Dylan Set To Release New Album In April

That's right, word is the American legend will follow 2006's bluesy Modern Times with "raw-country love songs, sly wordplay, and the wounded state of the nation" for a so far unnamed new effort. This purportedly twang-filled effort that is set for a late April release includes accordion on nearly every track thanks to Los Lobos' David Hidalgo. Track names include "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'," "If You Ever Go To Houston," "This Dream of You," "My Wife's Home Town," and "It's All Good."

I'll leave you with the same lyric sample that the Rolling Stone article where I first learned the news opened with:

"I'm listening to Billy Joe Shaver and I'm reading James Joyce.
Some people tell me I got the blood of the land in my voice"

Bob Dylan - Things Have Changed
from Tell Tale Signs: Bootleg Series Vol. 8 (2009)
Billy Joe Shaver - Thunderbird
from Electric Shaver (1999)

Stuck Inside of Queens with the Travelin' Blues Again...

We've all heard about holiday travel nightmares around Thanksgiving, and i'm currently in the midst of one. It started as innocent as increased traffic on Queens Boulevard on the way to my 7:20 pm flight out of JFK, but just 2 minutes ago, i witnessed LaGuardia Airport Security performing a bum sweep in the sitting area i am holed up in for the night.

Apparently you're not allowed to sleep in airports? Luckily i was busy beginning this post when the fuzz came through. Everyone asleep in this area was rudely awoken, and one woman that didn't look to be homeless was escorted out. i need a red bull.

If you noticed, i mentioned two different airports. Let's just say my travel plans have gone slightly askew. That 7:20 flight of of JFK was first delayed until 8:50. No big deal - dinner and a couple beers at an airport bar. Then it was pushed back to 10:00. Then 10:15. Finally at 10:30 we board the plane. Just as i get settled in my seat, the steward... flight attendant.... whatever - air travel accommodation representative informed us that our flight back to Houston had been canceled and we were to return to the gate for further instructions. Upon returning inside it quickly became obvious that those on the flight with me were not too pleased. We later found out that the 7:20 flight from the previous day had also been delayed numerous times before finally being canceled. Those on the flight were put up in a crappy hotel for the night, given $7 bucks for dinner, and told to return to the airport for the same 7:20 pm flight the following day (today), only to repeat the entire process. You can imagine their fury.

The 15 minutes following the cancellation were a little tense to say the least. The Delta representatives back in the gate cluelessly asked a line of 50+ angered travelers (half of which were well versed in the cancellation/hotel voucher process by now) what we were doing and if we had all missed our flight. This instigated a rash of exchanges between the two sides. Warnings of calls to attorneys, some personal threats, and many understandably worrying what missing another day of work could spell for them. That was my first encounter with airport security for the night. Needless to say, most folks on the flight (including myself) will never fly Delta again.

Instead of trust the promise of a 6:00 am flight being added the next morning to get everyone back to Houston, my party has decided to cut ties with Delta and the shithole that is JFK. We booked a Continental flight out of LaGuardia scheduled for 5:45 am. After another cab ride stifled by traffic, we arrive at the new airport to find that the Continental check-in desk has closed for the night and the automated kiosks don't function until 3:00 am. These days, you obviously can't enter the terminal (where comfortable and numerous seats reside) without a boarding pass. So here we are. Sitting with the bums.... well not anymore, i guess. Now if i can only suffer these next 3 hours in an iron seat and hope the gestapo don't come back, i may make it home in the morning.

Thanks for humoring my attempt at killing time/venting a bit.
Here's some jams:

Bob Dylan - Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again (alt. take)
buy No Direction Home Soundtrack (2005)

Robert Johnson – Traveling Riverside Blues
buy The Complete Recordings (1990)

Leadbelly – Where Did You Sleep Last Night
buy Best of Leadbelly (2000)

Adam Hood – Million Miles Away
buy 6th Street (2004)

Kasey Chambers – Better Be Home Soon
from Don’t Talk Back [Single] (1999)

The Vinyl Word........

Somewhere between my last trip to the record store and while researching for my last Album Release Forecast, i've realized something that really makes my needle hard...

No, no..... the one on my record player.

Vinyl Is Making A Comeback!

You may have noticed from the heading pictures on many of my posts that i have a slight affinity for the Vinyl Record. That place of being for the first true 'albums.' The ones with a Side A & Side B. Those nostalgic relics you pulled down from your parents' attic when you first realized the beauty of music. Y'know......... LP's.

Lost Highway, Sub Pop, and even EMI are few of the labels that i've noticed offering the CD/Vinyl choice. Browsing Amazon's upcoming releases recently, i found that most of the albums on the list are re-issues of older albums in the analog format. Waterloo Records in Austin, as i'm sure is true with many stores around the nation, now have larger sections of new vinyls than that of the used, original pressings. Best Buy and other major retailers are tossing around the idea of adding Vinyl records (in a limited, carefully chosen selection, mind you) to their music departments.

Vinyl records enhance every aspect of the experience one has with their music. The artwork becomes not just an album cover, but a true work of art to be to be carefully studied as the sounds are magically transferred from a small needle through to giant speakers. Playing a vinyl record requires much more work than, say... a click of a mouse does - meticulous removal of the album from its sleeve followed by the steady-handed placing of the needle along the outermost groove. And then you're required to repeat this procedure halfway through the listening process. All this extra effort allows for a ceremonious display of respect for the artists' work, and a higher appreciation for the fidelity of the music.

Perhaps just as exciting as finding that perfect, although slightly worn, copy of Blonde On Blonde, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, or Our Mother The Mountain in the used section of the store is carefully removing the plastic on the 12x12 cardboard encasing your newest favorite album deemed worthy of a vinyl immortality. Maybe there will be a fold out poster. Maybe extra liner notes. Ultimately there's the holy grail of bonuses - the vinyl-only bonus track...

And then there's that sound.....
No matter how our digital technology grows, the simple fact is that the quantity and quality of sounds present on an LP can never truly be transferred to CD or mp3. The desire for increased volume on CD's only lessens the dynamic quality of the sound captured. It puts a fuzzy, warm feeling inside you to hear that fuzzy, warm sound that comes from an LP. Records capture every sound that went into the microphones and play them back without losing any of the grandeur. This sound can transport you (often back in time) into that fabled studio the musicians holed up in for days at a time and created their art. Hell, i even enjoy the pops and static you often come across - it's genuine.

Of course, saying that vinyl is the next big thing again is just as relative as saying that the artists i talk about here are popular. Sure, they've remained preferred in small circles (DJ's and fellow Audiophiles), but the popularity will never again compete with that of the quickly accessed, readily available, and easily pirated mp3. But there is some hope in the numbers.... Vinyl revenues were up 46.2% from the last year in 2007, while CD sales dropped 20.5% - following a 10.9% drop between '05-'06. LP sales don't even make a dent in the overall layout of sales in the music industry - CD's still reign, for now - but the numbers that are reported don't include small indie record shops, or the sale of used albums in stores and on eBay. (sales figures are from RIAA via Wired.com)

And let's be honest - you wouldn't be here, nor would this blog, if it weren't for the mp3. It has dramatically changed the way we listen, collect, and share our music. But many of these hip labels releasing the vinyls fully understand that. To compensate, many offer supply a code with the purchase of the record that allows the customer to go online and download mp3's of the tracks for portable use.

So, what's in store for the CD? i believe the only thing keeping the Compact Disc hanging on is the need for music in the vehicle. Satellite radio and the FM transmitters for iPods have tried to phase out the Auto CD player, but still haven't matched it. XM and Sirius are revolutionary, but you still aren't able to pick a certain track or skip through to songs of your choice. And although many new vehicles are offering direct iPod docking stations, too many still only have the option of the FM transmitter - which simply does not produce the same sound as an mp3 file. Moreover, unless you're on a long trip with little radio interference along the way, it's just too much trouble to find an empty station to transmit your tunes through. Once the majority of car radios have auxiliary plugs on the face, or even USB ports, the CD will finally have seen it's days.

The same was most likely said about the vinyl upon the introduction of the CD, but as we've seen, that big black disc has not only hung on, but thrived. There's a nostalgia, a deeper connection to the music you get with a vinyl record that never existed with the CD and exists far less with the mp3. Long Live Vinyl.

If there is one ray of hope for the compact disc, this has to be it - Optical Media Productions is testing the idea of a Vinyl/CD hybrid. Old school on the top, digital on the bottom. The vinyl side will only fit about 31/2 minutes of music - a perfect place for a bonus track. Read the story....


Here's a couple of tunes picked especially for this occasion:
Ryan Adams - If I Am A Stranger (vinyl rip)
Todd Snider - Vinyl Records

And these just scream vinyl to me:
Bill Withers - Use Me
Bob Dylan - Talkin' World War III Blues
John Lee Hooker - Boogie Chillen'
Ray Charles - What'd I Say

Check out Amazon's Vinyl catalog.

SuperPost: The Road.....

No, even though i have been talkin' a little about books lately, this post is not about the Cormac McCarthy novel. There are countless songs that have been written about/inspired by that mixture of gravel, cement, and tar we like to call The Road.

Rather than save it for last, i'm gonna start with the song that inspired this post. It could be construed as too literal, but Jerry Jeff was best at being blunt.
mp3: Jerry Jeff Walker - Life on the Road
buy Scamp (1996)

Since the introduction of the automobile, Americans have long had an affinity for The Highway. Whether it represents the distance between a man and his lover, the treacherous path taken while transporting precious cargo, or a mythical place where the good go to be bad, the highway has always possessed transcendental qualities.

mp3: Owen Temple - Tennessee Highway
buy General Store (2002)
mp3: The Everybodyfields - Out On The Highway
buy Nothing Is Okay (2007)
mp3: Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited (alt take)
buy No Direction Home - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 7 (1995)

There's something special about the feeling you get from being on The Road. Whether you're a traveling musician or not, there's a calming effect that comes from the mixture of the soft hum of your tires on the blacktop, the wind in your face, and the surrounding scenery. The long stretches with nothing to do except bounce stuff around in your head have no doubt spawned some of your favorite songs from your favorite artists.


mp3: Hayes Carll - Down The Road Tonight
buy Little Rock (2005)
mp3: Bruce Robison - Driving All Night Long
buy Long Way Home From Anywhere (1999)
mp3: Patty Griffin - Long Ride Home

buy 1000 Kisses (2005)

Of course, the best part about a road-trip of any kind is that there is no TV and no movies - that leaves one of two things: Good Conversation or Good Music. i'm the type of person that will always find time to listen to music, but so many people only give themselves the chance when they're in the car. One of my favorite things to do is use the time during a drive to subject anyone in the car (willing or not) to a little music schoolin'. And the right music will always lead to good conversation.

If i know there's a road-trip in my future, i make sure i stock my toolbox o' music with some Max Stalling. As of yet, i haven't said much about Max, but he's a got a knack for conversational songs (the topic of a forthcoming post) as well as drivin' music. i can't quite pinpoint what it is about his sound, but it will take your mind off of the road and make your destination seem that much closer.

mp3: Max Stalling - The Rock Song
buy Comfort In The Curves (1997)

for more Max Stalling drivin' music, check out I-35, Runnin' Buddy, Travelin' Lite, Dime Box TX, Probably Corsicana, and Green Lights. Jeez...... i could have made this post with only his songs.

mp3: Blake Powers - Old Blevins Road
from Old Blevins Road (2001)
mp3: Bleu Edmondson - What I Left Behind
buy Southland (2001)

mp3: Brandon Rhyder - Back Roads
buy Conviction (2005)

Often portrayed as a metaphor for life itself, The Road takes on deeper responsibility when it determines the destination and not simply the gettin' there.

mp3: The Avett Brothers - Salina
buy Emotionalism (2007)
mp3: Reckless Kelly - Desolation Angels
buy Under The Table & Above The Sun (2003)
mp3: Walt Wilkins - I Chose This Road
buy Mustang Island (2005)


i'll leave you with some gems from Townes......

"it's a hard road you're travelin'/you can't walk it alone/find a big man to stand beside you"

"mother thinks the road is long and lonely/
little brother thinks the road is straight and fine/
little darling thinks the road is soft and lovely/
i'm thankful that old road is a friend of mine"

"there's lots of things along the road i'd surely like to see/
i'd like to lean into the wind and tell myself i'm free/
but your softest whisper's louder than the highway's call to me/
close your eyes, i'll be here in the mornin'/
close your eyes, i'll be here for a while"

Black Crow Blues......

One of the other blogs i read has features called Compare & Contrast as well as one called Homonym - both highlight songs that have the same name, but sound different. i'm not really clever enough to come up with a title that is different (or better) than those, so here are a couple songs for you to consider..............

---------------------------------------------------

i find it interesting that so many bands names, band logos, song titles, etc. are inspired by the fabled CROW. Going back even before Poe and his Raven, the black bird has long symbolized death (or is at least an omen for it) in mythology and folklore. So what better way to pay homage to the ghastly bird than for two of the greatest folksters to sing the blues for him.


mp3: Bob Dylan - Black Crow Blues
buy Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964)

One of those beautiful oddities wherein despite the up-tempo nature of the tune, the feeling of the blues still comes through......

"black crows in the meadow,
across a broad highway.
though it's funny, honey,
i just don't feel much like a scarecrow today."

mp3: Townes Van Zandt - Black Crow Blues
buy In The Beginning (2003)

i don't know if anyone can evoke sadness like TVZ. Not only does Townes himself sound lonely, the reverb behind him makes him sound like he truly is alone in some dark chamber. This is the blues if i've ever heard 'em.....

"well the black crows are screamin'
the yellow sun's warm
and the grass tumbles tall down the hill.
but there's a cold wind a buildin'
it's bringin' a storm,
when the call of the black crow goes still"

Evolution of a Song........

i've got plans for a new recurring post here at This Mornin'....

It's called Evolution of a Song and it will consist of different versions of a song highlighted chronologically. Sometimes the songs have changed titles, lyrics, or arrangements and often are done by various artists.

-----------------------------------------------------

First up is Rock Me Mama/Wagon Wheel
Made most famous by Old Crow Medicine Show's Ketch Secor when he put original verses to a chorus that Dylan recorded during the Pat Garret & Billy The Kid sessions (1973), this song is quickly becoming a contemporary folk standard.

1973: Bob Dylan - Rock Me Mama
from The Genuine Bootleg Series, Vol. 1
Just a simple impromptu recording of one of many snippets of tunes that Dylan had running through his head.

2000: OCMS - Cumberland Gap
from Greetings From Wawa (out of print)
The original Old Crow recording of a tune that would carry them to folk/bluegrass popularity.

2001: OCMS - Wagon Wheel
from Troubles Up & Down The Road [EP] (out of print)
Another version of the song Ketch re-worked, this time with a swing-country feel.

2004: OCMS - Wagon Wheel
from Old Crow Medicine Show
The version most of you have probably heard. Their self-titled debut is stellar, so go get it yourself.

2005: Against Me! - Wagon Wheel
from PROTECT: A Benefit for the National Association to Protect Children
A band of Punk Rockers slow their pace to cover Ketch's version of the tune.

2007: Jason Webley & Reverend Peyton - Rock Me Mama
from 2 Bottles of Wine (out of print)
This one is really cool. In the Dylan bootleg, he sings a verse, but it is nearly inaudible. Jason Webley took what was barely heard and created a whole new song out of it.

If i missed one that you know about, hit me up.....

New Digs.....

This past weekend i got to let off some steam and relax whilst floating the Guadalupe River with some friends. For those not familiar with how you float a river - well.... you sit in an inner-tube connected to a chocked-full ice chest and let the river do the grunt work.

While down there, i stocked this new computer up with a stash of new tunes - some ripped off from friends, and some i bought.

i've mentioned how i buy a lot of my music from LoneStarMusic.com before. The store's home base is in the quaint hill country town of Gruene, TX. If you're ever in that neck of the woods, go in -----> cool people and free beer (and sometimes cd's).......


While i sort out all this new music (and, if i can get to it... my life), here's a sampling of some the best so far:

---------------------------------------------------

mp3: The Replacements - Can't Hardly Wait

buy Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?

mp3: Bob Dylan - Who Killed Davey Moore?

buy The Bootleg Series, Vol. 1-3

Word.

mp3: Travis Linville - Hard Knocks

buy See You Around (2008)

mp3: Hayes Carll - Wild As A Turkey

buy Trouble In Mind (2008)

for jojo.

i had always seen The Jayhawks mentioned with the likes of Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown as being big players at the start of the alt-country scene, and picked up a track or two, but never really listened to 'em. At the lonestarmusic store, i picked up their last album, Rainy Day Music, and was immediately blown away.

i still can't find a song to skip, but try these on......

mp3: The Jayhawks - All The Right Reasons

mp3: The Jayhawks - One Man's Problem

don't even think about it, just order it......

Playlist Pulse: Grooves.....

Time for another Playlist Pulse. This time from the one titled grooves. These are simply those songs that make you tap you boots, drum on the desk, or just bob a head. Whether it's the plunk of a banjo, the beat of a tom, or the groove initiated by a plugged in guitar, it's hard not to move to these songs:

1. mp3: The Be Good Tanyas - Rain & Snow
buy Blue Horse (2001)
a traditional folk song made famous by The Dead.

2. mp3: Rodney Crowell - The Obscenity Prayer
buy The Outsider (2005)

3. mp3: Bob Dylan - Baby, Let Me Follow You Down
buy Bob Dylan (1962)

4. mp3: Ray Wylie Hubbard - Roll and I Tumble
buy Deirium Tremolos (2005)
From the same album as the song that inspired this blog. RWH might as well have invented the groove - most of his songs make this list.

5. mp3: Todd Snider - The Highland Street Incident
buy The Devil You Know (2006)
Todd got mugged behind a bar one night. He tried many times to write a song about it, but couldn't get it right until he thought to tell it from the muggers point of view.

----------------------------------------------------

p.s. - i got all the links fixed up.
if you see something crossed out,
that mean the link is expired - too slow

Playlist Pulse.........

Today's Pulse comes from my playlist entitled: hipster-indie-folk

Ok, so as you'll see, i'm great at coming up with playlist names - they're usually pretty broad descriptions of the type of music that resides in them. But each playlist has a special purpose - if i like a song, i'll find a playlist that fits it. Hipster-Indie-Folk is home to this new batch of music i've gotten into since finding the music blog world. Some folky, some indie-rockish, all good.

1. mp3: Okkervil River - Westfall
   buy Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See (2002)
   A powerful song that gradually builds intensity throughout. From Okkervil's 2nd full length album.


2. mp3: The Avett Brothers - Colorshow
   buy Four Theives Gone (2006)
   From the Avett's 2006 effort that shows more of their slightly screamo style. Wild.


3. mp3: Iron & Wine - Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car
   buy The Shepherd's Dog (2007)
   Sam Beam has that airy voice that, when coupled with a repetitive little acoustic riff, can be very calming. I used a lot of the songs on his previous albums to fall asleep to. With The Shepherd's Dog, however, he beefed up his sound with some extra instruments and bigger grooves. This won't put me to sleep.


4. mp3: Mark Ronson - Most Likely You Go Your Way (I'll Go Mine)
   buy Mark Ronson's Dylan Remix (2007)
   British Producer and remix-master, Mark Ronson, finally got Bob Dylan to agree to let him rework a Dylan tune. Putting the hipster in this playlist is this groovy,-horn splattered tune.


5. mp3: The Kooks - All That She Wants
   buy Radio 1 - Established 1967 (2007)
   This compliation disc features some top artists from the UK doing interesting covers (check out Amy Winehouse's Cupid). Here we have The Kooks covering Ace of Base - and admit-it-or-not, you ALL know this song.

Ooooh, Las Vegas....

Just booked a last minute Spring Break trip to Vegas, Baby! Those spur of the moment trips (i'm leavin' in the morning) decided on a whim always make for the best time. Gonna be there for 3 days, 2 nights. Probably won't get any posts made while i'm there - i'll be busy blowin' all my savings, instead. Here's a list of songs i threw together real quick that fit the times:

mp3: Ryan Adams & Elton John - Oooh Las Vegas (live) ~ from Ryan & Elton Live @ The Grand Old Opry (2/4/02)

mp3: Bob Dylan - Rambler, Gambler (early home recording) ~ from No Direction Home: The Soundtrack

mp3: The White Stripes - Black Jack Davey ~ from Seven Nation Army [Single] (2003)

mp3: Mike McClure - Jack of Diamonds/Queen of Hearts ~ unreleased studio cut

mp3: Robert Johnson - Little Queen of Spades ~ from Robert Johnson: The Complete Recordings

mp3: Nickel Creek - Best of Luck ~ from Why Should The Fire Die? (2005)