Red Molly: “The Red Album” (2014) CD Review

One of my favorite songs of all time is Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” with the line “Red hair and black leather, my favorite color scheme.” The band Red Molly is named after that song, and on their new CD, The Red Album, they do an excellent cover of it. They do a few other covers on this release, including an interesting and pretty rendition of “Homeward Bound,” one of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs. Their harmonies are wonderful.

Actually, their vocals are wonderful on all of these tunes. There is so much beauty on this album, much of it coming from their vocals, which drive these tracks. But there is a lot of beauty in the music as well, and in the lyrics. These songs are a great combination of folk and country (with some pop elements).

“Clinch River Blues”

The Red Album begins with “Clinch River Blues,” a track that grabs you immediately and doesn’t let go. It opens with a great pounding rhythm and excellent vocals. It has something of a tribal vibe and atmosphere. There is some gorgeous vocal play approximately two minutes in, and again at the end, which I love. This is a cover of an A.J. Roach tune, and they do a fantastic job with it. I actually prefer their version.

They follow that with “I Am Listening,” an original tune written by Molly Venter, who plays piano on this track. This song is so sweet and pretty. It’s about the excitement of new love, when you’re getting to know the person and all things are possible, but from the perspective of someone who has learned from past relationships. “In the past I always moved too fast/But I am listening now.” In that way it’s a more grown up approach to new love, but certainly the excitement is no less because of it.

“You Don’t Have The Heart For It”

“You Don’t Have The Heart For It” is one of those gorgeously, gloriously sad country tunes. It opens with a brief, beautiful a cappella section. Then when the band comes, it includes pedal steel, which I always appreciate. Abbie Gardner wrote this one and sings lead: “When we met I thought I’d never be alone again,” and then “You don’t have the heart for it/Of this I’m sure/If you ever loved me/You don’t anymore.” It’s so sad, because there is no explosive end to the relationship. It’s like it just drifts and fizzles out without any conclusion, which is so much harder, so much worse. This is one of my favorite tracks.

I love the energy of “Willow Tree.” It has a good rhythm, and nice guitar work, but it is the energy in the vocals that really makes this song special. It was written by Eben Pariser and Molly Venter.

“When It’s All Wrong”

“When It’s All Wrong” is my personal favorite track on this release. It’s a song that digs its claws into you immediately, and then just gets better and better. I love that groove, but of course it’s the vocals that really woo you. There is something undeniably sexy in the way they sing lines like, “Ever since that night I’m only right when it’s all wrong.” And then there’s even a delightfully ghostly whistle. I love, love, love this song. “If only you’d return/Then maybe I could learn/To sing a happy tune/And believe it’s true.” “When It’s All Wrong” was written by Abbie Gardner and Jonathan Byrd.

“Sing To Me”

“Sing To Me” is such a pretty and sweet song, with a wonderful intimacy. It’s a song that feels like the whole world is two people and one moment.  “I’ve got nothing left/Still I cannot rest...So please use any means/To shift the way I’m seeing things/Darling, sing to me.” Listening to this song, you’ll find yourself instinctively reaching out for your love. And if that person isn’t right there, this song will make you miss her or him even more. This one was written by Molly Venter.

Mark Erelli

Red Molly does a great cover of Mark Erelli’s “Pretend.” They build from the delicious and playful old-time feel of Erelli’s original version. Their rendition even includes trombone, and there’s a wonderful instrumental section where that instrument takes the lead spot. That's Herb Gardner on trombone. I also love Laurie MacAllister's playful and delightful vocals.

Mark Erelli is a seriously good songwriter, and if you’re not yet familiar with his music, you should look him up. He included this song on his 2004 release Hillbilly Pilgrim.

“1952 Vincent Black Lightning”

They follow that with their cover of Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” the song that gives the band its name. This is an inherently excellent song, but they do a particularly good job with it. Each of the three women takes a turn at lead vocals on this one (and I love how their voices blend, especially on lines like “Swooping down from heaven to carry me home” – absolutely beautiful). This is one of those songs that makes me happy while simultaneously bringing tears to my eyes.

Red Molly concludes this album with "Copper Ponies," written by Abbie Gardner, and sung a cappella to really showcase their wonderful vocals. It’s a sweet song, but also has a certain element of play.

CD Track List

1. Clinch River Blues
2. I Am Listening
3. You Don’t Have The Heart For It
4. Willow Tree
5. Homeward Bound
6. When It’s All Wrong
7. My Baby Loves Me
8. With A Memory Like Mine
9. Sing To Me
10. Pretend
11. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning
12. Lay Down Your Burden
13. Copper Ponies 

Red Molly is Laurie MacAllister, Abbie Gardner and Molly Venter.

The Red Album was released on April 15, 2014.

Seth Walker: “Sky Still Blue” (2014) CD Review

I got turned on to Seth Walker a couple of years ago when he released Time Can Change. That album had one of my favorite songs of that year, “In The Meantime.” Seth Walker’s new CD, Sky Still Blue, is full of sweet, bluesy grooves with some touches of soul, jazz, gospel and even early rock and roll (on "For A Moment There"). And this album has one of my favorite songs so far of this year: “Grab Ahold.” The material here is mostly originals (the only cover being a good bluesy rendition of Van McCoy’s “Either Way I Lose”). A lot of these songs were co-written with Oliver Wood, who also produced the album. Seth Walker has some excellent musicians and vocalists backing him, including Chris Wood (of Medeski Martin & Wood), Jano Rix, Brigitte DeMeyer and The McCrary Sisters. And Ephraim Owen’s trumpet playing during an instrumental section of “All That I’m Askin’” is one of my favorite moments of this disc.

The album opens with the briefest of introductions: “Here we go.” And the guitar groove that starts “Easy Come, Easy Go,” the lead track, immediately hooks me. This song has a very good groove, and kind of a positive vibe, which works well with lines about missing someone. It’s an attitude we all want to be able to adopt. “I just wonder why you had to go/Easy come, easy go/Why do I have to miss you so/I was just fine going solo.” And I love this line: “But I can’t escape, ‘cause you’re my best mistake.” “Easy Come, Easy Go” was co-written by Seth Walker and Oliver Wood.

“Trouble (Don’t Want No)” begins with a great blues vibe that is both smooth and mean. It slowly builds rather than suddenly kicking in, and it’s great.  “Well, I guess I was mistaken/About the love that we were making/Did I say too much too soon.” This is a very cool tune that feels somewhat tightly wound, like it could explode or strike harder at any moment. Plus it features some wonderful guitar work during the instrumental section. “Trouble (Don’t Want No)” was co-written by Seth Walker and Gary Nicholson.

“Grab Ahold” is a completely delicious, mellow tune with a gospel flavor in the backing vocals. This is my personal favorite from the CD, and one of the best songs I’ve heard this year. It’s a sort of love song with elements of jazz and soul, in which he offers what strength he has to someone. “When all you can do is sing that one sad song/And soak in your own tears/Just grab ahold of me.”  And they’ll each pull the other through – or at least keep each other company through whatever misery life tosses their way, as he sings “Just grab a hold of me/And we’ll both go down together.”  That, to me, seems like the most honest of love songs. I completely love this song. It was co-written by Seth Walker and Oliver Wood.

Seth Walker follows that with “Another Day,” which has a very catchy rhythm. It’s a tune about how love changes how we perceive everything. For some reason at a certain point in this song, I imagine elephants dancing, swinging their great trunks in time to the groove. I’d actually like to see that. So if someone could arrange it, I’d sure appreciate it.

"High Wire" is another of my favorites. It's a beautiful, slow, late-night jazzy gem, with a really nice vocal performance plus some great touches on keys. This song also provides the album’s title in the line, “And if it pours down on you and the sky is still blue.” And I really like this line: “Well, all I need's a little hope to get me down off this rope.” And I absolutely love the jazzy lead guitar during a brief instrumental section. "High Wire" was written by Seth Walker and Oliver Wood.

"For A Moment There" has a wonderful early rock and roll, rhythm and blues vibe, with delightful backing vocals. This is such a fun, sweet song. I love the way the brief guitar solo emerges, though I wish it would go on a bit longer. And I dig the piano. "For A Moment There" was written by Seth Walker and Jessi Alexander.

Sky Still Blue concludes with a sweet, mellow, beautiful song titled "Way Too Far." Here is a taste of the lyrics: "'Cause we've come way too far/To walk away/To be pulled apart/We can't give it up/Thinking that we've had enough/We've come way too far."

CD Track List

1. Easy Come, Easy Go
2. Trouble (Don’t Want No)
3. Grab Ahold
4. Another Day
5. Tomorrow
6. All That I’m Askin’
7. High Wire
8. For A Moment There
9. Either Way I Lose
10. Jesus (Make My Bed)
11. Way Too Far 

Musicians

Musicians on this album include Seth Walker on vocals and guitar; Steve Mackey on bass; Derrek Phillips on drums and percussion; Jano Rix on piano, Wurlitzer, organ, percussion, drums and backing vocals; Chris Wood on upright bass; Oliver Wood on guitar and backing vocals; Ephraim Owens on trumpet; The McCrary Sisters on backing vocals; and Brigitte DeMeyer on backing vocals.

                                                     

Sky Still Blue is scheduled to be released June 10, 2014 through The Royal Potato Family. 

Dave Van Ronk: “Live In Monterey” (2014) CD Review

The new Dave Van Ronk CD, Live In Monterey, is a live solo performance from April 4, 1998 – just him, his acoustic guitar, and that distinct voice of his. I love that voice. It is nice and rough, and might suddenly, briefly turn into a growl, as toward the end of “Jesus Met The Woman At The Well.” Then check out how smooth he sounds singing “Winin’ Boy Blues.” And then his voice gets delightfully silly on a tune like “Candy Man.”

Dave Van Ronk was certainly one of the greatest folk performers of all time, and this live album gives you a good taste of what he was about. If somehow you’ve never heard him before, this CD would certainly serve as an excellent introduction. He was a great storyteller and a damn good guitar player.

Live In Monterey contains nearly an hour of music. These are mostly covers, but he really can make you take a fresh look at a familiar song. For example, check out his seriously cool rendition of the Mississippi John Hurt song "Spike Driver Blues." His vocal delivery on that tune at times is like an intimate whisper, and other times is smooth. And the guitar work is nearly hypnotizing, haunting. For good measure, he also covers Tom Paxton’s “Did You Hear John Hurt?” This CD is a good clear recording too. The CD includes liner notes both by Rick Chelew and Happy Traum.

Live In Monterey starts right up with “You’ve Been A Good Old Wagon But You Done Broke Down.” No introductions or stage banter or audience noise at the beginning, this disc just gets right to the music. This is a fun tune, with a bit of the Van Ronk scat that at moments is like a wild screech. And check out what he does with his voice on the last few lines.

“Blood Red Moon” and "Losers"

“Blood Red Moon” is one of the album’s original tunes, and it shows his sense of humor with lines like, “She took a two by four, hit me upside my mouth/Started running north, but my teeth were headed south.” And for some reason this line always makes me smile: “That moon is rising/Giving me the evil eye.” This song ends with the lines “I’m going where that blood red moon can’t shine/I’m going where that blood red moon can’t shine/Well, I’ll go back home to Brooklyn where I’m lucky all the time,” sung like a variation of “I’m going where the water tastes like wine/We can jump in the water, stay drunk all the time.” This song was included on his 1985 release, Going Back To Brooklyn.

“Losers” is another Dave Van Ronk original, and another that was included on Going Back To Brooklyn. It’s a very cool tune, with a sense of humor and a truly peculiar vocal delivery that is absolutely wonderful. I love the way he varies his delivery, the way a storyteller would to keep his audience attentive. This song includes a reference to Saint John Wayne in these delightful lines: “When God appeared to Saint John Wayne/He told him, Duke I’m a-coming again/Life is just a wagon train/And I’m glad you’re not a loser like me.” This tune is one of the disc’s highlights, though really the whole show is excellent.

“Cocaine Blues”

Dave Van Ronk does a really interesting rendition of “Cocaine Blues,” nearly speaking the song, telling the story, and so it feels so very true, so real. He sure had a knack for doing that.  His version includes lines like “Your woman says you ain’t treatin’ her right/Take a snort of coke and turn out the light/Makes you feel like superman…for the first five minutes” and “My mucus membrane is just a memory/Sometimes I think that coke is bad for me/And then I stop thinking.” 

 

The way he tackles the bluesy "Come Back Baby" is completely delicious. I love the way he whispers “I don’t want nobody else but you.” And listen to him really rip into it at the end there. This is another of the many highlights.

"Candy Man"

And then he gives a little spoken word introduction to "Candy Man" while starting the song. This track is totally delightful. You have to hear what he does vocally on this one, like on lines “Gingerbread man/Santa Claus” and “Peppermint stick/Big brass band.” Yes, it’s silly at times, and wonderful. This is one guaranteed to get you smiling.

"He Was A Friend Of Mine"

I love the straightforward way he approaches “He Was A Friend Of Mine.” I’ve heard a lot of versions of this song over the years, and Dave Van Ronk’s rendition feels so personal (listen to the way he sings, “He died on the road”).

Live In Monterey ends with “Four Strong Winds,” which features a strange and endearing vulnerability in Dave Van Ronk's voice, a quaver that reminds me of Melanie Safka. “But our good times are all gone/And I'm bound for moving on/I’ll look for you if I’m ever back this way.”

CD Track List

1. You’ve Been A Good Old Wagon But You Done Broke Down
2. Blood Red Moon
3. Jesus Met The Woman At The Well
4. Going Down Slow
5. Losers
6. Cocaine Blues
7. Winin’ Boy Blues
8. Did You Hear John Hurt?
9. Jelly Jelly
10. Spike Driver Blues
11. Sportin’ Life Blues
12. Come Back Baby
13. Candy Man
14. He Was A Friend Of Mine
15. St. James Infirmary
16. Four Strong Winds

Live In Monterey was released on May 13, 2014 through Omnivore Recordings.

Kiva House Concerts Celebrates 15 Years With Special Show

Antje Duvekot and Chris O'Brien

Antje Duvekot, Flynn, Chris O’Brien and Will Dailey performed at a special outdoor show in Billerica, Massachusetts on May 31, 2014 to celebrate Kiva House Concerts’ fifteenth year. Each of the artists performed for approximately an hour.  Three of the four artists had performed at this concert series before. Will Dailey, making his Kiva House Concerts debut, kicked off the show around 4 p.m. This was my first time hearing him, and I really enjoyed his set. He’s an artist I’ll definitely be excited to see again.

This was also my first time seeing Chris O’Brien, though I’ve been enjoying his CDs for a while. It was such a treat to finally get to see him perform. I love his voice. And these lines from “Rosa” always stands out for me: “She is lightning/I am thunder, a moment behind.” So good. Antje Duvekot joined Chris for several songs, and then Chris returned the favor during Antje’s set, which closed out the evening.

Flynn doesn’t perform as much these days, and it was a great surprise to hear some new material from him. I particularly enjoyed “Whatever You Wanted.” Of course Flynn also did several old favorites, including “White,” which concluded his set. During “American Wake,” his daughter sneaked up behind him, leading him to joke, “Where’s the bouncer?” I hope Flynn will start performing more often again. He always does a good show, and his guitar work never fails to impress me.

The weather was great (though the temperature did drop a bit by the time Antje performed, and a lot of us had gone back to our cars for jackets by then). Antje did a few covers, including “The Times They Are A-Changing,” which opened her set. She did another Bob Dylan tune a bit later, “Tomorrow Is A Long Time.” Chris O’Brien joined her on guitar and backing vocals on that one, as well as on a sweet rendition of “If I Needed You,” a Townes Van Zandt song that I’ve always loved. Chris O’Brien also helped out by holding up Antje’s phone with the lyrics to a new song, “Half Life.” It’s a wonderful tune, though Antje ended it abruptly, telling the crowd that the song isn’t quite done, that there will be more. She followed that with my favorite, “Pearls.”

The whole show was seriously good, with a nice, loose vibe. House concerts always seem to have a more relaxed, intimate and friendly atmosphere. Artists seem to generally do them for fun. There’s little in the way of networking or business, though of course the performers have CDs available for sale. At this show, folks brought their own camping chairs and food (which they then shared). If all of your live music experience has been at clubs and stadiums, you should do yourself a favor and look into attending a few house concerts.

Other artists who have performed at Kiva House Concerts over the years include Ellis Paul, Jim Infantino, Chris Trapper, Kay Hanley, Peter Mulvey and Adam Ezra.

Here are a few photos from the show on May 31st:

Will Dailey

Will Dailey

Chris O'Brien (joined by Antje Duvekot)

Chris O'Brien

Flynn

Flynn

Antje Duvekot

Chris O'Brien lends a hand on "Half Life"

The Kiva House Concerts series is in Billerica, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston.