Dirk Fowler - Texas Country Reporter

Texas Tech professor Dirk Fowler has been making concert posters for close to a decade now, at least as well as I remember, and during that time, he has come to be quite popular, making posters for national acts like Wilco, No Doubt, DeVotchKa, and the Raconteurs. Perhaps more importantly, he continues to support local music in West Texas and has brought a good deal of attention to many area artists through his poster art. Check out his Web site, or his Gigposters.com profile to see his amazing work. I was especially excited to see this recent clip featuring Fowler and his letter press printing on Texas Country Reporter. (It is no secret how well-liked he is on account of the fact that 106 people have already shared the link to this video on facebook.)

Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward - The Apology: Part 1

I love being surprised when good artists announce a new record release for the immediate future, rather than going through the whole process of announcing records 6 months or more in advance. We've been hearing about a new Arcade Fire for over a year, and now that it's out I haven't even listened to it yet. The new EP from Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward I found out about earlier today and I've listened to it about 3 times through already.

What I gather from the internets is that Parker & 50 Peso decided to release their new material in a series of EPs rather than wait to assemble a full LP, and thus, The Apology: Part 1 is the first installment in that process. For the time being at least, you can stream the entire EP at Lonestarmusic.com, although I expect that won't be the case forever. My first impressions are that the band has assembled a very solid and well-produced 5-song set.

The lead-off track, "Guitars" sets the tone for the entire EP, as the crunchy guitars lay a solid common groundwork for all of the songs. I don't wish to pigeonhole this band per se, but if forced to give it a label, I might say the sound on this record was a bit like a project from Robert Earl Keen and the E Street Band. "River Song" and "Megaphone" stand out immediately as favorites of mine, although there is not a weak song on the record. The album also draws upon a past strength of 50 Peso Reward, which is the diversity of drum sounds and rhythms - something that puts them head and shoulders above many other Texas acts.

In short, the 5 songs are a much appreciated addition to an already outstanding catalog for RP & 50PR, and the anticipation for the second installment can begin now as far as I'm concerned. More importantly, this release is needed to keep the band at the forefront of the Texas music scene, a scene which at times settles for clichéd and dull music, two characterizations that in no way describe Parker & 50 Peso. Rather, this is a band that deserves far more attention than many of the acts that dominate the airwaves, so please give them a listen and spread the word.

West Texas folks can catch Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward two times in September:

Friday, Sept. 24 - The Blue Light - Lubbock, TX
Saturday, Sept. 25 - The Golden Light - Amarillo, TX

Having just moved to Odessa, I am aware that the band has played Dos Amigos before, although I don't know how well they do at the venue. Hopefully we can expect to see them here in the near future.

Nathaniel Rateliff - In Memory of Loss

This album should be nothing new to anyone that reads Windfarm, and while I've mentioned it a number of times, I am just now getting around to reviewing the record, four months after it came out. Denver based Nathaniel Rateliff released In Memory of Loss on Rounder Records at the beginning of May, and has received a good deal of acclaim nationally for it, so you likely don't need my opinion to sway you one way or the other.

I find it hard to describe the record without going way overboard with wordy descriptions, but it projects a somber tone throughout, buoyed by well placed lyrical phrasing and nearly impeccable harmonies. A couple of months ago, H. and I drove through the Kiowa National Grasslands in northeastern New Mexico while listening to this album, and I don't know that I'll ever be able to listen to the record again without it conjuring those stark and vast landscapes in my mind. In Memory is a soundtrack to loneliness that for some reason perfectly fit with that landscape. The lyrics are such that they seemingly could have been written a hundred years ago in that very place and setting, and you wouldn't question their authenticity.

As I've mentioned before, some of Rateliff's best material didn't even make it on to this record, apparently because they are slated for a follow-up release in some form, supposedly in the relatively near future. If you have not done so, I highly recommend you check out "Shroud" and "Pounds and Pounds" from the band's Daytrotter sessions (here and here). Those sessions are free, but I can't recommend strongly enough that you pick up a copy of this amazing full length record.

Catching up

Windfarm got quoted by the Guardian UK Web site. In their discussion of Dylan LeBlanc, they quoted a line from Derek's SXSW review of LeBlanc.

This interview with Justin Townes Earle has a lot of the new music from his upcoming album Harlem River Blues. Very different stuff from the last albums. I really like the title track.

New free track from Thrift Store Cowboys, off of their upcoming LP release Light Fighter.

Monahans recently posted the 6th track in their 2010 Recordings series. The songs are free. Check them out.

Yes, it's old news, but Arcade Fire went number 1 on Billboard a few weeks ago. Let that soak in a bit. I love it that indie bands (are you still indie when you hit #1?) continue to rewrite the way the music business works.

Shamelessly liking radio country - The Band Perry

Started hearing this song "If I Die Young" from The Band Perry a good bit on the radio a few weeks ago, thinking it was going to blow up, because I have to say I thought it was pretty good and refreshing for country radio. Turns out that didn't really happen, at least as far as I can tell, because I haven't heard it at all the past few weeks.

Admittedly, it is awkward when you start your band name with the words "The Band," unless of course we're actually talking about The Band. If you want to mention them to a friend, you'd have to say, "Hey, have you heard that band The Band Perry?" Kind of awkward huh?

Well, at least one of the brothers has badass hair. Yeah, you know the one I'm talking about.

Don Williams Lubbock concert - 10/5/10

Lubbock, TX has hit the lottery, it appears, as Don Williams has chosen it for one of his "after retirement" concert dates. As you may or may not know, Williams played a farewell tour approximately 4 years ago accompanied by the announcement that he was retiring from public life. H. and I were lucky enough to catch him in Denver on that tour, but fortunately for us all, he is putting together a short tour in recognition of his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.



Williams may be playing Lubbock because of his West Texas roots, specifically that of being born in Floydada. The dates he has picked are limited and mostly regionally confined to the American South. Williams is often forgotten as one of the great country music artists of yesteryear, but his catalog is truly amazing. DO NOT MISS the chance to see him live. Williams is a true icon in his genre.

Williams will be playing October 5th at the Citibank Auditorium in Lubbock (Details here). For details on his other (mostly) October tour dates, check out his Web site.

Munly & The Lupercalians release date

After a tip from a good friend and some recent searching, finally some news about the release date of the latest record from Denver band Munly and the Lupercalians. Scheduled for release on Sept. 21, 2010, and entitled Petr & The Wulf, the record is the first in a series of albums detailing the fictional town of Lupercalia. Update: Now available on iTunes.

As I've found, the band is not often the first to make announcements about themselves. Rather, I almost always stumble upon updates accidentally. At one point the album was reported to be a double album, although the recent announcement suggests this record will be a single with continuation of the story in future releases.

While Munly's label Alternative Tentacles does not yet have the album for sale in the store, it is posted for presale here and at various other places on the web. It appears that the release will be available on CD and LP, as well as mp3 download.


















Below is an abbreviated description of the album pulled from this press release:

The first installment in a multi-album set describing The Kinnery of Lupercalia, Petr & The Wulf is the correct telling of a story about which most have been woefully misinformed. This truth is courtesy of Munly (known as both a solo artist and as the co-frontman of Slim Cessna's Auto Club) and his extremely talented backing band, The Lupercalians (which includes Daniel Granbois of Slim Cessna's Auto Club and Tarantella). [...]

The record begins with Petr, "the last of the Northrops," who tells how he will bring his people back to greatness by rescuing Grandfater from the Bedlam. The Three Wise Hunters let all know that they can be hired to rid the land of whatever menace is present. The Wulf tells of his love for the Northrops despite their continued refusal of his offerings.

Munly writes, "Hopefully you will accept the current Lupercalians offering with open heart and understanding mind."

Having caught the Lupercalians performance to a packed house at this year's UMS, I am very excited about this record. Not to mention the fact that it has been 6 years since the brilliant album from Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots, with very few updates about new material during that span. The wait should soon be over.

Best news yet - KRIL 1410 AM

Getting settled in Odessa, and what should we find? Perhaps one of the best country music stations of all time. And even better, it is on AM radio. 1410 KRIL plays tons of great classic country and mixes in modern stuff as well. Sure you'll hear Kenny Chesney from time to time but you're much more likely to hear the Hag or one of the Georges. As an added show of quality, the DJs actually talk about the music and have great stories about some of the songs, instead of what most country stations have, which is contests for Vegas trips or promos for foam parties.

Surprisingly, the station even has an internet stream, which you can find here.