The Latest Shows We've Recorded

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

[FairRetailRecordings] #0083 -- Fred Eaglesmith -- Freight Train

#0083

In case anyone cares, Alan Jackson's new record Freight Train is coming out today (3/30/2010) and the title track was written by Canadiana songwriting luminary Fred Eaglesmith. We here at FRR HQ are thrilled at the prospect of Fred getting a few sawbucks from the Alan Jackson music machine. As tribute, we've included Fred's live version of Freight Train from a show at Threadgill's.

[Also of note, the Freight Train record cover (below) features (a photoshopped version of) AJax leaning against a Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive (#5901) that sits in the Railroad Museum of PA in Strasburg. Yep, we've been there and taken a picture of that same locomotive. /End boasting.]

And finally, this seems to be the right time to segue way into FRR's first annual Month Of Train Songs! You knew it was going to happen sooner or later. Embrace it.

Alan Jackson - Freight Train

Date: 2008.10.08

Enjoy. And support your local music scene.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Alt-512's Monthly Album Reviews & Recommendations [Condensed Version]

March sped by and we even though missed the bulk of the SXSW craziness between traveling and (real, bill-paying) work, we have hardly had time to listen to the submissions from our friends at ReviewShine. When the month started, we had downloaded a bunch of records but only one caught our ear this month and that one ended up in continuous rotation on the alt512 iPhone. The record we're pumping this month is Sara Petite's Doghouse Rose.

Sara Petite's voice is classic country. The songs themselves, all written by Petite except for one co-write and a Harlan Howard cover, remind us of the best of the best stuff that Chip Taylor wrote for his collaborations with Carrie Rodriguez a few years back. But it's more than that. The songs themselves run the gamut from bluegrass ("Bootleggers") to singer/songwriter ("Souvenirs", not the Prine/Goodman song) to straight country/honky-tonk ("Doghouse Rose", "Baby Let Me In") and even a little pop.

"Crazy" embodies the element of Doghouse Rose that we identify with most: honesty. We find all too often that artists tend to veil emotion or action at the risk of offending god-knows-who or in the interest of art or poetry (not that there's anything wrong with that). We kinda like things frank sometimes and Sara Petite delivers on the bad-decison-making-romp of "Crazy":
We made love in the church, we made love on the bar
The hotel, the motel, the love in the car
And we were crazy, oh so crazy
He had me swinging from the tables to the chandeliers
And whiskey was a-grinnin' from ear to ear

After the first few listens something really struck us: that this sounded like a Nashville record. Of course, we're not the biggest Nashville fans but what we came to find after a few more listens was that these songs, the things that can make or break a record before it's even recorded, were SPECTACULAR, regardless of the arrangement and Nashville-y production. Like the Tim Harwill record we latched onto back in January, we're definitely going to be buying the rest of the Sara Petite catalog as soon as humanly or digitally possible.

Between this and Harwill's The Wander Man Revisited, we have our early front-runners for the album of the year. [Yeah, I know Doghouse Rose was released in 2009 but I didn't get a heads up about it until this year, so there you go.]

We cannot recommend this record strongly enough.

Friday, March 26, 2010

[FairRetailRecordings] #0082 -- Max Stalling -- Topaz City

#0082

Max Stalling is one of the most glaring examples of "popular in Texas / not too popular anywhere else." His songwriting reinforces much of the small town, family, friends and occasionally guy-stuck-in-a-cistern ethos that embodies Americana (or maybe Texicana in this case). Couple those songs with a silky smooth voice and you've got one of the best hidden treasures of Texas music. This is a song about the old hometown.

Artist: Max Stalling
Date: 2008.04.30
Track: Topaz City

Enjoy. And support your local music scene.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

[FairRetailRecordings] #0081 -- Cross Canadian Ragweed -- Wanna Rock 'N Roll

#0081

A song by Ray Wylie Hubbard, covered by Cross Canadian Ragweed.

Venue: Ludlow's
Track: Wanna Rock 'N Roll [Too large to email, use the download link that's the track name.]

Enjoy. And support your local music scene.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

[FairRetailRecordings] #0080 -- Cross Canadian Ragweed -- Leaving Tennessee

#0080

With SXSW in full swing, there's always a strong pro-Indie feel in the air. Despite Ragweed's mainstream successes, I find this song really gives off an antiestablishment vibe. [Thanks to Chuck M for taping and sharing.]


Enjoy. And support your local music scene.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

[FairRetailRecordings] #0079 -- Will Kimbrough -- The Powers That Be

#0079

Another one that involves Will Kimbrough. I wish he'd tour solo more....


Enjoy. And support your local music scene.

Friday, March 12, 2010

[FairRetailRecordings] #0078 -- Daddy -- Wash And Fold

#0078

One of the most enjoyable days from SXSW was last year, seeing Daddy (Will Kimbrough, Tommy Womack, et al) and Chris Wall and Mark Jungers back to back. And if you don't know who Will Kimbrough is, shame on you.

Artist: Daddy

Enjoy. And support your local music scene.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Our On-Going Love Of The Boss' Atlantic City

We talked a while back about how much we love Springsteen's Atlantic City...a little too much, it turns out. This recording of Justin Townes Earle covering Atlantic City with Joe Pug turned up on the LMA (thanks NCHell & Atomic Pope) recently and we felt it would be remiss of us to not share it with you. Enjoy.

http://www.archive.org/download/jte2010-03-09/jte20100309d02t12.mp3


Tuesday, March 9, 2010

[FairRetailRecordings] #0077 -- Mike McClure -- Family Reserve

#0077

Last of the Mike McClure (for now). Here's a cover of a Lyle Lovett song.

Artist: Mike McClure
Date: 2008.12.10

Enjoy. And support your local music scene.

Friday, March 5, 2010

[FairRetailRecordings] #0076 -- Mike McClure -- North Platte Blues

#0076

Another one from Mike McClure, a song about home I guess.

Artist: Mike McClure
Date: 2008.12.10

Enjoy. And support your local music scene.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

[FairRetailRecordings] #0075 -- Mike McClure -- Out In The Fields

#0075

Mike McClure is an incredibly talented producer. However, had he never turned a nob on a Cross Canadian Ragweed record, he'd still be one of my favorite songwriters. Since his split from the Great Divide a few years back, he's been putting out great records left and right (Twelve Pieces And Camelot Falling are two absolute gems). That said, the next three FRR mailers are going to be from Mr. McClure. The first one is with the band a few years back at Threadgill's.

Artist: Mike McClure
Date: 2005.10.28

Enjoy. And support your local music scene.