Saints don't, but we sure as hell do. We bother with most everything that matters: music, movies, culture, entertainment and booze
...but mostly music: the most ungodly vice of all.
The Drive-By Truckers will return to Knoxville on Thursday, April 7th to the Valarium for yet another great rock show! The Truckers are touring to support their latest album Go-Go Boots
and their newest documentary The Secret to a Happy Ending.
This will no doubt be a BIG TIME show, so make sure you get your tickets here now! Maybe we can get them to do an in-store performance that afternoon at the Disc Exchange...we'll see.
Here We Rest, new album from Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, is set for an April 12th release on Lightning Rod Records. Here We Rest is the second album from Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, and Isbell’s third. Their 2009 self-titled debut received high praise from the press, including Rolling Stone, Spin, Paste, Blurt, Details, Washington Post and many more.
An Alabama native, Isbell comes from a tradition of Southern music. He proudly embraces his roots, which shine through in his songs and even in the title of the new album. Here We Rest was Alabama’s original motto. However, instead of resting comfortably within its boundaries, Isbell, along with keyboardist Derry deBorja, guitarist Browan Lollar, drummer Chad Gamble and bassist Jimbo Hart transcend them. His thoughtful songwriting and warm, soulful voice are genuine, natural abilities that come through in the music.
From the soulful heartache of “We’ve Met” and “Save It For Sunday” to the country-infused folk of “Alabama Pines” and “Daisy Mae” to the old school R&B of Candi Staton’s “Heart On A String”, Here We Rest is steeped the best of southern American music. Isbell’s songs continue to reveal themselves the more you listen. From his lyrical depth to his vocals, his songs penetrate the heart and the mind, and stay with you. A true sign of great songwriting.
Here We Rest was produced by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit and recorded at the legendary Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL and at The NuttHouse in Sheffield, AL. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit will be previewing the Here We Rest during South By Southwest in Austin, TX on March 17th. A full tour will follow the April release. Stay tuned for dates.
See track listing below.
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit Here We Rest – Track Listing
1.) Alabama Pines 2.) Go It Alone 3.) We’ve Met 4.) Codeine 5.) Stopping By 6.) Daisy Mae 7.) The Ballad Of Nobeard 8.) Never Could Believe 9.) Heart On A String 10.) Save It For Sunday 11.) Tour Of Duty
The Foo Fighters' "White Limo" is coming to Knoxville on Monday, 3/21 at noon...Come out and see it...I don't think that Lemmy will be driving it this time though...
The Foo Fighters will be hitting the road with Motorhead this spring, with Memphis being the closest date as of now. In the meantime, check out the noo Foo video for "Rope" and the trailer for the documentary "Back and Forth" below:
Hayes will do an in-store performance at the Disc Exchange before his show at the Shed that evening (tix here). More Hayes here at his site...and more Hayes here on my site...
Academy Award winning singer/songwriter and desperado Ryan Bingham (Crazy Heart) returns to Knoxville next week for what will be another amazing show. If you don't have tickets to this show yet, you may be out of luck...I'd be on the horn now trying to get some if it's not too late.
Ryan's last album, 2010's Junky Star, was included in my Best Albums of 2010 list. For other Bingham posts, check here and get to this show at the Bijou Theatre on Saturday, March 26th.
Congrats to the Arcade Fire on their win last night at the 53rd Grammy Awards ceremony for Best Album of 2010 with The Suburbs.
This album was included in many writers and snobs' lists alike, including my own Best of 2010 list...clearly the powers that be either 1) agreed, 2) didn't like Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Katy Perry or Lady Gaga, or 3) just wanted to throw absolutely everyone off their trail. That was one of the most surprising, exciting and hopeful wins I have seen in quite some time. Congrats to the Canucks. See other winners and nominees here.
Perhaps this is a sign of things to come, with a few lesser known names winning like the Arcade Fire and Esperanza Spalding, and not as much as the glossed-over, over produced and over-played pop and hip-hop, with more insightful and artistic music being focused on, and not as much of the big-machine, mass produced factorized hits and obvious choices.
FromLevon Helm: At Levon's request, Capitol Records opened their vaults to release the original recordings for three records that changed the way America listened to music - "Music From Big Pink," "The Band" and "Stage Fright" by The Band. The result is "Three of a Kind," one very special release featuring all three records, available only at the Midnight Ramble and through levonhelm.com.
Come out and watch "Lemmy, 49% Motherfucker. 51% Son of a Bitch", the documentary on Motorhead's Lemmy Kilmister from Damage Case Films and presented by SaintsDontBother.com on Wednesday, February 9th at 8pm. $5 at the door to see it...and there's a whole lot more going on, so it's definitely worth your $$$! Doors open at 7, so come early, or bring a chair with you...seriously! Enjoy $12 buckets of Bud beers as well!
More details to come...maybe some free bands after the movie...stay tuned...
Here's Hayes Carllon Judas Leno last week, playing the title track to his upcoming album KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories), out on February 15th on Lost Highway Records.
This is a direct link to his performance, or you can watch the whole show below if you can stomach Judas, Kathie Lee and Hoda for forty-two minutes. (Bonus action: you get a crotch shot of Kathie Lee doing a keg stand, so you've got that going for you if you're daring. If not, fast forward to around the 38 minute mark)
Meanwhile, while you either fast forward or watch the first 38 minutes on mute, Lost Highway is streaming a couple new Hayes tracks, so head on over to get a sneak listen, pre-order the record and get an instant download now of the title track and exclusive swag.
From their covers album “If I Had A Hi-Fi,” Nada Surf filmed a video for the Depeche Mode song ‘Enjoy the Silence’ during their 2010 European Summer tour. Directed by Jan-Ole Gerster, the video was shot in Nuremberg, Munich and Dresden.
(From early December, but just now getting here to the blog...and originally posted here in Maryville's Daily TimesWeekend Section):
2010 was a wonderful year for music, so it has been very hard to pick out THE (read: "MY") Top 10...there might actually have been too much good music to fully digest, and I'm afraid that I have fallen victim to the circumstance. But, alas, it is my duty to pick ten, so here we go, in no particular order (which probably defeats the point of a "top ten", but everyone else has their top lists and ranked albums, so mine will now be known as a rough, working list that is subject to change at a moment's notice. Besides, there are technically a couple more weeks in 2010...)
The Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do - The Truckers returned to their hard rocking roots and their most raucous album since 2005's The Dirty South. Several tracks that stick out to me: "Daddy Learned to Fly", "This Fucking Job", “Birthday Boy” and the retelling of the non-fictional stories in "The Wig He Made Her Wear" and the rolling, circus-themed "Flying Wallendas". Patterson Hood checks his facts and presents them as only the Truckers can. Be on the lookout for the new DBT record Go-Go Boots in February.
Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues – Justin Townes Earle is the modern king of the old time sound. His music emanates from the 30s and 40s folk-country blues/almost a western jazz-swing of a genre that is all but forgotten on a decent size scale, except by the likes of him and local Knoxville group Cristabel and the Jons. Suggested tracks are the bouncing “Move Over Mama” and the old-timey bluesy tune “Wandering”.
Marty Stuart – Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions – Traditional country preservationist/revivalist/flag-waver heads to the famed RCA Studio B in Nashville to record his best record in years in the same studio that hosted Waylon, Willie, Dolly, Porter, Ernest Tubb, Roger Miller, some guy named Elvis and countless others over the years, beginning in 1957.
Danzig - Deth Red Sabaoth – It’s Danzig. It’s his best record in twenty years. It’s hard. It rocks. And it moves. What else do you need to know?Check out “Ju Ju Bone”. I suggest getting it from the Disc Exchange in Knoxville on Chapman Highway, where he stopped in to do so some shopping before his show in November at The Valarium. Get Disc Exchange’s Andrew or Courtney to tell you the story and show you the picture.
Glossary - Feral Fire – My favorite band from Middle Tennessee (Murfreesboro) that you’ve probably never heard of, but you should, and won’t be disappointed.This is their sixth full length. I would start at the beginning of their catalog and try to catch up quickly (www.glossary.us). Each record has progressed and the songs seem to write themselves now. They are all different enough to stand alone, but close enough that you know what you’re gonna get from Glossary…and you’re not disappointed, even after six albums. Plus, the co-ed vocal pairing of Joey and Kelly Kneiser can’t be beat, accompanied by some of the best steel pedal melodies and playing in “Your Heart to Haunt”. “Save Your Money for the Weekend” is a highlight, and is good advice, too, as Glossary seems to make it to Knoxville once or twice a year (when their steel pedal/guitarist/vocalist Todd Beene isn’t touring with Lucero), so be on the lookout.
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs – I didn’t make it even halfway through this record before I knew it was something special…but you already knew that, and probably already have it in your collection. If not, you know what to do.
Ryan Bingham - Junky Star – The gruff and growl behind last year’s Crazy Heart soundtrack is a good lead up to this year’s Junky Star, his third full length album. Bingham picks up right where he left off with his experiences, knowledge and pain that are well beyond his mere 29 years of seemingly hard living. Bingham and his band The Dead Horses fluctuate between “Crazy Heart”-like ballads, Southwestern swing and jangly Texas shuffles that beg to be heard in person down in a dive somewhere deep in the heart of Texas. Put the record on, grab a six pack and sit back for an hour.
Band of Horses - Infinite Arms – Probably my favorite album of the year if I had to choose. Definitely the most played of this year’s collection. Head Horseman Ben Bridwell essentially assembled an entirely new band before recording this album. BoH kept their same character, texture and sound by keeping with the dreamy vocals and air-y guitars, but were able to keep it fresh with more ups and downs as well as their progression with more complex harmonies throughout the collection of songs. Infinite Arms is slightly more laid back than their first two outings, but is no less admirable and aurally pleasing. Try out “Laredo”, “Blue Beard”, “Older” and “Dilly”.
Hank III - Rebel Within – Shelton Hank Williams III is back with another honky tonk hell raiser. This time, though, he branches out into other directions of his own hillbilly and hellbilly genres with several slow ballads (“Gone But Not Forgotten” and “Karmageddon”) that showcase and highlight his songwriting and self reflection more so than his previous albums. Don’t worry hardcore fans- there’s plenty of honky tonkin’ with cuts like “Gettin’ Drunk & Fallin’ Down”, “Drinkin’ Over Momma” and a bit of East Tennessee folklore and legend with “Moonshiner’s Life”, a tribute to the late Popcorn Sutton.
Kings of Leon - Come Around Sundown – I tried to not let this one in here, but it’s starting to get at me…I at least knew what I was getting myself into now with U2 Junior here, but there’s more to this album than 2008’s Only by the Night. The KOL took up residence in New York to record this collection and subsequently added instrumentation more indigenous to their upbringing in Oklahoma and Nashville. “Back Down South” offers a weepy country fiddle and more, a complete one-eighty from their huge atmospheric arena anthems of the last few years. “Mary” offers almost Beach Boys-like harmonies on the opening “haaaa-haaaaaaas” and has cries that are faintly reminiscent of old school doo-wop. Several of the other tracks could be fun pop/dance songs as well. Long story short- you know what you’re going to get with the Kings at this point if you’ve followed their transformation from early dirty garage rockers to their larger than life pretty boy sound now. If you like it, you do. If you don’t you don’t. I like this one more than the last…It’s still no Youth and Young Manhood in my opinion though.
and their newest documentary The Secret to a Happy Ending. 
This will no doubt be a BIG TIME show, so make sure you get your tickets here now! Maybe we can get them to do an in-store performance that afternoon at the Disc Exchange...we'll see.
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