Recommended Listening...The Railbenders in Austin

If you're not familiar with the Denver country band the Railbenders (site, myspace, archive), you really should take a few minutes and have a listen. They're a really great group of musicians with a very unique sound fronted by Jim Dalton on vocals and led on electric guitar by Tony Nascar (fastest guitar in the West apparently), all propped up by Graham Haworth on drums and Tyson Murray on the upright bass.

This show, on this eve of Austin's South By Southwest music festival, finds the Railbenders electric flavor of country is joined by special guest Jordan Shapiro on pedal steel. The covers are sublime but the originals are really where the Railbenders are at their finest, especially on tunes like I70 Westbound, Leavin' Song, Country Song and Drivin' Back To Denver.

Enjoy...

Quotes From The Show Part I

I've been toying with this idea for a while...documenting quotes from musicians during (or after the show). Here's the inaugural entry.

"I'm higher than gas prices."
-Reid Wilson, 2008.03.07

"Reid Wilson says 'good night'!!"
-Reid Wilson, 2008.03.07

Reid Wilson & His So-Called Friends @ Jovita's

Reid Wilson & His So-Called Friends (myspace) threw down a rather enjoyable set Friday night March 7th at Jovita's in Austin. The So-Called Friends consist of Reid on acoustic guitar and vocals, Josh Vernier on drums, Jason Daly on lead acoustic guitar, Lew Card on mandolin and electric guitar and Kevin Fox on the upright bass.

Their music is country but not what you hear on the radio. Let's call it classic or insurgent country, especially on tracks like 'Country Music Revolution'. Reid's cover of Butch Hancock's 'West Texas Waltz' does great justice to a song and an artist who don't get their dues. Have a listen for yourself.

Note: the hum in the recording goes away right before they start 'West Texas Waltz'.

Scott Nolan & Joanna Miller @ Sam's Town Point

This is a fun show from Winnipeg's Scott Nolan (site, myspace) and Joanna Miller at one of the best dive's in Austin, Sam's Town Point (site, myspace). This show includes special guest Bart Willis (site) of Southside Tattoo (which isn't a band name).

A barometer a band is the ability to convert the casual listener to attentive fan. I can say with some certainty that Scott & Joanna did just that on this night. I got lots of questions from the folks at Sam's about who they were, where they were from, usually followed by 'damn, they're awesome.' And when are they coming back.

Bart is no slouch either. Enjoy this show. Support these guy by buying a record going to a show or getting a tattoo.

A Country SxSW

If you're going to be in Austin for SxSW and are looking for some Country, Roots Rock, Alt-Country, Americana, we've culled through the websites, myspace artist pages, blogs and paper press to come up with a lot of great mostly free options. You can see the complete list on the google calendar at the top of this page. Without further adieu, here are the highlights.

We'll update this with more stuff as we figure out some of the other stuff going on...

Tuesday 3/11:
Walt Wilkins & The Mystiqueros at the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo (5$)
The Railbenders at the Scoot Inn (free)

Wednesday 3/12:
The Railbenders & Eddie Eddie Spaghetti at The Mean Eyed Cat, 5p. (Tickets are 15$ and on sale Saturday 3/8 @ 10a @ the Mean Eyed Cat)
Palo Duro Records Showcase at Waterloo Records (free)

Comboplate Booking's South X Soup Fest at Guero's (free)
Guitartown/Conqueroo/Drew Glackin Memorial at Mother Egan's (free)
South X San Jose at Hotel San Jose (free) (Bare Jr, N. Mississippi All Stars, Felice Brothers)

Friday 3/14:
Twangfest at Jovita's (free)
Sin City Social Club at Maria's Taco Express (free)
Bloodshot Records Day Party at Yard Dog Art Gallery (free)
South X San Jose at Hotel San Jose (free) (Hayes Carll, Mason Jennings, David Garza, Billy Joe Shaver)

Saturday 3/15:
Twangfest at Jovita's (free)
Mean Eyed Cat Bootleg BBQ with BSOJC (free)
GreenHouse Americana Showcase (20$)
South X San Jose at Hotel San Jose (free)

Sunday 3/16:
Dale Watson at Ginny's Little Longhorn (free)
The Oaks Non-SXSW Party at the Oaks in Manor (free)

45 Years Ago Today

[2008.03.07: I am reposting this entry with the audio from that evening].

Damon Bramblett should have been playing his music at the Dry Creek Cafe 45 years ago today. The Dry Creek itself wouldn't have looked much different...the old tables and chairs would still be there. Sarah would have been a spry lass of 49. Her green trailer still would have been parked out back. The contents of the 45s on the jukebox would be the same. And the bar itself would still have been, as I understand, only slightly less rickety. The only problem with this whole scenario is that Damon Bramblett wasn't born yet. I would put Damon somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 trips around the sun.

The first thing I noticed about Damon when I first heard him sing was that he sounds a lot like Johnny Cash. Well, an other-worldly version of Johnny Cash who never smoked a cigarette and never had a proclivity for popping pills. With the timelessness of Johnny Cash's music, Damon transported my wife and me back to 1962 there on Mt. Bonnell Road back when the Dry Creek had live music on a more regular basis. Warm, humid evening. Cold Lonestar. No A/C. A great little band with some great songs to play.

The band on this evening consisted of Damon on acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals, Tom Lewis on drums and Kevin Smith on upright bass. Tom and Kevin play with Heybale here in town. The guys did a bunch of Damon's tunes as well as covers of "I'm Gonna Sit On The Porch And Pick On My Old Guitar" and "Busted" (both Cash tunes) as well as Townes Van Zandt's "Loretta" and a cover of the classic "Sea of Heartbreak".

One thought I had while trying to wipe the huge grin off my face was "this must be what old Austin was like." I don't know that it's possible to miss something I never experienced first hand, but given my taste last night, I badly miss old Austin.

They created a fantastic semblance of the steady-like-a-train, sharp-like-a-razor sound that JC & Tennessee Two made famous. I closed my eyes several times and just basked in that "this is what 1962 felt like"-vibe. Moments like that are priceless but being that it came to me essentially free made it ever more sweet.

If you get the chance, go check out Damon live sometime. He's got a record floating around somewhere. Buy it if you can find it.

Damon's myspace: www.myspace.com/damonbramblett
This show on archive.org: www.archive.org/det..tt2007-08-30.ds70p.flac

ps....Damon's version of "Loretta" was fantastic. Completely not sad in the way that TVZ's interpretation can be.

Corb Lund, Roger Marin & Romi Mayes Song Swap

This was a really enjoyable little song swap from Hayes Carll's Stingaree Music Festival last year. This song swap features Corb Lund (site, myspace), Roger Marin (site, myspace) and Romi Mayes (site, myspace). The most enjoyable thing about this set for me is seeing the early, rough versions of several of Corb Lund's tunes that ended up slightly different on his latest record, Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!. Marin's and Mayes' tunes were also fine on this Sunday morning...

The Horseshoe Ramblin Orchestra @ The Horseshoe Lounge

This was a fun little show from a while back with an mish-mosh of performers from various bands, clans, bars and gangs of Austin. Lots of great covers. Enjoy...

The Horseshoe Rambling Orchestra
The Horseshoe Lounge
Austin, TX
February 10, 2008

Lawrence Glass Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Will Sexton Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Johnny Dango Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Kevin Hennessey Bass
Reid Dixon Drums for most of the show, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Ace Harmonica
Lew Card Mandolin, Vocals
Reid Wilson Acoutic Guitar, Vocals
Charlie Faye Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Nathan Mayes Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Pear Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Josh Burnier Drums

Source 1: Soundboard Source 2: SPCMC20->SPSPSB1 Mixer: Presonus Firebox
Lineage: Mac Book Pro->Garageband->AIF->Audition->WAV->FLAC
Recorded & Transferred by Aaron Wevodau (wevodau@gmail.com)

Set 1 (153:47.32), Set 2 (132:09.17)


www.myspace.com/thehorseshoeramblingorchestra
These folks all play with other bands.
Support them all.
Buy their records.
Go to their shows.

Tim Hus: Another Great Canadian Artist

This post has nothing whatsoever to do with Austin music but I thought I'd just post a little blurb here about Tim Hus (site, myspace). He's a buddy of Corb Lund (site, myspace) and some would argue that they share a certain commonality in terms of sound. They've collaborated on songwriting and each other's albums in the past but I wanted to focus on Hus' music here.

Tim Hus has three records...2002's Songs Of West Canada, 2004's Huskies And Husqvarnas and 2006's Alberta Crude. Each record has what I would consider to be relatively sparse arrangements that work perfectly with Hus' voice and compositions. After a listen to each record, I am certain they're going to get more play from me in the near future.

My current favorite tracks are "Open Pit Mine", "Dangerous Dave's Tractor Show", "Everybody Likes A Hank Williams Song", "One More Oil Boom" and "Man With A Black Hat". Speaking of a man with a black hat, written for Stompin' Tom Connors (site, myspace), Hus has a great deal of respect for Canadian cowboy luminaries Ian Tyson and Stompin' Tom.

Regardless of who Hus counts among his musical influences, there is a great presence to his music that makes the music instantly palatable and immensely enjoyable.

Also, I wanted to mention that after listening to his cds for a few weeks now, his vocals share a certain Johnny-Cash-ness with Damon Bramblett (myspace).

If you want Hus' collection, you'll have to get it from him at a show somewhere down the road or send him a check.

The Taping 411 on Austin, TX Live Music Venues (Part 1)

I always have questions about venues and how taper friendly they are both in terms of the soundman, the audience, the physical layout of the venue and the atmosphere/sound of the room. Here's my humble assessment of the situation at the places I have taped. To Austin's credit, most places are ok with taping although their layout may not always be so conducive.

I'll split the list up into two categories, soundman vs. no soundman (aka the band runs their own sound). We'll start off with the soundman positive venues.

**as always, ask the band before recording**

Venues With A Regluar Soundman
-Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress, has some really excellent soundguys who have always been friendly towards me when requesting a sbd plug. The room itself has decent sound. If you're looking to just do an audience recording, you can put your mikes on the rack that is directly in front of and to the right of the soundguy (if you're tall enough). Otherwise, it's a crap shoot because the Continental has a lot of foot traffic during most shows and the crowd can be very chatty. Warning: for some louder acts, the performers won't run their guitars through the board instead just playing off their amps.
http://www.archive.org/details/deke2006-05-05.sbd.flac
http://www.archive.org/details/occ2008-01-10.matrix.flac

-Stubb's BBQ (Inside), 801 Red River, has some good sound and friendly soundguys. If you're not plugging into the board, your mike placement options are limited on the floor (standing room only with a low ceiling). You could probably hang them from the railing that overhangs the main floor (or otherwise place them on the 'balcony'). The room usually sounds excellent so if you can get a good spot for your mikes, you'll be in luck. Otherwise, I'd just go with the board feed.
http://www.archive.org/details/scottmiller2007-06-07.sbd.flac
http://www.archive.org/details/sajb2007-12-31.sbd.flac

-The Cactus Cafe, 2247 Guadalupe, is my favorite place to see a show. The soundguys are always friendly and accommodating. You could place a mike anywhere (and I have) in this room and get a pretty decent audience recording. Recording is easier when they have the tables out (for smaller shows) but definitely still doable when the room is filled with chairs.
http://www.archive.org/details/iseehawks2006-06-07.spcmc20.flac
http://www.archive.org/details/dannyschmidt2007-06-05.sbd.flac

-The Saxon Pub, 1320 S. Lamar, is an enigma to me. I know people who love this place whereas I am somewhat lukewarm towards it. It's my understanding that they don't give sbd plugs to non-band affiliated tapers and actually, they prefer to record the show themselves (as a a service to the performer) and sell the recording to them. In my opinion, the sound of the room is hard to dial in because of the shape of room (vaulted ceilings, big bar, lots of bodies in motion). I have seen some excellent sounding shows there but I've also seen the flipside to that. From a audience recording perspective, it can be a crap shoot. Caveat emptor.
http://www.archive.org/details/hayescarll2006-12-05.ds70p.flac
http://www.archive.org/details/corblund2008-01-18.ds70p.flac

-Threadgill's, 301 W. Riverside, has some of the best outdoor sound in town. The soundguys are usually friendly and accommodating. There's plenty of room to spread out and usually some tables (for your gear) up front if you get there early enough. Warning: I taped a show here where the recording off the board cut in and out. It could have been my cables but just be mindful.
http://www.archive.org/details/sajb2006-10-01.sbd.flac

-Jovita's, 1617 S. 1st, soundguys are friendly and accommodating. Since Jovita's is a smaller room, they don't always have all the instruments running through the board (especially electric guitars and bass) but you could do a decent matrix hanging mikes on the overhang behind the board. This isn't my favorite place but you can definitely get some decent recordings here.
http://www.archive.org/details/gunhands2007-06-08.matrix.flac

-Headhunters, 720 Red River, a decent but small room with friendly soundguys. I've never been there for a crowded show but there are plenty of ledges and miscellaneous areas for setting up mikes and other gear. There are a couple of stages at Headhunter's but I've only ever taped in the main room.
http://www.archive.org/details/markjungers2007-07-25.sbd.flac

-Momo's, 618 W. 6th, is a really excellent bar and club for live music. It's got a weird shape (big bar, oddly placed stage) but great sound. The soundguys are excellent but there is a catch. Some louder bands don't run all their guitars through the board. The other downside is that unless you're at a table, your options for mike placement are limited. You'll figure something out.
http://www.archive.org/details/sajb2007-05-26.sdb.flac

-Cheatham Street Warehouse 119 Cheatham (San Marcos), has decent sound and the sound guys are usually accommodating. If you want to do some audience recording, there are lots of rails, tables and ledges for you to put your gear. I recorded most of the 2006 Hill Country Mess Around from just to the left of the stage at a table and it sounded pretty damn good. Not really a bad spot in the house really but there are pool tables and sometimes a lot of people not paying attention towards the back and bar.
http://www.archive.org/details/smiller2006-05-13.aud.flac16
http://www.archive.org/details/hayescarll2006-11-30.sbd.flac

-Triple Crown, 206 N. Edward Gary (San Marcos), has an interesting setup. The sound guys there tell me that there's no easy way to plug into the board. I think all the aux jacks are in positions that are isolated and unreachable based on the console that the board is in. That aside, the room has good sound and you can put your recording gear on top of the board-console. The crowd can be chatty but you'll have that.
http://www.archive.org/details/dedringers2006-12-14.ds70p.flac
http://www.archive.org/details/dedringers2007-02-07.ds70p.flac
http://www.archive.org/details/markjungers2007-09-14.ds70p.flac

-Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road (New Braunfels) is a great place for a show. If you're there for a big (night time, weekend show), the sound guys are typically accomodating but if I remember right, the board only has XLR outs so be mindful of that. If you're there for a daytime show, the bands are typically running their own sound. There are plenty of tables and places to put your gear.
http://www.archive.org/details/sidehillgougers2006-03-05.sbd.flac16
http://www.archive.org/details/hayescarll2006-03-26.spcmc20.flac
http://www.archive.org/details/markjungers2007-10-25.matrix.flac

-The Parish, 214 E. 6th, has, as far as I can tell, a policy of not giving soundboard plugs but I think you could talk your way into a plug if the band is ok with it. Right next to the board, is a stack of sound equipment where you can place a small recording rig. Anywhere else in the room is going to be tough because there aren't ledges and the shows there are usually standing room only.
http://www.archive.org/details/joshritter2007-10-29.ds70p.flac

-Antone's, 213 W. 5th, recently moved its soundboard from the balcony overlooking the bars and stage to right below the balcony. Prior to that, they would be accommodating with soundboard plugs but now not so much. On the upside, the balcony is not being used so you have a great place to put your gear (get permission first) where no one will be running into it.

-Poodie's Hilltop, 22308 W. Highway 71 (Spicewood), is a fun bar. Not a great place to record as the (band) performers are almost always playing off their amps. If it's just a couple of guys and guitars, a sbd plug might work. Anything more (drums, electric guitars) and the board won't have it. There are lots of tables and places for mikes. The soundguy there swore the best sound in the room was right in the back, next to the door farthest from the stage (with every person in the bar between you and the stage). I'd love to have someone try recording from there and let me know what happens.

-La Zona Rosa, 612 W. 4th, has a pretty strict no-soundboard-plug policy. On the upside, the sound is decent (it's a big long, open room) and there's an 8-foot high support rail on the right of the room that's perfect for mike-placement.