band The Cardinals, Great American Taxi, and The Derek Trucks Band.
Trigger Hippy - Heartache On The Line (Album - Trigger Hippy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj1lRJdYPSk (this video is from Wanee Fest, picture Bonnaroo for middle aged people, hosted annually by The Allman Brothers and it is about 30 minutes from my house). This band is made up of the drummer from The Black Crowes and members of Gov't Mule and Joan Osborne.
HTDA - Ice Age (Album - Welcome Oblivion) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq3pDuJeMqQ This band is a project of Trent Reznor (NIN) and his wife Mariqueen Maandig (West Indian Girls) and friends. Don't let the band name scare you off (it comes from the album title of an early 80's industrial band named Coil that was one of Reznor's musical influences). I'll almost guarantee there is nothing on your iPod like this. I'm not sure if most of what they are playing is even instruments or just Atari's they took apart and hooked to old EKG monitors and keyboards. Regardless, I love their sound and her voice is haunting.
Drive By Truckers - Outfit (Album - Decoration Day) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyJ9JfWbKLE This song is written and sung by former member Jason Isbell who is from a little community (Green Hill, AL) 30 minutes from my hometown.
Adam Hood - Million Miles Away (Album - 6th Street) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G94mhMI5QYg I saw this guy open for Todd Snider about ten years ago and was blown away. It was just him and an acoustic guitar and he owned the stage for an hour. Afterwards I got to meet him and he was a really cool guy from Alabama. We are the same age and it seems like he collaborated with me on every song he writes. He's tried to break into country music in the last few years (he's toured with Miranda Lambert and Willie Nelson), but unfortunately country music is only making pop music right now so he's had little success in terms of sales and radio play.
Amos Lee - Arms Of A Woman (Album - Amos Lee) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_FwGvX_pCI I've only recently gotten into Amos Lee, but what little I've heard is really powerful music. This song almost hypnotizes you.
I guess this is more than enough to keep you busy on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Hope you enjoy and hope you expand your horizons a little. Don't worry, I will be doing this again.
PS - feel free to link or suggest your little known favorites in the comments section. I'd love to know what you've discovered.
PS - feel free to link or suggest your little known favorites in the comments section. I'd love to know what you've discovered.
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