Nick Justice: “Stranger In My Town” (2023) CD Review

Nick Justice is a singer and songwriter who had partnered with Feter Martin Homer to create The SideMen. They put out a self-titled album in July of 2022, and then each went back to solo careers just a few months later. Nick Justice’s new album, Stranger In My Town, features mostly original material, and the two tracks that he didn’t write were written by members of his supporting band. That band is made up of Richard Stekol on electric guitar, acoustic guitar and backing vocals; Mai Leisz on bass; Greg Leisz on pedal steel, dobro and mandolin; and Joel Rafael on acoustic guitar, harmonica and backing vocals. Joel Rafael also produced the album.

Nick Justice opens this album with its title track, “Stranger In My Town.” While there is something of a cheerful vibe to the music, this song tells a rather sad tale of a person becoming a stranger in his own town. This early line is particularly striking: “Mama prayed every night that I wouldn’t come around.” That is harsh, and it is delivered with a sort of acceptance, which makes it all the more heartbreaking. But then we learn a little about his youth, and start to understand: “I grew up the hard way, couldn’t count on any luck/Daddy’s drunken right hand, well, it taught me how to duck.” But the song will speak to anyone who doesn’t feel at home in those familiar places. That’s followed by “Let The Wind Blow,” which has a more of a country vibe as it starts, with that nice, gentle work on pedal steel. Then when the vocals come in, the lyrics take focus, and here Nick Justice sings of leaving troubles to the past, or at least attempting to do so. From the song’s first line, I am hooked. That line is, “Tomorrow’s not promised, yesterday has passed.” These lines also stand out to me: “The older we get, the nearer the end/I knew you, but didn’t know you/But I called you my friend/Let it go, let it go/Leave your troubles behind and let the wind blow.” But of course, even the good things are eventually let go. Nick gives an earnest vocal performance on this sadly beautiful song.

There is a bit of sadness to “The Night My Heart Caught Fire” too, which seems to express regret in its first line, “Didn’t know how good I had it ‘til you walked away.” And check out these lines: “Remember when we were younger our lives were so carefree/Filled with so much promise, we let it all be.” As I get older, lines like those are more likely to grab me, I suppose, and his delivery rings true. This song also features some good work on pedal steel. Nick then delivers some nice stuff on harmonica at the beginning of “Don’t You Know.” I love that his voice often seems to live right at the edge. It is a compelling characteristic of his delivery. There is experience in that voice, and pain and wisdom. “Don’t you know when you’re gone you never came/And once you leave, you’ll never be the same/Come in from the shadows, hide from the rain/Don’t you know?” That’s followed by “Don’t Walk Away,” a lighter and livelier number, with a bluesy aspect and featuring some great stuff on guitar. “Promised you that I’d be true/Is there more that I can do?/Don’t you walk away, don’t you walk away.”

“I’m not afraid to look backwards/And I know when I’ve gone too far/We’re just living in hard times.” I suppose those lines from “Hard Times” can be true of any time, at least for some folks, but they seem particularly apt these days. And I love the ache in his voice. It is the voice of someone who wants to make things right, and is worried he just won’t be able to. But he is going to try, and isn’t that what we all should do. This is another pretty and moving song, at times reminding me of something Greg Brown might do. “Hard Times” is followed by “Thanks For The Smiles,” one of the album’s two tracks not written by Nick Justice. This one was written by Joel Rafael, who included it on his 2015 album Baladista. There is a sweet vibe to this song, which I love. “Thanks for the memories, thanks for the smiles/Every time I think about you, it carries me a million miles/Rolling down this old road until my day is done/Tomorrow I will roll again with the morning sun.” Joel Rafael’s harmonica work on this version is interesting as it begins, like steady steps at first before going into more of what we expect from that instrument. What’s also interesting about that is that it is different from what he played on his original rendition. There is some more nice harmonica work at the song’s conclusion.

“Save Somebody” has a fun, bright vibe with a gospel bent. Lisa Sanders and Karen “Brown Sugar” Hayes join Richard Stekol on backing vocals, providing some wonderful work and adding a lot to the song’s flavor. That’s followed by “Dream #9.” The presence of mandolin helps give this one a light feel, though the lyrics are in some contrast to that sound, addressing those who are struggling. “The blank faces staring back at me/Tell me hope’s a long time gone/The promise of another dream/Was just another con.” The album concludes with “America Walking By,” which was written by Richard Stekol, who released his own version in 2010 on Bygones. This is another beautifully sad number. “Bundle up and dry your eyes, there’ll be teardrops left to cry/Papa, hold your head up high/There goes America walking by, there goes America walking by.”

CD Track List

1. Stranger In My Town
2. Let The Wind Blow
3. The Night My Heart Caught Fire
4. Don’t You Know
5. Don’t Walk Away
6. Hard Times
7. Thanks For The Smiles
8. Save Somebody
9. Dream #9
10. America Walking By

Stranger In My Town was released on July 28, 2023.

The Baseball Project at Teragram Ballroom, 9-20-23 Concert Review

It’s all over for the Red Sox this year, but the music of The Baseball Project keeps the baseball season, and the hope that goes with it, alive all year round. Of course, here in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers doing so well again, the season is still very much alive. (Sorry, Angels.) Even if you haven’t heard of The Baseball Project, you most certainly know all the band’s members. The band is made up of Peter Buck (of R.E.M.) on guitar; Scott McCaughey (of The Minus 5) on guitar, keyboard and vocals; Mike Mills (of R.E.M.) on bass and vocals; Linda Pitmon (of Zuzu’s Petals and Filthy Friends) on drums, percussion and backing vocals; and Steve Wynn (of The Dream Syndicate) on guitar and vocals. What a great starting lineup! And these guys have a whole lot of fun with this project. All of the band’s material is about baseball, addressing various teams, players, records, and memorable games from the sport’s history. If that seems limiting to you, then you don’t know baseball. There is an endless supply of interesting things to write and sing about. And last night they picked some of their best songs to play for the crowd at Teragram Ballroom in downtown Los Angeles. They put out a new album a few months ago, Grand Salami Time!, and played a lot of material from it.

Evie Sands

But first the audience was treated to a great opening set by Evie Sands. Last night, her group was the trio of Evie Sands on guitar and vocals, Jason Berk on guitar and backing vocals, and Teresa Cowles on bass and backing vocals. That’s right, no drums this time around. But they still rocked. They came out promptly at 8 o’ clock, and Evie counted off the first number, “Don’t Hold Back,” and the night was off and running. She played several songs from her latest release, Get Out Of Your Own Way, including “My Darkest Days,” “If You Give Up” and “Don’t Look Back, Don’t Look Down.” But for the second song of the night, she reached way back to her first album for “Take Me For A Little While.” After that song, in the spirit of the evening, she told the crowd, “I’m a crazy, insane, lifelong Dodgers fan.” Some guy responded by shouting, “Go Angels!” Interestingly, she then played “Leap Of Faith” (also from the newest album), which has the line “Come down like an angel.” Her rendition of “I’m A Good Woman” was one of the highlights of the set, a fun number that became a groovy jam. My other favorite from her set was “My Darkest Days,” a more serious song that featured a fantastic, passionate delivery. Her set ended at 8:50 p.m. Members of The Baseball Project took it all in from the wings.

Steve Wynn

Twenty minutes later, the lights went out, and The Baseball Project came out to a recording of “(You Gotta Have) Heart.” Moments later they kicked off their set with “1976,” a song from Volume 2: High And Inside. This one is about Mark Fidrych, a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers who was nicknamed “The Bird.” He pitched in the All-Star game in 1976, his rookie season. If you don’t know a lot about baseball, you can learn a thing or two at a Baseball Project concert. Folks in the crowd also noticed and cheered Scott McCaughey’s shirt, which said, “We’re With the Writers Guild on Strike.” The crowd, by the way, contained a lot of baseball fans, judging by the caps and shirts. A woman near me had a shirt that read, “Ban The Wave!” which I appreciated. I thought I was alone in hating that odd tradition in the stands. Scott then sang lead on “They Don’t Know Henry” and “Erasable Man,” the latter an excellent song from the new album, a song inspired by Josh Gibson. They followed that with a couple of others from Grand Salami Time!, “Uncle Charlie” and “The Yips.” For “Uncle Charlie,” Scott moved from guitar to keys. Steve sang lead on both songs, and “The Yips” in particular had an incredible energy last night. The band was seriously rocking. “Okay, brace yourselves,” Steve then said. “This is the first of many songs we’re going to sing about the Dodgers,” an announcement that was met with both cheers and playful jeers (the latter perhaps from Giants fans?). Louder jeers came much later when Mike Mills mentioned the Yankees, but we’ll get to that. The first Dodgers song was “Fernando,” from the band’s debut album. Steve then remarked on singing songs about the Dodgers in Los Angeles, saying, “We could all walk to the stadium from here.” Sure, but I hear the game wasn’t that great. I think we were having a lot more fun at the concert.

Scott McCaughey

They then played another song from the new album, “Journeyman,” about those players who never stay with any one team for very long. That was followed by “Nails To Thumbtacks,” a high-energy number that was a highlight of the set. After that song, Mike talked about going down to spring training and asking about pitchers doctoring the ball. Yes, these guys are serious baseball fans. That led to “Stuff,” one of my personal favorites from the new album, with Mike on lead vocals. The song has a great heavy edge to it. Steve then announced, “Dodgers song number two,” and the band played “Long Before My Time,” a song about Sandy Koufax. That was followed by another Dodgers-related number, this one from the new album, a song titled “The Voice Of Baseball.” It’s about the best announcer in baseball (I would argue in all of sports), Vin Scully. When I moved to Los Angeles, I started watching Dodgers games on television just to listen to his commentary. By comparison, I used to mute the television when I watched Angels games (those guys were awful). And each time the band sang the line, “He was the voice of baseball,” the audience gave a loud cheer. It was great to be among a crowd of people who not only appreciate both good music and baseball, but who care about such things as someone who perfected the craft of announcing a game. Steve did an impression of Vin Scully at the end of the song, and Mike pointed out that we in the audience weren’t just getting music but a variety show. And that’s when Mike mentioned the Yankees. Most folks (including me) booed the mention of that team, though again all in good fun. Heck, the Yankees have been doing as poorly as the Red Sox this season, and will be licking their wounds while the Orioles are in the playoffs. The Orioles! Can you believe that team’s season? Anyway, Mike mentioned the Yankees as introduction to “Monument Park,” which featured some good work by Peter Buck on 12-string guitar.

Mike Mills

As we knew from Evie Sands’ set, there were some Angels fans in the crowd, and one of them had shouted out a request for “New Oh In Town,” a song about Shohei Ohtani. I was hoping to see him pitch this season, but he didn’t pitch the games when the Red Sox were in town. Peter switched back to 6-string for this one. This song was a hell of a lot of fun last night, getting the crowd moving. “New Oh In Town” is on the new album, and on that disc it is followed by “Disco Demolition.” It likewise was followed by “Disco Demolition” at last night’s show, with Linda Pitmon blowing the whistle as chaos ensued on the field.  If you don’t know the story of the Disco Demolition game (July 12, 1979 at Comiskey Park), you can learn about it by listening to the song, of course. And then you can actually watch the entire game and everything that occurred on the field afterward online. It’s insane. The song was a lot of fun to dance to last night, with its disco vibe. And if you don’t want to watch that entire game, the band created a video for this song that features some highlights. The Baseball Project stayed with the new album for the next song, following “Disco Demolition” with “Grand Salami Time,” the album’s title track, yet another song with a great energy. They then kept things rocking with “¡Hola America!” and for a moment Steve and Mike were strumming each other’s instruments. Mike then mentioned being a lifelong Braves fan before the band began “To The Veterans Committee,” in which he sings about wanting to see Dale Murphy in the Hall of Fame. It’s crazy, some of the players who have still not made it into the Hall of Fame. The band then wrapped up the set with “Past Time,” with Peter back on the 12-string guitar. The set ended at 10:25 p.m.

Peter Buck

When they came back out for the encore, Steve joked, “These are extra innings.” And the band played the song I was most hoping to hear, “Ted Fucking Williams.” Ted Williams was my dad’s favorite player when he was growing up. I wish I had bought this album for him. I think he would have appreciated it. In fact, he would have loved all this band’s material. He took my brother and me to Fenway Park every summer when we were growing up. No better place on the planet, as far as I can see. Maybe I'm crazy, but “Ted Fucking Williams” reminds me a bit of Paul McCartney’s “Helen Wheels.” They followed “Ted Fucking Williams” with the fun “Harvey Haddix.” Both of those songs are from the band’s first album. The show then concluded with a song from the new album, “The All Or Nothings.” The show ended at 10:37 p.m., but the band stuck around for a while to sign things for folks.

Set List

1. 1976
2. They Don’t Know Henry
3. Erasable Man
4. Uncle Charlie
5. The Yips
6. Fernando
7. Journeyman
8. Nails To Thumbtacks
9. Stuff
10. Long Before My Time
11. The Voice Of Baseball
12. Monument Park
13. New Oh In Town
14. Disco Demolition
15. Grand Salami Time
16. ¡Hola America!
17. To The Veterans Committee
18. Past Time

Encore

1. Ted Fucking Williams
2. Harvey Haddix
3. The All Or Nothings

Here are a few photos from the show:

Evie Sands

 

Linda Pitmon

Teragram Ballroom is located at 1234 West 7th St. in Los Angeles, California.

Mike Felten: “Fast Mikey Blues Eyes” (2020) CD Review

Mike Felten is one of those musicians who have music coursing through their veins. You can tell just listening to a track or two from his Fast Mikey Blues Eyes album, or from Diamonds And Televisions, which came out in 2017. He’s based in Chicago, and his music is certainly influenced and inspired by his location. Joining him on Fast Mikey Blue Eyes are Pete Mazzeri on bass, and Gary Landess on drums, along with several special guests on various tracks.

The album’s first track, “Three Drinks In,” opens with some great work by Corky Siegel (of The Siegel-Schwall Band) on harmonica, setting the tone. But when I really begin to love this track is when Mike Felten sings, “And I’m thinking it might be a good idea to love you.” What a good line. Of course, then it’s followed by the song’s main line, “But I’m three drinks in, I’m three drinks in.” So perhaps it’s not such a good idea after all. Either way, the song is a lot of fun, and features some great stuff by Barry Goldberg on keys. You might know Barry Goldberg from his work in the band The Electric Flag, but he’s played with a lot of other artists over the years. He played on Leonard Cohen’s Death Of A Ladies’ Man album. And Brad Elvis (of The Romantics) is on drums for this one. This is the perfect song to listen to at a bar. That’s followed by “Detroit Woman.” Some delicious blues guitar gets this one going, and it’s not long before the band kicks in. Barry Goldberg again delivers some delicious stuff on keys, and this time it is Mervyn Harmonica Hinds adding those great comments on harmonica. Brad Elvis is again on drums. Sometimes you’ve got to travel for a woman, as he does in this song. He mentions how gasoline is expensive, singing “When we get to the pump, why, she drains it of every drop.” This is another fun, lively number.

Jamie Wagner joins the group on keys on “Dead Old Girlfriend,” and Harmonica Hinds delivers some more great stuff on harmonica. I can’t help but love this song’s title. Here Mike Felten sings, “I got a dead old girlfriend/Knocking at my door/Knock knock, knock knock/Although she may be dead/It don’t mean she don’t love me no more.” Wow, I didn’t expect this one. And it ends up being another favorite of mine. Mike Felten sticks with the theme of death, following it with a cover of “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean,” written by Blind Lemon Jefferson. This song is also sometimes listed as “One Kind Favor,” as when the Grateful Dead covered it. Some cool percussion gives this track much of its energy. Then “A Girl Walks Into A Bar” has a delicious opening, harmonica and bass. That’s Corky Siegel on harmonica on this one. The song then kicks in, and, yes, is another fun one, with a loose, raw vibe. “They was real gone/Ain’t coming back.” And the album’s title, his nickname, is mentioned in the sort of spoken word section toward the end: “Well, anybody asks you who wrote this song, tell ‘em Fast Mikey Blue Eyes.”

“Chasing A Rumor” features some absolutely wonderful blues guitar work from the start, establishing a cool mood before his vocals come in. “I used to sit here with my baby/Laughing and drinking, laughing and drinking most every night/‘Til she got tired of being the guitar player’s wife.” Oh yes, this is another of the disc’s highlights, just vocals and guitar, with nothing more needed. The band joins him again on “Homan Avenue,” named for a street in Chicago, this song providing a warning that it might be the sort of place we’d want to avoid. “There’s a place in Chicago where you don’t want to go/Where the good lord forgets about you.” Oh, but if there is music like this playing there, then it’s just the sort of place I want to visit. Harmonica Hinds is on harmonica, and Bob Long is on keyboard for this one, and both deliver some wonderful work. Bob Long played keys on Diamonds And Televisions. Then Jamie Wagner plays keyboards on “Godzilla Jones,” and Harmonica Hinds is again on harmonica. There is a good, raw energy to this one, a song about dealing with the bad times.

With that classic blues rhythm, “2302” is immediately enjoyable. This is a song that takes place at the street address where Mike Felten grew up. “Sometimes we were cold/We was always cool,” he sings here. Oh yes, there is always a bit of the blues in growing up. That’s followed by “Y’all Are Guilty.” You know things aren’t going to go well when a song begins with a man polishing a pistol. This song addresses the habit some folks have of judging others based on their appearance, and also those who seem hungry for violence. When listening to this one, I think about that horrible couple in Missouri pointing guns at protesters. “Hey there, mister, with your hand on your pistol/Take a good look around/More of us than there are of you/We’re going to turn that head around.” Bob Long plays keyboards on this one. Then “Where The White Lady Lives” deals with the history of segregation in Chicago. It features some cool work on bass, and some good energy. Jamie Wagner is on keyboards for this one. Mike Felten wraps up the album with “Like Listening To Charlie Parker,” which has a loose, improvised vibe, and features some cool work by Bob Long on keys. “I was standing at the station, Chicago Northwestern/On my way home from the big war/She was late picking me up, but it didn’t matter/I could have stood there in the smoke and mist forever/Like listening to Charlie Parker in the afternoon.”

CD Track List

1. Three Drinks In
2. Detroit Woman
3. Dead Old Girlfriend
4. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
5. A Girl Walks Into A Bar
6. Chasing A Rumor
7. Homan Avenue
8. Godzilla Jones
9. 2302
10. Y’all Are Guilty
11. Where The White Lady Lives
12. Like Listening To Charlie Parker

Fast Mikey Blue Eyes was released on October 30, 2020 on Landfill Records (though apparently it was released digitally in 2018).

Old Californio: “Metaterranea” (2023) CD Review

Last year’s release by Old Californio, Old Californio Country, was a bit different than earlier releases from the group in that most of the songs on it were covers. Now with Metaterranea, the band is back to delivering original material, and showing again what talented songwriters they are, and why this band is such an important part of the southern California music scene. On this album Woody Aplanalp plays guitar, lap steel on one track, slide guitar on another track, and provides backing vocals; Rich Dembowski is on lead vocals and guitar, and plays bass on a few tracks; Corey McCormick plays bass on the rest of the tracks; Justin Smith plays drums on half the album’s tracks, with Anthony Logerfo on drums for most of the remaining tracks; Jon Niemann is on keyboards and piano, and Paul Lacques is on lap steel; Jason Chesney provides backing vocals on a few tracks.

The band kicks off the new album with “Old Kings Road,” a rockin’ country number with a strong bass line. It features some cool guitar work, sounding at times like something the Rolling Stones might have done during their coolest period. Paul Lacques delivers some great work on lap steel. It’s a song about music that seems to come naturally from the landscape, and there is no question where this music takes place, with phrases like “beneath that California heat” and “it’s that California sound.” There is some good work on keyboards toward the end, and this track has an interesting and unexpected conclusion. That’s followed by “Come Undone,” which has a good, positive vibe. “Everything comes undone by design/That’s why nothing ever ends that can die/Believe what you will, believe what you like.” It’s a song that helps put things into perspective. “And though the past has passed, it’s not behind you/The soul keeps no curfew/And where you finish, everything begins.” I like that work on piano. Jason Chesney provides some backing vocal work on this one.

“The Swerve” has a sweet, gentle sound, with a late 1960s or early 1970s flavor, which I love. Rich Dembowski plays 12-string guitar on this track, and Woody Aplanalp plays slide guitar. Anthony Logerio is on drums. Here too the band offers a philosophical outlook, heard in lines like “And the yawning chaos at your feet/Holds a path only you can meet/And though it often brings us to pain/Everything that waxes must also wane.” There is so much great guitar work on this track. Then “Timeless Things” has more of a folk vibe and opens with a question, “Who you gonna call/When it all comes tumbling down?” This track features a wonderful vocal delivery, with a bit of a Paul Kelly vibe at times, and some pretty guitar work. This is the track on which Woody Aplanalp plays lap steel. I also like the percussion. Andres Renteria plays conga on this one.  “Destining Again” also is more in the folk realm as it begins, and soon builds from there, taking on some rock elements. “Can’t go back/‘Cause nothing lives in the past/Get yourself turned around/There are no signs, no maps to unfold/To show where you’re going.” This is one of my favorite tracks. I love that guitar work. And it’s a song of the road, both physically and metaphorically.  “But I think I’ve got to get off of this freeway/‘Cause I can’t help but thinking/It’s the things that I’m chasing/That keep me from the destining waiting.” Ah, who knows? I find myself wondering these very things, but have come to no conclusions yet. As long as there is music like this along the way, I’m happy.

As soon as “Weeds (Wildflowers)” begins, I am under its spell. It’s a delightful number, at the edge of a dream, with a friendly delivery. “I’ve got nowhere to go, no one to meet/I shook heaven from the stars, and kicked hell out from under me/I’m on my way/With nowhere to be.” Jason Chesney provides backing vocal work, and Lon Hayes plays drums on this track. I love this song more and more each time I listen to it. There is something magical about it. “We’re all weeds in the garden/But weeds are all wildflowers/Where no gardens are.”  That’s followed by “The Seer.” Its opening lines grab me: “There’s a crack in the fabric of reality/Through which/If you wish/You can slip.” Again, these guys can really write some damn good lyrics. Then “Tired For A Sea” has a pretty opening, creating a wonderful landscape, and growing from there. This song is like a beautiful path cutting through reality, and inviting us to ride it to some other realm. It features an excellent vocal performance, plus some nice work from Anthony Logerfo on drums. The lines from “Through The Days (And Past All Nights)” that stand out for me are “Yes, to know how small we are/Before the vastness of our stars/Provides a way through their fiery wheel/And the vastness waiting at our feet/Has a light at its heart only we can meet.” Jason Chesney is on backing vocals. They then wrap up the album with “Just Like A Cloud.” This is another that moves at times like a dream. “Leave the sad spinning world below behind for a while.” It then becomes more forceful on the line “Then I’ll come down.” That guitar work gets pretty wild toward the end, just before things seem to take off beyond the clouds.

CD Track List

1. Old Kings Road
2. Come Undone
3. The Swerve
4. Timeless Things
5. Destining Again
6. Weeds (Wildflowers)
7. The Seer
8. Tired For A Sea
9. Through The Days (And Past All Nights)
10. Just Like A Cloud

Metaterranea is scheduled to be released on October 27, 2023.