The Nashville Music Scene

The Wildhorse is one of my new favorite venues for shows—yeah, yeah, I know I’m late to the party, but the first show I saw there was Los Lonely Boys a couple of months ago, and I was floored by the acoustics, although I’m not sure why, since the place was built out by Gaylord specifically as a music venue. We were treated to a great show Wednesday night featuring Locksley opening for the great Ray Davies of the Kinks, who is a wonderfully engaging solo artist as well. This was Locksley’s third trip to Nashville in as many months, as they recently opened for Hanson at the Wildhorse as well as doing a show at the Mercy Lounge in October. This guys were great, delivering a power-packed performance featuring high-energy power pop with a punch of punk. Their influences range from the Beatles, which is very evident, to the Hives and the more obscure punk references such as Richard Hell of Richard Hell and the Voidoids fame. The bank was tight, with great harmonies, and lyrics you could actually hear, instead of the indistinguishable and indecipherable blur that so many bands offer up. They are originally from Wisconsin and now call Brooklyn home, and features brothers Jesse Laz on lead vocals and rhythm guitar and Jordan Laz on bass and vocals, Kai Kennedy on lead guitar and vocals, and Sam Bair on drums.  They’ve played with the likes of Rooney, OK Go, The Dandy Warhols, She Wants Revenge, Hanson, and the Hives, just to name a few.  Their 2007 album, “Don’t Make Me Wait”, has just been rereleased on a large scale, and MTV is giving them a lot of exposure.  Check out a couple of the songs from the album, Why Can’t I Be You and All Over Again, and here is the video for “All Over Again:”

Ray Davies was incredible as well.  I had seen him with the Kinks, more years ago than I care to remember (the wonderful 80s), and he put on a great show, drawing the audience in, as he announced early on that the show was an audience participation encouraged event.  He mixed up tunes from his latest solo project, Working Man’s Cafe, with classic Kinks tunes, and earlier solo work.  He entertained everyone with a combination of stories in between songs, and the vibrant songwriting they showcased.  He wrapped up by bringing the boys of Locksley back onstage for a couple of rousing Kinks tunes, including “Lola”.

All in all, an outstanding evening of music all the way around!!

{ 0 comments }

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals blew the doors off the War Memorial last night. I had never seen a show there (although I did walk across the stage there at my high school graduation), and didn’t know about the acoustics…no worries on that count. That lovely wood floor made for a nice live room with lots of bounce, and Mr. Adams and band were in fine form. I had balcony seats, but at the last minute my partner-in-crime decided that he was feeling a mite too under the weather to venture out on a wet Tuesday night. I headed on out, and was able to sell my two balcony seats for a general admission, and enough cash for a t-shirt and limited edition print. Sweet!! But I digress, when Ryan took the stage, the whole house fell under his spell. Althought there was an underlying current of muted tension as the we all wondered what kind of humor he was in, and would some jackass shout out "Play Cuts Like A Knife" and prompt him to walk offstage, I am happy to report he was in a fine mood, and the two sets were chock full of classics, beautiful harmonies, some of the best steel guitar I’ve ever had the pleasure to hear, and a funny mock meltdown.

{ 0 comments }

Brandi Carlile’s new album is getting rave reviews, and thanks to VH1 and their "You Oughta Know" promotion of new, breaking artists, she’s getting mainstream exposure. She’ll be playing City Hall on September 26th with A Fine Frenzy opening.

{ 0 comments }

The second annual Mucklewain festival will be taking place in Pinewood, Tennessee Friday and Saturday, September 28th and 29th, with an incredible lineup!  Organizer Joie Todd Kerns has moved this year’s big doings a lot closer to Nashville (about 45 minutes away) as opposed to last year’s gig in East Tennessee, and it’s two days of music, art, and Southern culture instead on one.  The lineup includes Todd Snider, Lucero, the reunited Drivin’n'Cryin’ (love love love them.."I’m goin’ straight to hell"), Will Hoge, Bobby Bare, Jr., Old Union, Jason Isbell (formerly of the Drive By Truckers), Those Darlins’, Dixie Dirt, and Glossary, just to name a few.  For more info, check out www.mucklewain.com or www.myspace.com/mucklewain.

{ 0 comments }

As I was recuperating from all the NextBigNashville festivities and rounds of shows, shots, and not much sleep, just maxing and relaxing with the tv, BANG!!! Actually, American Bang blasting out on a Verizon commercial!! It was so cool hearing our very own homegrown Nashville rockers on a national tv spot, it just put a big smile on my face! Lots of big time great stuff is happening for them these days, they’ve recently upgraded their name to American Bang (formerly Bang Bang Bang, but since there are apparently quite a few bands using this moniker out and about–they’ve changed the name to avoid any potential legal wranglings), and have a new EP titled Move to the Music scheduled to drop October 23rd on Maverick/Reprise after being signed by Warner Brothers in 2006. The EP, as well as the full-length album they are currently finishing up, was produced by multi-platinum producer James Michael, who has worked with artists ranging from Motley Crue, the Scorpions, and Saliva to Alanis Morissette, Meat Loaf, the Exies, and Hillary Duff. The title cut is the tune featured on the Verizon ad–displayed oh so nicely on the new Motorola MOTO Q. The EP will be available at Best Buy, Walmart, your favorite local Indie record store (GRIMEY’S here in Nashville), and on iTunes (iTunes currently has Move to the Music listed as an EP for $2.99, with "Good as Gold", "All Night Long", and "American Ride", but "Move to the Music" isn’t showing up yet). The band has been in LA (seems like more and more Nashville bands are in LA these days–instead of the way it was a few years back, when there was a mass exodus from LA to Nashville–remember the "last one to leave LA, turn the lights off" days?) recording a full-length album scheduled to be released in early 2008. They’re currently on tour opening for The Donnas (sweet!), and are also scheduled to play with Lynyrd Skynyrd on the "Simple Man Cruise" in mid-January.

The band consists of Jaren Johnston’s bluesy, ballsy vocals, Ben Brown’s blistering guitar, Kelby Ray’ stompin’, thrompin’ bass, and rounding out with Neil Mason’s pounding percussion. The four are high-school friends who developed a rabid following here in Nashville, recording and releasing their debut album I Shot the King themselves in 2005, and after packing the clubs to SRO crowds with fellow Nashville bands Be Your Own Pet, AutoVaughn, and The Pink Spiders, they went on in 2006 to open for Lynryd Skynyrd, .38 Special, and (you know I love them) the Black Crowes. This year, they played THE summer gig–Bonnaroo, as well as Lollapalooza and Summerfest, and did some dates with road warriors and blues-rock, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers–that little ol’ band from Texas, ZZ Top.

Be sure to either pick up the EP, or download it from iTunes, and for more on the band, and a full listing of their tour dates, check out their websites: myspace.com/bangrock or www.americanbangrock.com.

{ 0 comments }

Oh be still, my beating heart–the great Shelby Lynne is coming to the Belcourt, and my sweet man has already gotten tickets for us!! My understanding is that Shelby will be doing Dusty Springfield covers, which suits me just fine. I’d listen to that girl sing the words off a cereal box. Also, word is that she will have a new album out in early 2008. I’ve been lucky enough to see her at the Ryman a couple of times, and she just absolutely blows me away. I cannot for the life of me understand why she is not a huge star, other that she isn’t obsessed with selling out and sucking up to get there, because she has more talent in her little toe than most folks flooding the airwaves have in their entire being. I’ve heard the stories about her being difficult to work with, blah blah blah, but when you’re dealing with a real, true talent, sometimes that comes with the territory. And I’m not saying they’re true or not, just that what everybody sees things differently. Shelby was signed to Epic a hundred years ago when I was a lowly A & R intern there (this was when it was still CBS Records, before Sony bought them out), and she won the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Female Vocalist in 1990. But as so often the case in Nashville with a great talent, she couldn’t be put in just one box, and didn’t want to follow the paint by numbers you are a country star picture. And I am soooo glad she didn’t. Shelby has so much depth and soul, she can sing anything. 1999’s I am Shelby Lynne, which led to her Grammy for Best New Artist (talk about paying dues), is one of my top 10 desert island discs. Get your tickets quick, they won’t last long!

{ 0 comments }

You know I’m always for gigs for a good cause–and in Nashville they usually consist of some world-class talent and some very deserving organzation–well September 18th (Tuesday), there is a great show to raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank. The show features some of Nashville’s top tier writers–Craig Wiseman, Tony Mullins, Jeffrey Steele, Bob DiPiero, and surprise guests–and with these guys, you are probably in for some seriously cool surprises, as they know, and write for and with EVERYONE in town! Tickets are $35, and all of the proceeds benefit Second Harvest. The show starts at 7:30, and you can get tickets through the Ryman box office, www.ryman.com, local ticketmaster locations, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling 615-255-9600.

{ 0 comments }

Congratulations to last night’s ASCAP awards winners! John Rich won his 3rd consecutive Songwriter/Artist of the Year award, some of his big hits for this past year included "8th of November", "Amarillo Sky", Sunshine and Summertime", and "Why". Craig Wiseman (gotta love those Hitmen of Music Row!!!) won his 3rd Songwriter of the Year awards, having co-written the hits "Hillbilly Deluxe" (which I personally loved), "Something’s Gotta Give", and "Summertime". Mr. Wiseman was sparkly in a Manual-designed vest adorned with blue rhinestones–what else are you gonna wear in Nashvegas?!

Song of the Year honors were shared between "Before He Cheats", which was performed by Carrie Underwood (for those folks living under a rock), and written by Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins, published by Big Loud Shirt, Might Under Dog Music, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, and "If You’re Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows), performed by Rodney Atkins, and written by Dave Berg, published by BergBrain Music and Cal IV Entertainment.

Kenny Rogers won an ASCAP Golden Note Award, some of the previous winners include luminaries such as Garth Brooks, Tom Petty, and Stevie Wonder. During the ceremony, Chris Stapleton, Rivers Rutherford, and Don Schlitz (who penned Roger’s classic cut "The Gambler", which he rode to #1 in 1978 and is a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member) sang some of Roger’s hits. Rogers then turned the tables and surprised Schlitz with ASCAP’s Creative Achievement Award.

The year’s five most performed songs were "Before He Cheats", "If You’re Going Through Hell", "Summertime", "The World", and "Give It Away". Writers who received multiple awards: Dierks Bentley, Dave Berg, Brett James, Kelley Lovelace, Tony Mullins (another Hitman of Music Row!!), Tim Owens, Brad Paisley (love him), John Rich, Jeremy Stover, Phil Vassar, and Craig Wiseman.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing won publisher of the year for hits like "Beer in Mexico" (Mr. Chesney took a break and stopped by, as always), "Before He Cheats", "I Loved Her First", and "Life Ain’t Always Beautiful".

And the fabulous and so generous Amy Kurland and the Bluebird Cafe received an honor in recognition of 25 years of showcasing songs and songwriters. Kudos to Amy!!

{ 0 comments }

Last night’s John Hiatt/Peter Frampton double bill at the Ryman, benefitting Cumberland Heights, was a stellar show! Hiatt played by himself with an acoustic guitar, covering favorites like "Feels Like Rain" (covered by Buddy Guy, don’cha know), "Drive South", "Tennessee Plates", the always beautiful "Have a Little Faith"–which he did on piano, and others. He also played a couple of cuts of the upcoming album, and both were classic Hiatt. I especially liked the "How ’bout Them Dogs" (I’m not sure if this is the working title, but it’s the lead line in the chorus), it made me smile from way down deep, and also touched me heart as he reflected on what a special place our canine companions have in our hearts, and our lives. I always knew that he was a good feller, and this sealed the deal. Can’t wait for the new album, and is there any sweeter sound than hearing that man sing in the Ryman? (Maybe him, and Shelby Lynne, and Keb’ Mo, and the North Mississippi Allstars, and the Crowes all on one bill. Yeah, right, I know it’ll never happen but still it makes me happy to dream…)

And Peter Frampton, how cool was that. I am dating myself here, but I can remember getting 1975’s Frampton from my uncle. I was in the 5th grade, and went to sleep with that on my turntable every night. Thanks, Mitch! He sounded great, vocally and of course he hasn’t lost his chops at all over the years. He had a great band, featuring none other than Nashville’s own Audley Freed (who’s played with the likes of the Black Crowes, Dixie Chicks, and Gov’t Mule). They played several instrumental tracks of the Grammy-winning Fingerprints album, as well as classics, "Show Me the Way", "Do You Feel (Like I Do)", "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", and "Baby I Love Your Way". Former Nashvillian himself, Frampton’s set was both a trip down memory lane, and a look at some of the best instrumental work today.

{ 0 comments }