My wife and I had to put our dog and best friend, Hazor down on the day after Thanksgiving. He was almost 13 and lived a very full and happy life. It was, without a doubt, the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Just typing this brings tears to my eyes. Coming home was impossibly hard with nobody there, tail wagging to greet us. Our house became supremely empty and our collective loneliness reached an ultimate low point on Saturday morning. We got into our car and drove with no destination, just knowing we couldn’t be home.
What does any of this have to do with S. Carey? His record, All We Grow was the only one in our car. It played through multiple times uninterrupted. Those songs will forever be associated with the flood of memories that filled up my thoughts as we drove in silence remembering our great friend and companion. Fittingly, as I listen to “In The Dirt” the lyrics are just about perfect.
The above just released Your Truly session showcases how special the S. Carey live performance is and watching it over and over reminds me again about our Saturday drive.
I’ve watched the above video of Junip captured beautifully by the folks at Big Ass Lens at least a dozen times since seeing it for the first time. If you have yet to explore to beauty of the José González led Junip, then please take the time to pick up a copy of their record, Fields. It’s fantastic.
Amazon MP3 has some amazing albums on the cheap: including The National, Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Pink Floyd, Mavis Staples, Sade, LCD Soundsystem, Robert Plant and many more.
The year is fading quickly. Soon you will be bombarded with lists a plenty, including several here, declaring the top ArcadeKanyeNationalSufjan records of the year. Before that, however, I wanted to throw down a final four records from 2010 that fit somewhere within the wide net I’ve been calling grass|roots. Each of these bands/artists put out great records this year that, I would guess, have been largely overlooked in mainstream circles. Ease into the first day back from turkey by getting acquainted with some acoustic music from some very talented smiths of the song.
Chatham County Line – Wildwood
First, I direct your attention to Chatham County Line and their record Wildwood. They are a North Carolina quartet that walk a lovely line between traditional bluegrass and indie folk. The first time I heard them, I could have sworn it was Jim James on lead vocals, but no — that’s lead singer/songwriter Dave Wilson who, uncharacteristicly for a bluegrass band, has a soft reverb on the vocal mic that adds a layer or warmth to the songs on Wildwood. The record has a few other non-traditional elements on it that set it apart/make it awesome. The harmonica on “Crop Comes In” (see above) is super sweet and it crops up in several other songs giving them a rustic, bluesy sound. Also, a drum kit often kicks in and kicks things up a notch or two. Add the multi-voice harmonies and great songwriting to the mix and Wildwood is in the top 3 great bluegrass releases of the year.
If you dig into them and like what you hear, these guys are veterans; they have four other amazing records released over the last 10 years you should check out.
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The Giving Tree Band – The Joke, the Threat, and the Obvious
Also great is another just-this-side of traditional group,The Giving Tree Band from Chicago. In addition to their laid back bluegrass/string-band sound, they represent a fascinating example of sustainable musical production. These dudes play instruments made from the wood of fallen trees. Seriously. They record their music in buildings powered by solar and wind energy. Their albums are printed and packaged with 100% recycled materials. They plant trees to offset pollution created by the distrabution of those records. They are the real deal, people. In the midst of such greenery, they’ve also put out a lovely record that deserves your attention. You may have caught them opening for Frontier Ruckus a few weeks back and they will also be playing the Chicago Bluegrass Festival next weekend in Chicago.
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Doug Paisley – Constant Companion
The first thing I notice on Doug Paisley’s sophomore release Constant Companion is the keys. It’s kind a strange thing to stand out on a mostly acoustic record built around the voice and guitar of a great song writer — but sometimes it’s the nuances on an album that make it shine. The Hammond B3 on the opening track (and others) as well as the amazing piano work throughout centers this record and sweetens in in a way that makes it the perfect afternoon chill music. Doug Paisley has been aptly compared to Bonnie “Prince” Billy. What separates the one from the other, though, is that the latter as a moniker for Will Oldham operates as a kind of smoke screen — you’re never sure, even through the ache, when Oldham is being honest and when he is inventing. With Paisley, there’s never a question.
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John Shade – All You Love is Need
Finally, early in the year a friend introduced me to the solo artist John Shade and his debut record All You Love is Need. We featured John on a podcast back in April. All You Love is Need was recorded in Bon Iver’s cabin in Wisconsin by Justin’s brother Nate Vernon late last year and is, simply, a charming record that I’ve listened to again and again throughout the year. I’m just sorry I haven’t given the album a more distinctive shout-out earlier. Pick up his record over at bandcamp for whatever you’d like to pay.
2010 provided plenty of memorable nights of live music in Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, and at various festivals and cities across the US. Below you’ll find my 30 favorite concerts of 2010. Inevitably, there are probably ones I forgot about, didn’t attend, or straight up didn’t know about. That being said, the 30 shows listed below represent some of the best nights of my life this year. [Photo by CJ Foeckler]
1. Pavement – Pabst Theater, Milwaukee (Video: “Range Life” “Summer Babe” “Trigger Cut“)
2. Neil Young + Bert Jansch – The Ryman, Nashville (Nashville Scene Review)
3. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – Preservation Hall, New Orleans (Muzzle of Bees Review/Photos)
4. Muzzle of Bees 5th Anniversary – Cactus Club, Milwaukee (A.V Club Milwaukee Review)
5. Megafaun + Sam Quinn + Conrad Plymouth – Club Garibaldi, Milwaukee (Video: “Bonnie’s Song” | A.V Club Milwaukee Review)
6. Jónsi – Pabst Theater, Milwaukee (Video: “Grown Till Tall” “Tornado” “Sinking Friendships“)
7. The Tallest Man On Earth – Pabst Theater, Milwaukee (Video: “I Won’t Be Found“)
8. Breathe Owl Breathe – Cactus Club, Milwaukee (Video: “House of Gold” “Swimming“)
9. The Rural Alberta Advantage – SXSW Backyard BBQ, Austin (Muzzle of Bees Review)
10. Sharon Van Etten – Cactus Club, Milwaukee (Video: “A Joke Or A Lie“)
11. The Rosebuds + Broken Social Scene – Hopscotch Music Festival, Raleigh (Review)
12. Strand of Oaks + Golden Coins + Wolfgang Schaefer – Cactus Club (Video: “Two Kids“)
13. GAYNGS – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee (A.V. Club Milwaukee Review)
14. Frontier Ruckus + David Wax Museum + Juniper Tar – Cactus Club
15. Roadside Graves + Jeremiah Nelson – Cactus Club, Milwaukee
16. Crooked Fingers + Conrad Plymouth – Club Garibaldi, Milwaukee (Video: “Revenge“)
17. A.A. Bondy – High Noon Saloon, Madison (Video: “Black Rain, Black Rain“)
18. Damien Jurado – Mad Planet, Milwaukee (Video: “Kansas City” “Harborview” “Abilene“)
19. The Flaming Lips – Riverside Theater, Milwaukee (Video: “Do You Realize?“)
20. The Avett Brothers + The Low Anthem – Riverside, Milwaukee (Video: “I & Love & You“)
21. The National + Owen Pallet – Riviera, Chicago (Video: “Terrible Love” “Squalor Victoria“)
22. Harlem – Slims, Hopscotch Music Festival, Raleigh (Video: “Gay Human Bones“)
23. St. Vincent – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee (Video: “These Days“)
24. My Morning Jacket – Charter One Pavillion, Chicago (Muzzle of Bee Review/Photos)
25. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros + Dawes – Pabst, Milwaukee (Video: “Home“)
26. Langhorne Slim – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee (Video: “Land of Dreams“)
27. Built To Spill – Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee (Video: “Car” “Carry The Zero“)
28. Nathaniel Rateliff – Club Garibaldi, Milwaukee (Video: “Pounds & Pounds“)
29. Devo – Summerfest, Milwaukee (Video: “Beautiful World” “Jocko Homo“)
30. The National + The Antlers – Radio City Music Hall, New York (Video: “Conversation 16“)
Discuss: What were the best concerts you saw this year? What shows did you miss that you really wanted to see? Who tops your list of who you’d like to see live in 2011?
Here are the Wisconsin and Illinois shows we recommend you take in this week. Check them out below and let us know which ones you’ll be attending or ones you think should really make our list.
Upcoming Shows:
12/2 – Freelance Whales + Miniature Tigers – Lincoln Hall (CHICAGO)
12/2 – Superchunk + Times New Viking – Metro (CHICAGO)
12/2 – Jamey Johnson – Riverside Theater (MILWAUKEE)
12/3 – RJD2 – Metro (CHICAGO)
12/4 – Matt Pryor – House show at North Mendota Supper Club (MADISON)
12/4 – Delta Spirit + Darker My Love + The Fling- Metro (CHICAGO)
12/4 – Loretta Lynn – Riverside Theater (MILWAUKEE)
12/4 – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Congress Theater (CHICAGO)
12/4 – Faux Fir + the Fatty Acids + Made of Oak + The Glamour – Cactus Club (MILWAUKEE)
12/5 – Broken Bells – The Vic (CHICAGO)
Just Announced:
2/24 – Dum Dum Girls + The Minks – Empty Bottle (CHICAGO)
2/27 – Charlie Parr – Linneman’s (MILWAUKEE)
. It’s fantastic.
: including The National, Kanye West, Arcade Fire, Pink Floyd, Mavis Staples, Sade, LCD Soundsystem, Robert Plant and many more.
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