Reviews, news and blues.
I was first exposed to Carolina Chocolate Drops (CCD) on NPR a few weeks ago, and immediately took a liking to the sampling streaming on the site. The three-piece group from Durham got their start in November of 2005 and gathered steam with four albums on three different labels. They may have found a home in 2010 with Warner and Nonesuch Records with their latest release, Genuine Negro Jig.
The album opens up with an instrumental song called “Peace Behind the Bridge.” It’s a good beginning for what’s to come. The old-timey repetitive fiddle playing meshes very well with the banjo, and I really enjoy the syncopated rhythm of the bones (yes, bones) played by Dom Flemons. “Peace Behind the Bridge” is enjoyable and unobtrusive.
“Trouble in Your Mind,” a traditional Piedmont-style folk song, probably should not have been the second song on Genuine Negro Jig. I’m not saying it’s bad, which it certainly isn’t, but it sounds similar to “Peace Behind the Bridge” and is in the same key as well. The downfall to this is that the fiddle riffs parallel those to the opening track. “Trouble in Your Mind” has terrific vocal harmonies and you can’t help but want to imagine yourself at a hoedown in a dimly lit barn out in the country.
The third track is an original titled “You’re Baby Ain’t As Sweet As Mine.” It is reminiscent of the band Asylum Street Spankers with the ukulele-sounding four string banjo, snare drum and whimsical kazoo solos. I love the tight vocal harmonies on the chorus. SIDENOTE: Unfortunately, this song is NOT offered on the iTunes album download. If you’re going to buy the record anyway, you may as well pick it up in a store.
Remember back in the late 1990s when Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘Em Up Style” was THE anthem for women who had cheating men (she was before Carrie Underwood, folks)? CCD does, and Rhiannon Giddens brings it back to life with smoky, gyspyesque fiddle riffs. I do wish that she had a little more grit and soul in her voice for the song because I don’t feel like she sings with a great deal of passion here. The enharmonic minor runs on her fiddle playing almost make up for the vocals. The beatbox and snare add a very interesting complexity, lending a rhythm-and-blues roots folk feel to the song.
“Cornbread and Butterbeans” is another traditional North and South Carolina Piedmont-style folk song. Once again, CCD shows that they have exceptionally good harmonies, and it offers up the nostalgic thoughts of late nights with moonshine by a campfire. I do, however, wish that during production, the backup vocals were more centrically panned, but that’s a minor detail.
The enharmonic, rhapsodic gypsy fiddling returns with “Snowden’s Jig (Genuine Negro Jig). The instrumental track is both enchanting and haunting. Giddens gets to show off her refined and soulful fiddling abilities, while Flemmons and Justin Robinson offer back up with their catchy percussive beats. The melody to this instrumental is eerily smiliar to the hip-hop icon Akon’s song “Smack That,” which in my mind is moderately detrimental to the song that lends its name to the album title.
I love the Am-G-F-E7 walkdown. So does Bob Dylan and Ray Charles. On “Why Don’t You Do Right,” Giddens vocals are absolutely phenomenal. Her phrasings and breath control are incredible on this song, which is probably my favorite on the entire album. You can feel her pain in her expressions. Janis Joplin’s cover of the Gershwin’s “Summertime” is the first thing that came to mind when I first heard “Why Don’t You Do Right.” Rhiannon Giddens has a much more polished voice, and I’d compare her to Diana Ross’ version of “Lover Man” by Billie Holiday from the album Lady Sings the Blues.
“Cindy Gal” is another traditonal folk song with some blues influences. Somewhere, I think I have a Leadbelly record where he performs it, too. It shares the same structure as “Cornbread and Butterbeans,” so you have to remind yourself that this is the style, and not a flaw in unoriginality on CCD’s part. Just like “Your Baby Ain’t As Sweet As Mine,” “Cindy Gal” is not offered on the iTunes album download.
Justin Robinson’s silky smooth, airy vocals on “Kissin’ and Cussin’” are perfect. The song is written in the saddest of all keys (D minor), and his autoharp on the song gives it a wind up music box feel. It’s a love ballad of forgiveness, and is my second favorite song on the album.
“Sandy Boys” is another traditional folk song, and the fiddle, banjo, and vocals are just like those of “Cindy Gal,” and “Cornbread and Butterbeans.” I’m thankful that the producers did not put the three songs on the album consecutively.
“Reynadine” is another traditional folk song, only it’s sung solo and a capella by Giddens. It reminds me of “Oh Shenandoah” or “The Gypsy Rover,” which are two other traditional folk songs. The melody, however, has influences from Irish folk songs, and is a nice break from the rest of Genuine Negro Jig. This one isn’t on the iTunes download page, either.
Tom. Waits. He’s the MAN. CCD covers “Trampled Rose” and it sounds great. While Flemmons doesn’t have the signature gravelly voice of Waits, he does a very good job on this cover.
Overall, I really enjoyed CCD’s Genuine Negro Jig. I wish it was a bit more raw, but I’m sure they sound better live. The album sits in at around 40 minutes, so I wish it was a bit longer. I also would have enjoyed having more originals on the album. Would I recommend it to someone who enjoys folk music? Yes.
So it’s been a few weeks- I apologize. Let’s recap:
I turned 24.
I wrote the February MUSICAL FAMILY TREE band of the month feature.
Played at the NUVO/MOKB Presents: Hope for Haiti benefit with HolyGhostCanyon… the music festivities helped raise over $2,000 for the 1/12/10 earthquake.
Found out that HolyGhostCanyon will be touring from March 26 thru April 6(ish) along the east coast, including NYC. Dates/Times/Venues TBA. I’m pretty excited that my first time to NYC will be on tour.
The band I front, spoonjoint, will be debuting 3 new songs at our upcoming March 25 performance at RadioRadio… you should be there.
Also, expect some album reviews from me for Warner Music. here are the cliff notes:
Charlotte Gainsbourg- IRM (LOVE IT!)
The Magnetic Fields- Realism (Initial listen was good, subsequent listens rendered it obnoxious)
Jaheim- Another Round (Not big on newer hip/hop R&B, but this was pretty good)
Carolina Chocolate Drops- Genuine Negro Jig (haven’t listened, heard a sample on NPR Music and am VERY EXCITED to listen).
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Finally, I’m going to start cataloging all of my vinyl. Prepare to have your minds blown.
Eating peanut m&ms. I know, I RARELY eat candy, but I’m happy to report there are, in fact, no brown m&ms.
My MFT band of the month feature, Accordions, and their debut album, “Hope for the Best.”
Wrote them up as the featured band of the month for Musical Family Tree:
http://www.musicalfamilytree.net/profiles/blogs/band-of-the-month-the-bears
When Gavin Wilkenson put together Bears of Blue River (BOBR) in Muncie, he didn’t want to be tied down to any particular sound. After having played with This Story and a few other bands, he was able to conceptualize how each individual part of the whole affects a song. Bands broke up, and Wilkinson immersed himself in seeking and listening to old one-hit wonders and this search eventually developed into an obsession. The short, direct messages of these pop songs inspired him to write again. Thus, the birth of BOBR.
Gavin decided to bring long-time friend and fellow musician Justin Spring with him from This Story to help evolve the sound. Some similarities were carried over from This Story, but their new sound was fresh and unique. There was no specific style or sound in mind, just an idea to, “Forge their way in any listener’s ear for a permanent residency.” While nurturing their sound, Wilkinson knew that he wanted it to be something all its own. The result was a mix between Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison from the 1950s and 1960s to indie groups such as Rilo Kiley and Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.
The Bears hit the proverbial ground running in Muncie, and before too long the group moved to Chicago, where they found the music scene to be a fast-paced learning experience. Wilkenson describes it as, “The Big Fish in the Small Pond Syndrome.” Early jitters gave way out of necessity, and the BOBR quickly recognized the daunting task that lay ahead. In the Windy City, the BOBR found themselves a part of an incredible experience, finding a large, supportive network with the people who have become part of “The Bear Family.” This close-knit group helped them with their ambitions and in recording.
Richard Edwards and Tyler Watkins provided the pre-production and in-studio work with the band, and they assisted the Bears with their first EP, “The Killer Bee Scare.” In the studio, each member had to step up and push themselves to become better musicians. Edwards and Watkins pushed the group, offering insight and encouragement with each track. The process consumed and is still consuming each and every paycheck Wilkenson brings home, but he is focused on the future and Sharing the Bear and their upcoming “Killer Bee” tour in support of the album, which kicks off January 17 in Chicago with the Indianapolis-based band Jookabox (on Asthmatic Kitty’s label).
While writing the songs for “The Killer Bee Scare,” Gavin tried to avoid the stereotypical idiosyncrasies many songs possess. He went about writing with an idea that each song would be a story and allow the listener to enjoy the upbeat nature of the music even though some of the underlying messages hint otherwise. “Me, Me, Me,” has a bubbly, Indie pop vibe, but the subject matter is quite the opposite. “Crayola” was written about various events that happened to Wilkenson, including a rather interesting New Year’s Eve in New York City involving bandmate Justin Spring. “Tickled Pink” fluffs the whimsicality of the band, but Gavin admits he couldn’t finish writing the song until he overheard his neighbors’ lovemaking one afternoon. “I suppose the whole cycle of someone finding happiness whenever and however amused me.” He prefers not to offer up the sources of all his inspiration, however, because he wants the listeners to conjure up their own personal insight for each song. Wilkenson did confirm that there are inside jokes in some of his lyrics that only a few people would be able to catch the actual references.
Their tour’s second stop (and EP release!) will in Indianapolis January 20 at the Earth House Collective. This will be the BOBR’s second official show in Indianapolis since the 2009 Broad Ripple Music Festival. Dan Fahrner from Musical Family Tree knew Wilkenson and the band from Muncie and assisted in putting them on the lineup. The Bears were excited to be playing in Indiana again in front of friends and family to be a part of what has become a favorite event of many Indianapolis music lovers.
The group played along side another Chicago-based band, Deep Cricket Night at La Jolla’s Wasted Space. With such a heavy local-band lineup, Wilkenson and the Bears were pleasantly surprised to find that their Indie Folk sound had already found a supportive following. Although the venue was small, it was absolutely packed with unfamiliar faces, and as Gavin said, “It reminded me that Indianapolis always has a bit more love to offer than you think.” The audience was extremely receptive and consequently, the Bears saw a surge in electronic messages, website plays, comments and Facebook friend requests. The social media network has been a huge help to BOBR- from Twitter and Facebook to MySpace, to keep The Bear Family updated on shows and other related news.
I’ve listened to “The Killer Bee Scare” EP several times, and I’m still catching new references each time. One of my favorite things about their sound is how well the intricate layering works. It provides a simplistic, yet full quality to the whole, and there is not a single wasted note. I particularly love the undertones of slide guitar in the background. Expect big things from the Bears, including a Daytrotter session. For more information about that, as well as upcoming tour dates and how you can Share the Bear, get online towww.myspace.com/thebearsofblueriver or www.facebook.com/thebearsofblueriver for their latest updates. If you miss them at the Earth House on the 20th, you’ll have another shot to hear them in Indianapolis on March 25 at the Melody Inn.
Listen and download the Killer Bee Scare right here: http://www.musicalfamilytree.com/band/bears_of_blue_river_the
By Andrews Feigenbaum
Tags: bears, bee, blue, brmf, broad, fest, indianapolis, killer, muncie, music
Spoon Joint, Holy Ghost Canyon, Christian Taylor & Homeschool, and Beta Male are teaming up for a stripped down set at the Tab on 1/16. No stacks, no racks, no synthesizers. It’s going to be something you won’t want to miss!
I’ll be playing a solo set, along with a stripped set with Jascha, Homeschool and Kuhn (we’re part of Holy Ghost Canyon) this Friday at the Earth House at 5pm.
Spoon Joint will be playing 1/20 at the Earth House with Everything, Now! and the Bears of Blue River. $5, 8pm.
Holy Ghost Canyon will be playing 1/29 at the Earth House. $5, 8pm.
Holy Ghost Canyon will also be playing a show with NormaOaks in Bloomington in February (TBA) and a show on 2/6 at the 1511 in Indianapolis for a Battered Women’s Benefit.
Rumors are circulating that HGC will be playing at the Vogue in February as well.
Both Spoon Joint and HGC will be playing at Radio Radio in March. Spoon Joint will be playing with Trampled By Turtles out of Minnesota. Tickets are available now through me or the MyOldKentuckyBlog’s ticket site. A date for the HGC show at Radio Radio is yet to be determined.
Amazon is selling the mp3 copy of Avett Brothers “Emotionalism” album for $1.99. TODAY ONLY!!
http://www.amazon.com/Emotionalism/dp/B0011YYOVK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1262184284&sr=8-2
Wrote this today, passed it along to @dancphine (my lead guitarist)… he said he’s got some chords that will be perfect for it.
Sometimes I wonder if it’ll be alright
Hate is such a lonely word
But you’re a stranger to me now
Come on, darlin’, don’t forget the poor days.
Won’t you put that cigarette out?
Could you do that for me?
It’s all relevant to the situation
Did you give my love to someone else?
That’s okay, babe, the coke is gone.
I heard you sobbing through the bathroom door.
But those tears weren’t for me.
I know that much.
So no more expectations
I wanna see the sunrise in your eyes
We’re just shadows holdin’ hands
Pain done hollow us to the soul
That’s what makes us whole, right?
Let’s go with it.
I confessed things to you
I never should have said
Wasting my time getting wasted at night
Until it’s gone.
You’re gone.
We’re gone.
I’m gone.
Hate is such a lonely word.
What music are you listening to today?
I’m switching between my Ryan Adams and Avett Brothers stations on slacker radio.
