Dog Moon Howl is a new project from Craig Hughes (guitar/vocals), teaming up with Ally Tennick (drums) and Bryan Campbell (bass/vocal) on this heavy début EP, pay what you can download or CD through Bandcamp.

Strip-Lit Hell by Dog Moon Howl

The answers academic unless your eye skipped over the title of this post, but I’ll still pose the question anyway; on which album would you find Maria McKee, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, John Doe, Greg Leisz, Buddy Miller, Gulf Morlix and Richard Thompson all lending a hand? That’s not a bad bunch of supporting artists to entice into the studio to record an album with, but then the album does belong to a co-founding members of one of alt-countries seminal bands Lone Justice, Marvin Etzioni.

Brooklyn born and LA raised Etzioni’s first band back in 1976 were The Model who had amongst their admirers Chuck Plotkin, after musical differences led to him leaving Lone Justice he continued, writing, playing and collaborating (with amongst other Victoria Williams, Susanna Hoffs, Maria McKee, Cheap Trick, The Dixie Chicks and T-Bone Burnett) and became a producer working with Peter Case, Counting Crows, Toad . . . → Read More: Marvin Country – Marvin Etzioni (Nine Mile Records 2012)]]>

The answers academic unless your eye skipped over the title of this post, but I’ll still pose the question anyway; on which album would you find Maria McKee, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, John Doe, Greg Leisz, Buddy Miller, Gulf Morlix and Richard Thompson all lending a hand? That’s not a bad bunch of supporting artists to entice into the studio to record an album with, but then the album does belong to a co-founding members of one of alt-countries seminal bands Lone Justice, Marvin Etzioni.

Brooklyn born and LA raised Etzioni’s first band back in 1976 were The Model who had amongst their admirers Chuck Plotkin, after musical differences led to him leaving Lone Justice he continued, writing, playing and collaborating (with amongst other Victoria Williams, Susanna Hoffs, Maria McKee, Cheap Trick, The Dixie Chicks and T-Bone Burnett) and became a producer working with Peter Case, Counting Crows, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Grey DeLisle, three solo albums appeared in the 90’s then fast-forward to 2012 this release makes it four – the album is released today in the form of a double CD presented in a classy gate-fold or in audiophile 180-gram vinyl.

Both discs present eleven tracks in a shape-shifting mix of country, folk, blues and rock, including sampling of the late great Gram Parsons – a backstage recording from the Palomino in 1972, alt-country as a genre can often find itself cast in a monotone style (not necessarily bad if you can do it well I will add) but this album jumps around aplenty to avoid any such accusations, more sampling, stop-go breakdown and vinyl crackle are all squeezed into Disc 2 tracks 5 & 6 What’s Patsy Cline Doing These Days? Parts I & II, before dropping into a electro-blues number Trouble Holding Back for track 7, so across the double disc your ears feast on the proverbial musical smörgåsbord, a little self-indulgent some may say but with nearly forty years in the job one can be forgiving of that it’s a confident and rewarding recording.

Marvin Etzioni – Marvin Country! – Lay It On The Table2

Marvin Etzioni – Marvin Country! – Whats Patsy Cline Doing These Days (Pt 1)

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Picked up this album via eMusic, not an artist I was familiar with but instantly a fan, alt-country gothic twang, echoes of Neko Case, albums available on vinyl , what’s not to like.

Big thumbs up to the folks at Carrot Top Records for breaking all records (without breaking the actual record) in getting the vinyl across the pond so quickly – excellent service.

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Sew the Threads Into Your Heart by Megan Reilly-The Well

Under the Waves by Megan Reilly-The Well

FBFY goes unplugged this month, hope you like it – if not blame me for the the theme. Thanks to Amy for curating and Phil for the artwork

Download

1. Title: Stagolee Artist: Beck Album (year): Avalon Blues: A Tribute To Mississippi John Hurt (2001) Submitted By: noteethleroy Comments: I wish Beck would do more simple stuff, he’s damn good at it.

2. Title: Sun Comes Up, It’s Tuesday Morning Artist: Cowboy Junkies Album (year): Acoustic Junk (2009) Submitted By: erschen

3. Title: American Tune Artist: Darrell Scott (Paul Simon) Album (year): Modern Hymns (2008) Submitted By: @philnorman Comments: One of my favorite Paul Simon songs, covered by one of my favorite singer-songwriters. A song that never fails to touch my soul.

4. Title: Black Mother Pray Artist: Tarrus Riley Album (year): Mecoustic (2012) Submitted By: tincanman2010 Comments: No-end-to-his-talent young singer’s latest dares you to take a . . . → Read More: Feel Bad For You May Mixtape]]>

FBFY goes unplugged this month, hope you like it – if not blame me for the the theme. Thanks to Amy for curating and Phil for the artwork

Download

1. Title: Stagolee
Artist: Beck
Album (year): Avalon Blues: A Tribute To Mississippi John Hurt (2001)
Submitted By: noteethleroy
Comments: I wish Beck would do more simple stuff, he’s damn good at it.

2. Title: Sun Comes Up, It’s Tuesday Morning
Artist: Cowboy Junkies
Album (year): Acoustic Junk (2009)
Submitted By: erschen

3. Title: American Tune
Artist: Darrell Scott (Paul Simon)
Album (year): Modern Hymns (2008)
Submitted By: @philnorman
Comments: One of my favorite Paul Simon songs, covered by one of my favorite singer-songwriters. A song that never fails to touch my soul.

4. Title: Black Mother Pray
Artist: Tarrus Riley
Album (year): Mecoustic (2012)
Submitted By: tincanman2010
Comments: No-end-to-his-talent young singer’s latest dares you to take a spiritual inventory. More here: http://bit.ly/HOU94Z

5. Title: The Foothills
Artist: Sara Watkins (written by Watkins and Blake Mills)
Album (year): Sun Midnight Sun (2012)
Submitted By: Mando Lines
Comments: Big acoustic instrumental tune, sounds like a movie theme. One of two instrumentals on Watkins’ great new record, which contains a duet with Fiona Apple as well as guest vocals by Jackson Browne and Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes).

6. Title: East Nashville Skyline
Artist: Todd Snider
Album (year): What The Folk – Belcourt Theater – Nashville TN (2005)
Submitted By: toomuchcountry
Comments: This version of ENS is much different than the one Snider included on his Peace, Love & Anarchy release of demos and rarities or that he now performs in his shows. And frankly, I like it better. I was really fortunate to be in the audience the night of this show to hear it. Todd’s show that night capped a great triple-header. Tommy Womack opened and was then followed by Hayes Carll. Todd then took center stage as the headliner and was accompanied by Womack and Jeff Austin of the Yonder Mountain String Band.

7. Title: Stuck on the Inside
Artist: DeepSeaGreen
Album (year): Acoustic Sessions (2011)
Submitted By: @popa2unes
Comments: DeepSeaGreen are a garage-rock band from London formed in late 2008. The four piece is made up of brothers Jon and Daniel Jefford (on guitar and drums respectively), Trent Halliday (vocals, guitar) and Marco Menestrina (bass).

8. Title: Loveless Park
Artist: Jason and Alison
Album (year): Woodshed (1995)
Submitted By: Ryan (Verbow @ altcountrytab.ca)
Comments: Before forming Verbow, Jason Narducy and Alison Chesley played together as an acoustic duo and put out this album. This is one of my favorite songs – simple, beautiful melody that betrays somewhat downer lyrics. Great song.

9. Title: We Can’t Make it Here
Artist: James McMurtry
Album (year): unreleased (2004)
Submitted By: Rockstar Aimz
Comments: I yanked this acoustic version off of McMurtry’s web site a while ago. Very few bands and artists write topical or political songs, and even fewer do it well. McMurtry excels at it, and when all is said and done, this song may be the song that best represents the 2000’s.

10. Title: Iso-Residue (acoustic)
Artist: Will Johnson (Centro-matic)
Album (year): Original on Candidate Waltz (2011)
Submitted By: Slowcoustic
Comments: I always was a big fan of Will Johnson and here he shows he can also take an more upbeat Centro-matic tune and give it the solo Will Johnson acoustic touch. This guy can rarely do wrong acoustically in my books.

11. Title: Anastasia
Artist: Loomer
Album (year): BBC Live Session Track from 2005 (from the Songs of the Wild West Island album 2006)
Submitted By: Simon
Comments: Fell in love with this track when I first heard it and it remains a favourite, it’s a different tempo and mood (and all the better for it in IMHO) than the album version.
Not sure if the band are still together or recording a quick Google revealed little accept a parked website but you can listen to Anastasia and other tracks from the album here and download at eMusic

Loomer – Anastasia

12. Title: Question
Artist: The Old 97’s
Album (year): Hit By A Train: The Best Of Old 97′s (2006)
Submitted By: BoogieStudio22
Comments: This one goes out to Laura. I surprised her with ‘the question’ over 22 years ago.

13. Title: Coffee Blues (Live)
Artist: Mississippi John Hurt
Album (year): Salty Dog (orig. 1963, comp. album 2009)
Submitted By: Gorrck
Comments: Acoustic, but with a microphone. Does that still count? I traded the Bluesmobile for a microphone.

14. Title: Broken Man
Artist: Lauderdale
Album (year): Moving On (B Sides/unreleased) (2011)
Submitted By: Corey Flegel – This Is American Music

15. Title: Candy Cane Crawl
Artist: Greg Dulli
Album (year): non-album, live track from 2010 acoustic tour
Submitted By: April @ Now This Sound Is Brave
Comments: Submitting this track on Greg fucking Dulli’s 46th birthday. It’s one of my favorite songs by my favorite artist, containing nearly all the elements that make me love him – the cinematic sweep, the perfectly imperfect vocals, and the knife that cuts my soul right in two and lets all the dirt and light and blood and secret beauty pour right out. He’s accompanied by Dave Roesser on guitar and backing vocals, and Rick Nelson on cello.

16. Title: Goodbye California
Artist: Jolie Holland
Album (year): Escondida (2004)
Submitted By: Brad Kelley
Comments: Jolie Holland was in the Be Good Tanyas, but I only recently discovered her. Love her voice and inflections.

17. Title: Elk River Blues
Artist: Ernie Carpenter
Album (year): Tales of Elk River Country (1986)
Submitted By: Truersound
Comments: The Elk River runs through central WV and was dammed off in 1958 to form Sutton Lake. Ernie Carpenter wrote this tune while sitting on the ridge looking down at Sutton Lake as it covered what used to be his family’s old homeplace. Such powerful emotions from just one fiddle.

Lucero

The Mastersons

The School

Eastbound Jesus

Gothic Americana outfit Funeral Club have a new 3 track EP.

“…. inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s Hour of the Wolf, Maya Deren’s At Land, and Robert Altman’s 3 Women. Waves & Waves is a surreal look at obsession, desire, and isolationism….”

Enjoy some more tracks here.

The Funeral Club – Waves & Waves by BeatSurrender

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The wonderful Marissa Nadler has released another track from her upcoming album Sister, looking forward to this one hitting the doormat – until then this will do nicely.

Etsy pre-order link

Apostle by marissanadler

The Wrecking Ball Company by marissanadler

Instantly familiar but without any dust or cob webs albums like Kin are what make blogging a joy, you never know what your letting or getting yourself into you hit the play button on releases from artists who’s work your devoid of any knowledge of, it seems to this first time listener that if there’s a secret to making timeless roots rock records then Michael Rank has discovered the formula, maybe it’s the direct writing style, maybe its endless hours of practice, maybe it’s the company he keeps, maybe it’s ‘no pain no gain’, whatever it may be he’s captured and distilled the essence for this his release with cohorts Stag, putting behind him the breakdown of his marriage and releasing the pent-up emotion borne of a disintegrating relationship there’s more than a few ‘heart on the sleeve’ moments on this, Rank’s first album for five years following 2007’s . . . → Read More: Michael Rank and Stag – Kin]]>

Instantly familiar but without any dust or cob webs albums like Kin are what make blogging a joy, you never know what your letting or getting yourself into you hit the play button on releases from artists who’s work your devoid of any knowledge of, it seems to this first time listener that if there’s a secret to making timeless roots rock records then Michael Rank has discovered the formula, maybe it’s the direct writing style, maybe its endless hours of practice, maybe it’s the company he keeps, maybe it’s ‘no pain no gain’, whatever it may be he’s captured and distilled the essence for this his release with cohorts Stag, putting behind him the breakdown of his marriage and releasing the pent-up emotion borne of a disintegrating relationship there’s more than a few ‘heart on the sleeve’ moments on this, Rank’s first album for five years following 2007’s Snatches of Pink release Love is Dead, the double CD release Kin is presented in a smart hi-gloss gate-fold packaging as two sets of seven tracks – giving the illusion of vinyl with the need to flip the disc(s) and is dedicated to his son who’s adorned with a name only rock n rollers can get away with using, Bowie.

Rank is backed on the album by Stag a select bunch of players John Howie Jr. (SOP / Patty Hurst Shifter) on drums, Sara Romweber (Dex Romweber Duo) , Marc E Smith (Two Dollar Pistols) on guitars, Daryl White (bass) with added twang from Alex Inglehart’s lap steel contributions and fiddle / mandolin from John Teer (Chatham County Line) and together they’ve produced a timeless piece of ragged unapologetic acoustic based rock n roll that pays homage to past without being constrained by it.

ON THE BLEED by michael rank

STRAW MAN by michael rank

For those content with digital music you can pick up the album on name your own price basis at Bandcamp.

Scottish band the The Dirty Beggars serve up a musical slice of momma’s own apple pie on their fine début album Bite The Bullet, the five-piece bluegrass outfit are the Begbie brothers, Finn (vocals, mandolin, harmonica, guitar), Kieran (vocals, guitar) and Peter (banjo, guitar) with Peter Cameron (fiddle) and Stuart Printie (double bass , dobro),  resisting the temptation to borrow from the great American songbook the band deliver up tracks penned in their homeland nine of their own original compositions and one, the album’s title track,  from the late Bryan Begg – here’s a trio of tracks from the album to whet the appetite including a download of the album opener and personal favourite Hey Hey.

The Dirty Beggars – Hey Hey by The Dirty Beggars

The Dirty Beggars – Underneath The Sky by The Dirty Beggars

The Dirty Beggars – Too Tired by The Dirty Beggars

From the BBC . . . → Read More: The Dirty Beggars – Bite The Bullet]]>

Scottish band the The Dirty Beggars serve up a musical slice of momma’s own apple pie on their fine début album Bite The Bullet, the five-piece bluegrass outfit are the Begbie brothers, Finn (vocals, mandolin, harmonica, guitar), Kieran (vocals, guitar) and Peter (banjo, guitar) with Peter Cameron (fiddle) and Stuart Printie (double bass , dobro),  resisting the temptation to borrow from the great American songbook the band deliver up tracks penned in their homeland nine of their own original compositions and one, the album’s title track,  from the late Bryan Begg – here’s a trio of tracks from the album to whet the appetite including a download of the album opener and personal favourite Hey Hey.

The Dirty Beggars – Hey Hey by The Dirty Beggars

The Dirty Beggars – Underneath The Sky by The Dirty Beggars

The Dirty Beggars – Too Tired by The Dirty Beggars

From the BBC Celtic Connection 2012

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Lovely acoustic track performed by Sarah Howells of Paper Aeroplanes the song was originally written for dance producer, John O’Callaghan.

Catch Paper Aeroplanes live, they are all over the place May through August.

Thurs 10 May: QR Collective @ Llew Du, Aberystwyth Fri 11 May : Blue Sky Cafe, Bangor Sat 12 May : Ty Siamas, Dolgellau *** Call 01341 421 800 Sun 13 May: Hootenanny’s, Inverness (Door entry only) Mon 14 May : Old Bridge, Aviemore W/ Roddy Woomble Tues 15 May : The Roxy 171, Glasgow Weds 16 May – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh Fri 18 May: Minster, Sunderland w/ The Futureheads Sat 19 May: The Leopard, Doncaster Thurs 24 May: Bicycle Shop, Norwich SOLD OUT! Fri 25 May: The Square, Petersfield Sat 26 May: The Phoenix, Exeter w/ Jake Morley Mon 28 May : The Castle, Manchester Tues 29 May : Malt Cross – Nottingham Weds 30 . . . → Read More: Sarah Howells / Paper Aeroplanes – Find Yourself]]>

Lovely acoustic track performed by Sarah Howells of Paper Aeroplanes the song was originally written for dance producer, John O’Callaghan.

Catch Paper Aeroplanes live, they are all over the place May through August.

Thurs 10 May: QR Collective @ Llew Du, Aberystwyth
Fri 11 May : Blue Sky Cafe, Bangor
Sat 12 May : Ty Siamas, Dolgellau *** Call 01341 421 800
Sun 13 May: Hootenanny’s, Inverness (Door entry only)
Mon 14 May : Old Bridge, Aviemore W/ Roddy Woomble
Tues 15 May : The Roxy 171, Glasgow
Weds 16 May – Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh
Fri 18 May: Minster, Sunderland w/ The Futureheads
Sat 19 May: The Leopard, Doncaster
Thurs 24 May: Bicycle Shop, Norwich SOLD OUT!
Fri 25 May: The Square, Petersfield
Sat 26 May: The Phoenix, Exeter w/ Jake Morley
Mon 28 May : The Castle, Manchester
Tues 29 May : Malt Cross – Nottingham
Weds 30 May: The Stables, Milton Keynes
Thurs 31 May: Chapel Arts, Bath
Fri 1st June: Eden Cafe, St Austell TICKETS
Sat 2nd June: Calstock Arts, Cornwall
Sun 3rd June: Miss Peapods, Penryn
Mon 4th June: Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye
Tues 5th June: The Cellar, Southampton w/ Fossil Collective
Weds 6th June: Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff w/ Fossil Collective
Thurs 7th June: Ballyhoo, London, w/ Fossil Collective TICKETS
Fri 8th June : Arts Studio, Swansea Grand Theatre ***
Sat 9th June: Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, ***
*** With Al Lewis
Thurs 14th June – The Portland Arms, Cambridge
Sat 16 June – The Big Session Festival, Derbyshire
Sun 17th June – Lazy Bishops Festival, Farnham, Surrey
Sun 15th July – Pembroke Festival, Pembroke (afternoon)
Sat 21st July – Folkfest @ The Bedford, Balham
Sun 22nd July – Tonefest – nr Poole, Dorset
Sat 25th August – Greenbelt Festival, Cheltenham (6pm)