2011 Ramble Creek Day Party - 03/18/11

Perhaps my favorite day show from last year, the amazing folks at Ramble Creek Recording Studio will once again be providing a fantastic lineup for their 2011 day party. This year's show includes the talents of a diverse group of bands, including west Texas' own Thrift Store Cowboys and One Wolf. Last year's party was the model of a perfect SXSW day show -- great atmosphere, great music, and great people. See the schedule below and see you there!

The Ashes (Austin, TX) - 12:15pm
One Wolf (Athens, GA/Lubbock, TX) - 12:55
The Georgian Company (Austin, TX) - 1:25pm
Collin Herring (Austin, TX) - 2:05pm
Thrift Store Cowboys (Lubbock, TX) - 2:40pm
Graham Weber (Austin, TX) - 3:25pm
Seryn (Denton, TX) - 4:00pm
Brian Martin (Hot Springs, AR) - 4:55pm
Monahans (Austin, TX) 5:30pm
Telegraph Canyon (Ft Worth, TX) - 6:15pm

Find all the information you need about the show at the Facebook Event Page.

Show poster by Greg Vanderpool.

Windfarm 2010 All-America Music Team

In an attempt at doing something other than a traditional "best of 2010" list, I've taken a bit of a different route, and instead, listed my favorite albums in the form of an All-America Team. What you'll find are not necessarily the best musicians at every position, but players from my favorite albums of the year broken out by position. Thus, many great musicians get ignored, although my main concern was including at least someone from each of my favorite albums this year.

Yes, I also know some of these are a stretch, but I couldn't just have 14 first team vocals, so there are a few picks that aren't necessarily full time on the instrument they are assigned to. Next year hopefully I can solicit votes from readers and bloggers alike to get a better compilation for this list.


Most Valuable Musicians
Every member of The National - High Violet

First Team
Vocals: John McCaulley III, Deer Tick - The Black Dirt Sessions
Harmony Vocals: Julie Davis & Joseph Pope III, Nathaniel Rateliff - In Memory of Loss
Guitar: Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues
Bass: Murry Hammond - Old 97s - The Grand Theatre: Part I
Drums: Brian Moen, Peter Wolf Crier - Inter-Be
Banjo: Munly Munly - Munly & the Lupercalians - Petr & the Wulf; Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Buried Behind the Barn
Keyboard: Benjamin Tanner, Dylan LeBlanc - Pauper's Field
Pedal Steel: Jon Graboff, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - III/IV


Second Team
Vocals: Win Butler, Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Harmony Vocals: Ryan Monroe - Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
Guitar: Seth Avett, The Avett Brothers - Live Volume 3
Bass: Reid Perry, The Band Perry - self-titled
Drums: Julian Harmon, The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Banjo: Winston Marshall - Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Keyboard/Piano: Eric Earley, Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void


All-Texas Team
Vocals: Will Johnson, Centro-matic/South San Gabriel - Eyas
Guitar: Daniel Markham, One Wolf - One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf
Pedal Steel: Colt Miller, Thrift Store Cowboys - Light Fighter
Bass: Brooks Kendall, Jr. - Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward - The Apology, Part I
Drums: Rob Sanchez, Monahans - 2010 Recordings
Banjo: Glen Farris - Doug Burr - O Ye Devastator
Keyboards: Adi Kanlic - The Lusitania - Rain & Rivers


Other First Teamers

Autobiographer: Keith Richards - Life

Documentarian: Gandulf Hennig - Merle Haggard: Learning to Live With Myself

Live experience: singalong of "When My Time Comes" - Dawes - Fox Theatre, Boulder 06/19/10

Shameless Self Promotion: Windfarm - "The Proud Colorado Mountains of Townes Van Zandt" (Hey, I spent a lot of time on that post, so why not give it one more mention?)

Venue: Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Song of the Year: "Red, Red" - Doug Burr - Specifically, the moment the drums come in on this song is the best musical moment of 2010 for me.

Close second place for song of the year: "Christchurch Woman" - Justin Townes Earle

Radio station: 1410 AM, KRIL, Odessa, TX

Record store find: Vic Chesnutt, Little (vinyl first printing)

TV show(s): Southland, Modern Family, Hard Knocks, Friday Night Lights, Dexter, Eastbound & Down, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, No Reservations, Human Target

Magazine Interview: "The Lost Lennon Tapes" - Rolling Stone

Sports blog: Feinstein on the Brink

Odd Celebrity Sighting: Vijay Singh on Pearl Street in Boulder (might have been 2009)

Best Daytrotter sessions: Nathaniel Rateliff - 06/21/2010; Dawes - 07/08/2010

Non-fiction book: Welcome to Utopia - Karen Valby

Album I rediscovered: The Dark - Guy Clark

Person who deserves Supporting Actor Nomination: John Hawkes in Winter's Bone

Best pick-up truck ever: This baby blue Chevy Scottsdale I saw at HEB -

UMS 2010 Preview

The time has come once again for Denver's best music festival, The UMS, taking place on South Broadway from July 22-25. It's like CMJ without the hassle, like SXSW but with less butt sweat. In short, it's well worth your time. I've put together a short list of the bands I most want to see. In my past experience, there will be someone good playing almost all the time, so this is but a sampling of what the UMS has to offer. You can still by a $30 pass that will get you through the entire weekend of music up through July 21st, so don't delay any longer!

While some of these set times are close together, the beauty of this festival is the proximity of all shows to one another. You can make it between the most distant venues in probably 10 minutes at the most, while it's less than 5 minutes between most.




















These United States - Friday, 11 PM @ the Hi-Dive
(Photo credit Sarah Law)

The UMS has been working the last few years to bring in national headliners, and These United States will be a fantastic act to headline Friday night. I've recently become quite a fan of this band on account of hearing their Daytrotter sessions, and have since bought their most recent LP Everything Touches Everything. The band should have a new record out for their performance at the UMS, which should result in the Hi-Dive being packed wall-to-wall for their
set.




























Munly & the Lupercalians - Saturday, 10 PM @ the Hi-Dive (Photo credit Gary Isaacs)

Munly shows have been quite rare around Denver as of late, and I believe his last two shows have been on New Years Eve with the Auto Club, so the chance to see him at the UMS should not be missed. Munly's double album continues to have no release date, but I expect that he'll be playing mostly material from that record at his showcase this year.























Thrift Store Cowboys - Saturday, 11 PM @ the Skylark Lounge (Photo credit Logan Caldbeck)

Having recently celebrated their tenth year as a band, TSC theoretically could have played at the UMS every year of its existence, but since the festival started out with locals only, and TSC hail from Lubbock, Texas, it just wasn't meant to be. However, now that they're both 10, their parents arranged a play-date for the two. TSC will have lots of new material to play from their soon to be released LP Light Fighter.






















One Wolf - Saturday, 7 PM @ the Skylark Lounge

Another great Lubbock band, One Wolf plays their first UMS this year as well. With two great albums under their belt, and plenty of time honing their live show, this will be a set you don't want to miss.





























Paper Bird - Thursday, 11:55 PM @ the Hi-Dive; Friday, 7:30 PM @ CarToys Stage (Photo credit Gary Isaacs)

I have somehow gone four years in Colorado without getting to see Paper Bird, but I continue to hear great things about them. Hopefully their two appearances this year will finally give me the chance I need to catch their show.





























Amanda Shires - Saturday, 9 PM @ Walnut Room Pizzeria

As 1/6 of the aforementioned Thrift Store Cowboys, Amanda Shires has come into her own as a songwriter with her recent West Cross Timbers. She basically lives on the road, so when it comes to handling a live crowd, Amanda is among the best. Don't be surprised to see a member or two of TSC backing her up on this gig as well.

One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf - album review

With one of my favorite albums of 2010 thus far, emerging Lubbock, Texas, rock band One Wolf recently released their second album to date, entitled One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf. OW leader Daniel Markham has long been known to draw on a diverse set of musical influences, some of them seemingly impossible to weave together into any kind of cohesive musical project, yet time and time again, he pulls it off. Markham has a knack for creating songs that move him out of the musical comfort zone of his past projects to explore new directions, all the while creating extremely enjoyable music to listen to.

Backyard - One Wolf

Lubbock provides for an interesting locale to base one's band in. The core of the local music scene, Texas Tech's radio station KTXT, was shut down about a year and a half ago by the university, leaving it up to independent entities to keep the scene alive. So far the scene has thrived, due in large part to acts like One Wolf, as well as a diverse range of other musical acts. One Wolf has benefited a great deal from being one of the marquee local bands in Lubbock, having the chance to open for a diverse set of acts and make connections that have allowed them to spread their music to new markets, most notably their recent run of dates with Deer Tick.

Brighter Than the Sun - One Wo...

Back to the album though, I am truly hooked. The recording and production are absolutely fantastic, and the songs are very well crafted and tastefully arranged. New elements on this record compared to the last are the introduction of keyboard and the use of heavy fuzz guitar. On paper, I would be a bit skeptical of each of those things, but on the album they work brilliantly. One Wolf has moved flawlessly from some heavily alt country beginnings into a rock sound that gives them a great deal more freedom to explore new sounds. This record and other recent records done at Ramble Creek recording studio, including Collin Herring's Ocho and Telegraph Canyon's The Tide and the Current, are establishing the Austin studio as one of the premier places to record amidst the ever-expanding sea of recording studios to choose from.

While I will always hold a personal bias toward the material of Lubbock bands, I think that Secret of the Wolf is a record that will stand side-by-side with many of the best records this year. Plus, you've got to love most any band that names a song "Rick Nelson."

SXSW - Ramble Creek and Mile Hi Fidelity parties

Day Three - Friday

Friday morning we proved to be a bit less energetic than Thursday, and without any specific early plans, we took our time before heading to the Ramble Creek day party. We arrived just before 1 PM, with the primary intention of catching the set by One Wolf, who interestingly had played a party less than an hour before across town and still somehow managed to make it on time to the Ramble Creek show, held in a perfect backyard setting.

At that precise point, the random craziness of SXSW hit full force, as H. called to inform me that she and her friends had just gotten in a minor car accident. Thus, for obvious reasons, One Wolf did not happen for us, but most importantly, everyone involved in the accident was okay. While the cars received a good bit of damage, the accident wasn't our friend's fault, and after taking care of the necessities involved with that situation, we all returned to the Ramble Creek party for some much needed stress relief.

The first act we got to see was Collin Herring, an awesome artist currently based in Austin (formerly of Fort Worth) who I've been a fan of for a number of years now. Herring played a number of tracks off of his new release, Ocho, recorded of course at Ramble Creek, and produced by Will Johnson, and also mixed in some of his earlier songs. If I hadn't mentioned this before, Collin has about the coolest steel player around, Ben Roi Herring, his dad, and their duo performance (and banter) were a real pleasure to watch/hear.


















Did someone just say Will Johnson? Yes, that's right, THE Will Johnson of Centro-matic, South San Gabriel, and most recently, the drummer for the Monsters of Folk, graced the Ramble Creek party with a beautiful solo set. I hope I didn't embarrass myself as I sat roughly 10 feet from Will with my jaw resting on the ground, but hearing "Just to Know What You've Been Dreaming" in this particular setting was on par with the very best experiences of my entire SXSW, or maybe more accurately of the past few years. Whatever it took to get him to come play at this show, I can't thank the folks at Ramble Creek enough for making this happen.























I haven't described the exact locale of the Ramble Creek show yet, but it was by far the most enjoyable day party of SXSW by far. It was held in a backyard with the perfect set-up and perfect weather to accompany, and to boot, a big tub full of Lone Star was available for all in attendance.

The next act was one I have missed seeing live ever since we moved to Colorado. Doug Burr has written some of my favorite songs of the last decade, and in my book he has about as much integrity as any artist I listen to. He has recently recorded a new album, from which he played a number of songs. In short, I couldn't be more excited for these songs, as they are absolutely phenomenal. Doug has crafted a career in exactly the fashion that he wants, and this diligence has surely paid off as more and more people begin to take notice. He was backed at this show by his frequent collaborator Glen Farris, as well as members of Seryn and Monahans drummer Roberto Sanchez for some songs.



















































Next up was Austin band Monahans, who include Ramble Creek owner/engineer Britton Beisenherz on guitar. I had not seen this band before, although a number of years ago I saw a previous project of some of the musicians called Milton Mapes, and was a fan of all of that band's material. Monahans, however, is a new project, and as I think was the intention, the transition has infused a new energy into their music. The band is tighter than ever as a performing group, and their set at this day party was absolutely flawless and one of the best of the entire SXSW for me. The band has two albums to their name, although they are in the process of a project in which they will release one song a month for download for the rest of 2010. The first track is already available, and you can check out their Web site for details on how to get in on this opportunity. Monahans is a band on the rise and I fully hope they can ride the momentum to more widespread success and notoriety in the near future.



































Alas, as much as I hated to leave, I had to take off after Monahans because I wanted my Austin friend to see Denver's Slim Cessna's Auto Club, and knew this would be our best chance. While I missed Telegraph Canyon's set at Ramble Creek, I was able to make up for my exit by catching them on Saturday night.

After some frantic traffic navigation and hurried walking, we made it to the Mile Hi Fidelity party just in time to catch the latter half of Slim Cessna's set. Do I even have to mention that Slim did not disappoint? Munly was in top form, having just arrived from the year 1840, performing an extremely high energy set as co-frontman to Slim, just as we have all come to expect out of him and the Auto Club. Very few bands can claim to hold a foot firmly in the alt country legacy of the early 1990s while also remaining relevant for modern Americana/Southern Gothic music as well. In short, SCAC brought their tent revival to Sixth Street, and the end of the set no doubt saw a new group of converts leaving their first Slim show. Please see Slim if you get the chance. Sadly, even though they were the last band, Slim's energetic finale didn't lead into any encore, despite my desire to hear their epic "He, Roger Williams."

SXSW Axiom #4: No encores necessary at SXSW. There is simply too much music during the week for 99% of crowds to ask for another song. Few listeners even catch full sets, and no matter where you go you hear more music, so the encore is largely absent at SXSW, probably to everyone's benefit.

As you can see in the pictures below (click to enlarge), Slim and Munly's crowd involvement made for some of the best action pics of the festival, although "best" is a relative term with my crappy camera. You can't see it that well in the small version, but I love Slim's look in the background of the second picture below.

SXSW preview - All the Lubbock money can buy

Last year, SXSW featured an all Lubbock-connected musicians official showcase, but that didn't happen this year, so I decided to try and put together a list of all the shows I could find with Lubbock folks, you know, just trying to support music in my old hometown. Let me know if I've missed anyone or listed anything incorrectly.

First, the only Lubbock-centric showcase I know of:

Lubbock/Natrix Natrix Showcase at Bouldin Creek Coffeeshop in South Austin.
1501 South 1st Street & Elizabeth, FREE!!!

Friday--March 19th and Saturday--March 20th.
Start/End times both days 5pm-11pm

The lineups so far:
(Lubbock)
Veva. (Saturday)
Nadia. (Saturday)
Kitten Glitter. (Friday)
Warm Arm. (Saturday)
The Dry Heeves. (Friday)
Coquelicot (Friday)

(Austin/Natrix Natrix Records)
David Israel. (Friday)
John Rose (Friday)
Johnny Corndawg (Friday)
and special guests . . . Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger! (Saturday)

And now, for all the bands from Lubbock or from Lubbock at one time. I pieced this list together from myspaces and Showlist, so I don't stand by any of the times as being exact. You should always check on showtimes, etc., last minute on the band's Web site. Bands, please email me with corrections/updates, or if I missed your shows altogether.

One Wolf
Fri., 3/19. shake some action! at karibu. 11:00 am
Fri., 3/19. ramble creek day party at showlush's backyard (1704 Kinney) 1:10-1:40pm.

Thrift Store Cowboys
Thurs., 3/18 - Sin City Social Club Party, St. Vincent de Paul, 7 p.m.
Sat., 3/20 - Official SXSW showcase, The Ale House, 9 p.m.

The Numerators
Tue., 3/16 - Todd P presents Texas bands and friends, Cheer Up Charlie's, 8 p.m.
Thur., 3/18 - Shake Some Action, Karibu, 12 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - AyeAyeAye Showcase, House of Guys, 9:15 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Lamar Pedestrian Bridge, 10 p.m.
Sat., 3/20 - DFD Curated Day show, 5:30 p.m.
Sat., 3/20 - Pie Guys Pizza Party, 8 p.m.

Amanda Shires
Thur., 3/18 - Pigeon Posse Opal Devine's, 11:45 a.m.
Thur., 3/18 - TG&S Lounge 3CM Presents Not SXSW, 3:30 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Opal Devine’s Penn Field 3CM Presents Not SXSW, 4 p.m.

La Panza
Fri., 3/19 - Shake Some Action, 1:20 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Dikes of Holland House Party, 200 Alta Vista Ave., 7 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Lamar Pedestrian Bridge

Kitten Glitter
Fri., 3/19 - Lamar Pedestrian Bridge
Fri., 3/19 - Lubbock/Natrix Natrix Showcase at Bouldin Creek Coffeeshop

Colin Gilmore
Tue., 3/16 - ZonePerfect’s live.create.lounge, 8 p.m.
Thur., 3/18 - Valhalla (formerly Room 710), 9 p.m.
Fri., 3/19 - Official SXSW showcase, Beauty Bar, 9 p.m.

Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Fri., 3/19 - Official SXSW showcase, Beauty Bar/Palm Door, 9 p.m.

Jeremy Nail and the Incidents
Tue., 3/16 - Chuggin Monkey, 9 p.m.
Thur., 3/18 - Gypsy Sun, 4:30 p.m.

SXSW preview - 2010 Ramble Creek day party

Of all the SXSW shows that we preview on Windfarm, we can't possibly attend every single one because of various time conflicts and the like, but every now and again, there's comes along a "can't miss" day party that we hope we can convince you to attend. Hopefully you've not yet grown tired of the previews, and haven't enacted any kind of a self-imposed boycott on blogs that are covering SXSW. In short, Ramble Creek has put together one of the best day show line-ups I've seen thus far. While the line-up should be enough to get you there, there's the added bonus that Lone Star Beer and Waialua Soda Works will be providing you with refreshing beverages as well.

Ramble Creek is an Austin-area recording studio that has been gaining a very solid reputation in Texas because of the great work they have produced. The studio has recorded some of my favorite albums of the last few years, most notably those from the likes of Doug Burr, Monahans, Telegraph Canyon, and Collin Herring. Additionally, they recorded forthcoming albums from Lubbock-scene stalwarts One Wolf (One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf) and Denton-based songwriting genius Doug Burr (O Ye Devastator) that I am quite excited about, to say the least.

I'm less familiar with Seryn, Austin Collins and The Georgian Company, although I expect they will be of similar high quality as the rest of the line-up. While I hear promising rumors here and there about the "Special Guest," no official announcements have been made about who this artist might be. We'll pass that info along in coming weeks if we hear, but I expect whoever it is will be well worth your time.

Everything you need to know is on the poster below. Check out Showlush for additional details. I know I said your SXSW schedule will fall apart after the first day, but the beauty of this show is you can just show up and stay all day. See you there.

Favorite Albums of the Decade from Our Favorite Artists

(Design credit Julie Cope)

In the face of all of the "best of decade" lists, we...well, we did some too. However, we reached out to a substantial number of indie artists that we are fans of and asked them what albums made the most lasting impression on them over the course of the past decade, in hopes that we would turn up some records that you won't find on the typical lists. We left the format open and welcomed multiple lists from each band. We are extremely grateful to all who participated. Below is the response. As an added bonus to you, the reader, feel free to post your own list in the comments section.

Greg Vanderpool - Monahans

"Even though this has been the decade of iTunes and shuffle playlists, I still love the album format. When a record locks into a mood from beginning to end yet still has enough contrast from song-to song to keep things interesting, it's a beautiful thing. I also love consecutive albums that complement each other so much so that they become a sort of saga (the same way Godfather I & II could be considered one film). It's hard to deny the body of work that Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Spoon and Wilco created over the past 10 years, alone. Aside from those, these are some of the ones that stick out in my mind..."

Chris Whitley - Soft & Dangerous Shores
Califone - Roomsound
Crooked Fingers - Crooked Fingers & Bring On The Snakes
Centro-Matic - South San Gabriel Songs/Music

The Court & Spark - Bless You

Bexar Bexar - Tropism & Haralambos

Steve Earle - Transcendental Blues
The Damnations - Where It Lands

Rob Lowe - Piano & Guitars; Balmorhea

"I am surprised at my list. I think most of the music that I really love and respect happened before 2000. It's hard for me to have a lot of perspective on music since 2000. I guess these records are the ones that I find the most affective, the ones I want to listen to all the time. They don't particularly represent the records that I think are the most innovative or even the most interesting (although most of them are both), but these are definitely the ones that I am closest to. And I guess that is what I like most in a record, something mysterious that just makes you keep listening over and over and over."

In alphabetical order:
The American Analog Set - Know by Heart

Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)

Max Richter - The Blue Notebooks

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Rachel's - Systems/Layers
Sigur Ros - ( )
Smog - A River Aint too Much to Love
Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highways

Tiny Vipers - Life on Earth
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Winston Chapman - Drums; Bosque Brown

Strokes - Is This It? (2001)

Bill Calahan - Woke on a Whaleheart (2007)
Dr. Dog - We All Belong (2007)

Mara Miller - Bosque Brown

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Master and Everyone

The Shivers - Charades
Beach House - Beach House
the Knife - Deep Cuts
Gillian Welch - Time (the Revelator)

Jeremy Buller - Guitar, Keyboards, Miscellaneous, Vocals; Bosque Brown

John Vanderslice - Time Travel Is Lonely- Not his first solo album but, to me, the one with which he found his voice - settled into a style of writing, production, and engineering that all continue to influence me a great deal. His adaptation of Robert Lowell's 'The Old Flame' is perhaps my favorite of JV's recordings.

Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther- Though Midlake has had several markedly different-sounding records prior (and all of them very good), this one is another 'settling' album - they really found their sound here. A few critics thought the first three tracks left the album too front-loaded; they're idiots. Tracks 5-7 ('Young Bride', 'Branches', and 'In This Camp') make up my favorite three-songs-in-a-row of any album, ever. Magical moments include the vocal delivery of the second verse of 'Roscoe' ('now it's filled with hundreds and hundreds of chemicals that mostly surround-you-you-wish-to-flee-but-it's-not-like-you-so-listen-to-me-listen-to-me...'), the bowed strings and shakers that creep in at 1:27 in 'Head Home' (and Paul's most excellent guitar solo, and the dueling-guitars freakout slow-fade that closes the song), the lone snare hit that punctuates the second verse of 'Young Bride,' the way the words 'I wanted to maaarrrrryyy Babette' soar over the crashing guitars and drums of 'In This Camp'... etc. etc. etc... there are so many more...

Damien Jurado - Where Shall You Take Me? - It's hard for me to pick from Damien's albums. He's had so many albums full of fantastic songs... the first two songs of his I ever heard, though, were 'Matinee' and 'Window' from this album. 'Amateur Night' showcases the less-is-more dark-narrative writing that he's so freaking good at, and 'Tether' is one of those songs that is identifiable to the point of scaring me. 'Tether' is one of the reasons the repeat-one button exists.

David Wingo - Ola Podrida

"I was asked to provide 5-10 of my favorite albums of the last decade but I ended up with 12, and I couldn't see fit to take any of these albums off the list. Depending on my mood I could say that any one of these amazing records is my favorite of the decade...there are many, many albums that came out over the last 10 years that I love a great deal but these are the ones that I feel like have truly become a part of me and that I imagine will always fully engage and astound me, no matter how many times I've listened to them. I don't really know how to properly talk about any of them; I'm too close to the music at this point, and I think that's the hallmark of any great music...words can't even begin to do it justice."

In no particular order:
The Clientele - Suburban Light

Songs Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co.
Sigur Ros - ( )
The New Year - Newness Ends
The Radar Bros - And the Surrounding Mountains

Bibio - Fi

Explosions In The Sky - The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place
Joanna Newsom - The Milk Eyed Mender
The National - Boxer
Wolf Parade - Apologies To The Queen Mary
Radiohead - In Rainbows
M. Ward - Transfiguration of Vincent


Daniel Markham - One Wolf

Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf...i was initially excited about Dave Grohl's return to the drums, but the songs and fuzzed out guitars really did it for me. i still listen to this on a weekly basis on cassette.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cold Roses...i always hear people talk about how hit or miss this album is, but for me it was just perfect. it just sounds so classic to me.

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots...i love anything weird, and this is definitely that. it will always remind me of driving through thick fog on the California coast. i love how scientific wayne coyne's lyrics are, too.

Beck - Sea Change...when i got this i couldn't stop listening to it. it's just so mellow and trippy. it's by far my favorite beck album.

R.E.M. - Accelerate...r.e.m. is my favorite band of all time. this is such a great "return to form" for them after a few more experimental albums. it's very energetic and also very short. i absolutely love this album! it has everything i love about this band on one disc. for sure!

Collin Herring

Sun Kil Moon - April

Richard Buckner - Impasse
Centro-matic - Distance and Clime
Hem - Rabbit Songs
The Walkmen - Bows and Arrows
Kathleen Edwards - Failer
Beck - Sea Change
Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
Lucinda Williams - Essence

Colin Gilmore

Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore (2003)

Billy Joe Shaver - Freedom's Child (2002)
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris - All the Roadrunning (2006)
Flatlanders - Wheels of Fortune (2004)
Brandi Carlisle - Brandi Carlisle (2005)
Robert Plant and Allison Krauss - Raising Sand (2007)

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)

"Not in this order necessarily. These are some of the albums that I think have kept music to a high standard during this decade. I hope they're just a taste of what's to come."

Brooks Kendall - Bass; Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward

Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Jacksonville City Nights
The Game - The Documentary
Hayes Carll - Trouble In Mind
Macon Greyson - Uneasy
Radiohead - Kid A
Doug Martsch - Now You Know

Andy Martinez

Stephen Malkmus - Real Emotional Trash

The Court and Spark - Hearts
Joseph Arthur - Nuclear Daydream
Twilight Singers - She Loves You
Magnolia Electric Company - What Comes After The Blues
Strays Don't Sleep - Strays Don't Sleep
Daniel Lanois - Shine
Matthew Ryan - Vs. The Silver State
Nick Cave - Dig, Lazurus, Dig!!!

Doug Burr

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Master & Everyone

Seth Woods - Sad Accordions, Whiskey Priest, Booher & the Turkeyz, Zookeeper, Alex Dupree & the Trapdoor Band

"how about... top 61? okay, i got a little carried away. i'm sorry! i just couldn't leave all these great records off my list! so instead, i tried to sort them as conveniently and non-arbitrarily as i could. the categories are fairly self-explanitory, except maybe the "spiritual documents" one. these are the records that, for me, go beyond the mere classification of "record" and dip into a realm of creation that "records" such as Astral Weeks exist in - more than just timeless recordings or timeless songs, there is something greater than the art of the musicians being captured here...
also, there are just some records that i can't separate from others in my experience of them. for instance, in thinking about the radiohead records that came out during this decade, i don't have a favorite. they are all my favorite. this decade of radiohead was my favorite radiohead record! i keep expecting them to let me down at some point, but so far, they haven't. so those four records count as one to me. as opposed to the arcade fire, who do have two very good records, but their second record is hands down my favorite of the two. therefore, only neon bible is listed.
look, just be grateful that i didn't include my favorite records that came out in PAST decades but weren't discovered by me until THIS decade!"

BEST OF AUSTIN

Zykos - S/T

Fivehead - Guests of the Nation

Meryll - You've Got Cousins / Happened / Rimziate

Shearwater - Palo Santo / Winged Life

Alex Dupree and the Trapdoor Band - S/T / Las Meridanzas

Frank Smith - Big Strike in Silver City

American Analog Set - Promise of Love

Milton Mapes - The Blacklight Trap

The Gloria Record - Start Here

The Miracle Chair - #4 The Digital Frontier

BIG TIMERS

Pete Yorn - Music for the Morning After

Brian Eno and David Byrne - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs (Bootleg Series vol. 8)

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus

Radiohead - Kid A / Amnesiac / Hail to the Thief / In Rainbows

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

Coldplay - Parachutes

David Gray - A New Day at Midnight / White Ladder

Randy Newman - The Randy Newman Songbook vol. 1

INDIE BIG TIMERS

Broken Social Scene - S/T / Bee Hives

Wilco - A Ghost is Born / Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

The Postal Service - Give Up

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker

TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes

Okkervil River - Down the River of Golden Dreams / Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See

Joanna Newsom - Ys

The Mountain Goats - We Shall All Be Healed

THE UNDERDOGS

The Standard - August / Wire Post to Wire / Albatross

Sam Amidon - All is Well

Ho-Hum - Near and Dear

Don Chaffer and Waterdeep - Whole 'nother Deal

Nat Baldwin - Most Valuable Player

The Lord Dog Bird - S/T

The Wrens - The Meadowlands

Vigilantes of Love - Audible Sigh

Creeper Lagoon - Remember the Future

David Garza - A Strange Mess of Flowers / Overdub

THE CLASSY FOLKS

Daniel Lanois - Shine / Here is What is

Gillian Welch - Soul Journey

Crooked Fingers - S/T / Bring on the Snakes / Red Devil Dawn / Dignity and Shame

Calexico - Feast of Wire

John Vanderslice - Cellar Door

Jim White - No Such Place

Joseph Arthur - Our Shadows Will Remain / Redemption's Son
Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway / Tiny Cities
Over the Rhine - Ohio
Nina Nastasia - Dogs

ROCKING INDIE

Guided by Voices - Universal Truths and Cycles

AC Newman - The Slow WonderWolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

Damien Jurado - I Break Chairs
Pedro the Lion - Winners Never Quit / The Only Reason I Feel Secure / Control / Achille's Heel
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Nada Surf - Let Go
Richard Buckner - Dents and Shells / Meadows

SPIRITUAL DOCUMENTS
Akron/Family - S/T
Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans
Gillian Welch - Time (the Revelator)
smog - A River Ain't Too Much to Love
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle


Western Ghost House

Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
M. Ward - Transistor Radio
Desaparecidos - Read Muisc/Speak Spanish
Beach House - Devotion
The Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We Are Gone?
Deer Tick - War Elephant
Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III
The Shivers - Charades
Darkest Hour - Undoing Ruin
Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica


Derek - Writer, CFO, Windfarm

The Paper Hearts - Plans for the Past
Lucero - That Much Further West
Damien Jurado - Where Shall You Take Me?
Willy Mason - EP
Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
Silver Jews - Bright Flight
Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
Kathleen Edwards - Failer
Gillian Welch - Time (the Revelator)
Will Johnson - Vultures Await
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not...
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Master & Everyone
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Damien Rice - o
Hayes Carll - Flowers & Liquor

Jeff - Writer, Procrastinator, Windfarm

If I was to have to pick the albums that I would say had the greatest impact on me over the past decade, this is a pretty comprehensive list. Some of these albums I might leave off if I wanted to appear super cool or hip, but here's as honest a list as I can put together.

Lucero - Tennessee
Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
Nels Andrews - Sunday Shoes
Hayes Carll - Trouble in Mind
Atmosphere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Cipher
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Modest Mouse - Good News for People Who Love Bad News
Eleven Hundred Springs - A Straighter Line
Richard Buckner - Meadow

And while I didn't include any particular album from them, I want to note a few artists that I consider to have produced the strongest body of work over the decade.

The Avett Brothers (it was too hard to pick one album)
Doug Burr (both solo and with the Lonelies)
Ryan Adams (solo & with the Cardinals)
DeVotchKa (hardly a single bad song over four LPs)
Will Johnson (solo, Centro-matic, South San Gabriel, etc. etc. etc.)

Mt. Inadale Records split 7" vinyl giveaway!

I've alluded to this giveaway a few times, and after a prolonged period of gut wrenching anticipation, the time has come to give away some vinyl.

As you should well know, Austin label Mt. Inadale Records recently released a 7" vinyl split with Lubbock bands Thrift Store Cowboys and One Wolf. These two bands represent some of the best talent Lubbock has seen in recent years, and this record is no exception. Hopefully you are such a big fan that you've already bought a copy to support this label and the bands, but alas, I'm sure some of you have not.

This vinyl includes two amazing songs from the bands: "Everything's On Fire" by One Wolf, and "Nothing" by TSC, recorded specifically for this release, and not likely to appear on future albums in the same form.

Here's the deal. All you have to do to enter to win is send an email to windfarmblog(at)gmail(dot)com with your name in the body of the email, and "Mt. Inadale vinyl" in the subject line. You will be assigned a number based on the order in which your email shows up. In one week (i.e., after 11:59 p.m. on 07/28/09), I will count the number of responses, and then proceed to use this random number generator site to pick 2 winners. You have my word that I will take the first two numbers that pop up, even if you are a person I do not like. Please limit one entry per person.

Not that you need to be a super educated consumer to get things for free, but you can hear the songs from this record on each band's respective myspace. And in the event that you do not win, first of all, I am terribly sorry, but second of all, perhaps you should ease your sorrows by ordering the record from Vinyl Collective, and consider picking up a copy of the 12" Cory Branan/Jon Snodgrass split while you're at it.

Let me know if you have any questions or can't/won't read directions. I am not responsible for your own failure to comply with the unbelievably simple rules (i.e., don't enter multiple times or you'll be disqualified).

Lubbock & West Texas & Stuff

Just to clarify:

West, TX is not in West Texas.

It had been too long:

since I had seen a One Wolf live show. DM is one of the best songwriters I know and he was nice enough to take requests during this show. Have you still not picked up the One Wolf/TSC 7" split?

I don't know how long the link will work:

but Spinner just posted a free download of one of the new Avett Brothers songs, which happens to be the title track from their upcoming album I and Love and You. I and Love and This and Band.

Finally:

Got a chance to see Lubbock's own My Milliner. Definitely the type of band I love to see in Lubbock, although they might be over the heads of the above average Lubbock music fan. Best moment of the set was the announcement that "we may have just run out of songs."

I was doing some random junk on the internets:

and ran across this David Byrne blog about going to Marfa. Worth a read when you get a minute.

I know most people think its cool:

to hate living in Lubbock. However, if people would just think about its potential, it could really have some draw for the hipster crowd. Proposed city slogans: "Lubbock: You can still smoke in bars here" or "Lubbock: Drink at a bar all night for less than $20 (and maybe $10)" or "Lubbock: You can still pay $5 to see good music here." If someone makes a good poster with this or your own Lubbock slogan, I will post it here.

Seriously Lubbock:

How hard is it to support something other than a chain restaurant?

Denver traffic:

SUCKS. Ironically, we hit maybe the worst Denver traffic I've ever been in (like 2 hours for a few miles bad) on BIKE TO WORK DAY!!! No matter how hard you try Colorado, you're still not that green. The high numbers of people who do bike to work are the only thing that keeps this place from having Houston or Phoenix levels of horrible traffic.

Seen:

Sign reading "Speed Monitered by Aircraft" and 10 or so miles later sign reading "Speed Monitored by Aircraft." I guess if you spell it wrong the first time, then you can always correct it the second time around.

Heard:

Casino commercial that said "are you ready for the thrill of craps?"

Whether you'll admit it or not:

The Lonesome Dirge by Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward is just a great album for driving, or as frat boys say "road trips." It took me a few listens to get into this album, especially the tempo changes and guitar shredding, but now it provides quite the forum for my air drumming and air guitar (on an air flying V) on I-25.

Weekly stuff

More evidence that Zach Galifianakis is about to be a huge movie star whether we like it or not:
in this New York Times feature.

Awesome cover art by Julie Cope:
On the new Mt. Inadale Records split 7” featuring Lubbock’s own Thrift Store Cowboys & One Wolf. Click the artwork for more details.







If you liked the Court & Spark:
you should check out their new project Hiss Golden Messenger. It's a good bit different than C&S, but the solid songwriting is still there. Kind of more…um…earthy? I would say if you listened to Hearts, this material sounds like a natural progression from that.

Monahans continues to get recognition from major media outlets:
this time in Texas Monthly.

If you didn’t know:
J.D. Salinger is still alive, but has refused to talk to the press for close to 50 years. He recently made headlines regarding the fact that he was filing suit against a publishing company who put out a book that is an unauthorized sequel to Catcher in the Rye. When the story broke, you could get this book internationally for $15 or so. Now it's up to $160 reserve price. I briefly considered buying it while it was so cheap, but then I remembered, "oh yeah, J.D. Salinger didn't actually write this book" FYI, even today, people who seek him out in the small town of Cornish, NH get turned away by a near-deaf Salinger or his wife. Road trip anyone?

If you’ve seen Weeds Season 4:
Then you probably heard “A New World” and “Head Honcho” by DeVotchKa playing along with one of the episodes.

When my friend told me she grew up in Hawai’i:
I said, “can you be more pacific?”

In case you missed it:
Vic Chesnutt stopped into Daytrotter for a session that was posted here not so long ago.  FYI, the scream he does in "Independence Day" is not for sale at Guitar Center.

Stuff, part 12

I'm not sure that it merits an entire review:

but Lucero's show at the Fox Theatre on 5/30 was hands down the best I've ever heard the band sound. Ben and the guys drank in moderation, and it really showed as they played every song spot on. Sure it lacked the high elevation drunkenness that tends to ensue at their shows, but musically, I was more than exchange debauchery for the perfectly performed set.

What I should have titled my previous blog about The Hangover:
"The Hangover (the movie, not the one from the Lucero show)"

Have you noticed that strike anywhere matches:

don't really light on anything except the striking surface on the box?

I just can't pay for them:

but I'll have to admit I put in to win tickets to 3eb this Friday in Denver.

For those of you who have been chomping at the bit for any and all Avett material (even if it's not new songs):

fuel.tv just posted videos of recent performances of "Color Show" and "Salina."

Very soon:

I'll be posting info about the upcoming Thrift Store Cowboys/One Wolf 7" split vinyl.

Sorry if you hate sports and/or UT:

but this is a good story.

Am I the only one:

who feels a little sad for the Lemonheads for going from being a pretty big grunge band in the 90s who probably played to pretty large audiences to playing 200 person capacity clubs 15 years later? I guess everyone's got to pay the bills somehow.

Forgot to mention:

how cool it is that Bob Dylan mentions Billy Joe Shaver on his new album. Read Shaver's thoughts on the shout out here.

I've been trying to find more info:

but the last update I've heard on Shaver's shooting case was that he was indicted back in September of 2008. Otherwise, news on the subject has completely fallen off the radar. I guess this is probably a case of the wheels of the legal system turning very slowly. Hopefully it will get settled out of court and go away. Whatever actually happened, Shaver's an icon and Texas needs him.

Don't miss:

the Cory Branan/Jon Snodgrass split 12". It will probably sell out at some point in the not too distant future. And also, what's this about Cory's next record coming out on a "much bigger label?" That's fantastic news, but I'd heard nothing about it until the passing comment by VC.

Seen:

Old Chicago restaurant neon sign where the "ago" was no longer lit. The joke possibilities are endless.

Lubbock

Please. Go. See. Wovenhand.

This Friday. Bash's 2. with One Wolf and 90% Death Sex.

Please. If you don't support Lubbock music again for a month, go to this one.

You just got paid. Go to this show.

Please.

Very Short Interviews, Part I - Daniel Markham (One Wolf)

I am starting a new segment, that unlike other segments on this blog, will actually be a recurring item. The idea is that I will conduct a (very) short email interview with various musicians of my choosing or of your suggestion. There are no rules here, but they will generally be longer than a "sec" but shorter than a "like forever."

For the very first installment, I had the brief distinguished honor of talking with Daniel Markham, brain extraordinaire behind One Wolf, a.k.a Un Lobo, not to be confused with Los Lobos, or any other lupine-related band. Quite recently, he put out an outstanding new CD you can check out here.

In the interest of not letting the intro be longer than the interview, let's get started.

wf: You just went on a tour to the west coast. Tell us something about how bad it smells when 26 guys ride in a van for 2 weeks. Or maybe something else about that trip that is more interesting than dude funk.

dm: it's funny. i packed clothes for every day of the tour just because i don't like smelling bad. but, i was the one being made fun of for being clean? that didn't make a lot of sense to me. i guess being dirty for two weeks is some kind of rite of passage for musicians. i don't get it.

there were so many things that happened that were interesting. but since this is a short interview, i'll keep it short. visiting the town where twin peaks was filmed was pretty surreal for me. i couldn't believe i was there, and then some people at the diner asked if i was related to peter fonda. i guess i did look pretty "easy rider" at the time.


wf: What are your current plans for One Wolf? and when I say current plans, I mean future plans, because obviously you are at your computer right now.

dm: i'm working on a small texas tour right now for july, then hopefully another in the fall with my favorite band of all time, sf59. then, i'll be moving to denton in august with charlie shafter and the gnomes. i'm writing a lot of songs lately, and i'm looking at next summer to record a new album. i'm just really looking forward to moving to a new community that seems so alive with music. i was super inspired by mount righteous. so hopefully it will be the right thing for us.


wf: Discuss 3 of your current musical influences in 2 words or less (feel free to cheat).

dm: queens of the stone age-BAD ASS!
sf59-so underrated
pj harvey-always exciting

wf: Am I forgetting to ask anything?

dm: what was your favorite series on 90's nickelodeon? PETE & PETE!


wf: Did you grow up hearing that using condiments could help prevent STDs?

dm: i grew up in rotan, so anything's possible. they do make some really strong mustard these days, though.


wf: Now you ask me a question (make it a good one).

dm: do you really hate it when people make grilled cheese sandwiches in your house without your permission?

wf: I live for that, and sadly it just doesn't happen enough.