Album Review : Graham Weber : Women

Jan 31, 2012 Album Reviews, Reviews

I once heard John Prine say on a live recording that if you got your heart broken you got a really good song, but if you got a divorce you get a whole damn album. Apparently, if you spend a year separated from your wife, thinking you are going to get a divorce before reconciling with her you can still channel those emotions into a great record. That is the story of Graham Weber’s latest release, Women.

This album was a long time in the making, but the wait was well worth it. Weber continues to hone his songwriting abilities while really creating an “album” feel. In the day and age of Itunes singles it is still refreshing when someone sets out to make a complete record. When you listen to Women all the way through, you get to travel the emotional roller coaster that Graham experienced during the  aforementioned year.

The reason for the album’s title is quickly apparent as Weber has enlisted a talented crew of female vocalists and musicians to help convey his feelings. The list includes Betty Soo, Carrie Rodriguez, Amanda Shires, and his wife, Michelle Keffer (another perk of making up with his talented wife) on vocals.

The songs range from the full band feel of the opening track, “Sweet Virginia Brown” that comes complete with Hammond B-3 and a saxophone to the sparsity of the heartbreaking  “Baltimore”, where Graham stands alone with an acoustic guitar and his vocals. The production on this record is in my opinion the best on any of his records to date, as his songs are backed and highlighted by the backing music perfectly.

I always try to throw out my favorite tracks on a record and that was a difficult process with this one. “Baltimore” appeared on his last live release, so I was definitely looking forward to hearing it on record.  “All About You” has Graham handling the vocals alone and is him telling his lost love that the songs have always been about her, and that the happy songs are the hardest to play without her in the crowd.

Michelle shows up in “Black and White” which is Weber looking at an old black and white photo of the two of them (provided in the inside cover) and longing for the time and mood of when the picture was taken. Co-wrote with Graham’s mentor Slaid Cleaves, “Still Be Mine” brings Carrie Rodriguez in on harmony vocals as Weber seeks to get his girl back by his side.

Finally, “Sleep it Off” features Betty Soo on vocals and ends the album on an upswing as the two separated lovers are once again back together and looking towards the future as they sing, “We’ll sleep it off and start it all again”.

Overall, this is the best complete album in Weber’s relatively short recording career. He continues to show that he is an amazing wordsmith and displays the ability to blend seamlessly with all of the vocal styles of his female guests.

To purchase Women, visit Graham Weber’s Website.

Tags: Betty Soo, Carrie Rodriguez, Graham Weber, john prine, slaid cleaves

Artist of the Month November, 2010 : Adam Carroll

Nov 3, 2010 Artist of the Month

This month’s artist once again comes from Texas. Carroll for me really stands out among the crowd of extremely talented songwriters from that region.

I’ve always felt that there is two types of songwriters that really make an impression on me. The first writes songs that are just brilliantly literary and poetic, almost untouchable in a way. The second is the songwriters that have a way of coming off as one of us, a common guy who writes songs that we all can easily relate to. Occasionally a songwriter finds a way to enter both of these realms at the same time. Sometimes it’s for a song, or an album and on very rare occasions they permanently reside there. Carroll belongs to the latter group.

His songs have a way of immediately connecting with the listener and at the same time, being completely beyond anything we could have written ourselves. The characters in his songs live in our neighborhoods but they are so elegantly presented within the song that it makes them seem larger than life.

Once you add in Carroll’s fine guitar and harmonica playing and his off kilter vocal delivery, you have an artist that in my opinion can hold his own in any songwriting circle, no matter how high up the ladder you go. Comparisons to John Prine and Townes Van Zandt seem to come at him from all directions and they are absolutely well deserved for once. I would throw others in the mix as well, Guy Clark, John Hiatt, and the list could go on. Basically think of all the writers that get every word right and go ahead and place Carroll in their midst.

I first heard of Carroll through a couple of Hayes Carll bootlegs, where Carll stated that if he could get away with it he would sing Carroll songs for half of his set and claim that he wrote them. This was a high praise from a songwriter that I respected so I thought I would check out some Carroll’s work. I ended up with a gem of a show, that was a song swap with Graham Weber (August’s Artist of the Month). That show sent me on a journey of discovering everything Carroll had to offer and I have yet to be disappointed thus far.

A few years later I got to see him live two nights in a row with Weber here in Ohio. I was not only impressed by the ah shucks stage presence that immediately held the audiences attention but that he was that humble and quiet off the stage. It almost felt as he did not have a grasp on just how great his songwriting is.

I have talked with many musicians and fans who have crossed paths with Carroll throughout the years and everyone agrees that he is one of the most immensely talented guys working today and that just being around him is an intriguing, humbling experience. From all accounts there is not a person out there that cares more about his craft than Carroll.

On stage he is engaging and funny, even though he has a tendency to fumble lyrics occasionally. Mark Jungers, another great Texas musician and producer of Carroll’s 2008 album Old Town Rock n Roll, once told me a story about Carroll opening up for him. He said the venue was packed and Adam came out at messed up the first three songs he tried on the audience. After apologizing and making light of the situation Carroll nailed the next tune and was received with a standing ovation. At the end of the night the merch table that held Adam’s records was almost completely empty. I thought that was a perfect example of how powerful this guy’s music is.

Carroll has a pretty full catalog for someone who has only been releasing material for just over a decade. To date he has four studio albums, two live records and a phenomenal release with another former Artist of the Month, Michael O’ Connor. Every one of these albums is phenomenal and it is very difficult for me to pick out just three to tell you to start with.

His debut record, 1998′s South of Town, made my list of five great debut records , where you can read my thoughts on it in some detail. This is definitely a situation where you can start from the beginning and work forward as Carroll came out of the gates in stride on this release.

His second release came two years later and contains some my favorite Carroll songs ever. Lookin’ Out the Screen Door was produced by Lloyd Maines who worked on Carroll’s first three studio efforts and his first live album. Among the highlights on this record are “Race Car Joe”, which Slaid Cleaves later covered on his album, Unsung, “Errol’s Song”, the story of a hunting partner of Carroll’s father who Adam looked up to all of his life, and “Karaoke Cowboy”, which tells of a failed Nashville singer living a different life of fame as a the karaoke DJ in a small town. My personal favorite on the album is Carroll’s ode to unchanging love, “Blondie and Dagwood”. One other song that is a favorite of other artists to cover and fans to hear is “Girl With the Dirty Hair” which was the first tune of Carroll’s I personally heard.

The next studio album that I want to touch on is Old Town Rock n Roll. Recorded in Mark Jungers garage with the help of Jungers and Canadian musician, Scott Nolan this album found Carroll captured in his relaxed finest. The looseness of this record allows the quirks of Carroll’s vocals shine through the perfectly written lyrics. While Maines always seemed to find a way to present Carroll’s work in a great light this record doesn’t try to mask the scars and marks on the songs and it really is a breath of fresh air.

The standouts are “Oklahoma Gypsy Shuffler”, “Hi-Fi Love, and “Highway Prayer” all songs that make you feel good sometimes smiling and sometimes just nodding your head in agreement. To close the album is a song that makes all older guitar players grin, “Porter Wagoner (AKA the Silvertone Song)”, tells of the gap between generations and the nostalgia that comes from a cheap guitar signed by a legend.

This article would be a failure if I did not mention how much I love both of Carroll’s live albums. Live at Cheatham Street Warehouse was released in 2002 and hits almost all the best songs from the first two records along with some great stories and a few previously unreleased songs. The story and version of “Errol’s Song” on this alone is worth the price of the album.

Earlier this year Carroll released the second live album, Live at Flipnotics. This time Carroll was joined by Scrappy Jud Newcomb on lead guitar and the songs span his entire career, including live versions of “Oklhoma Gypsy Shuffler”, “Home Again”, “The Girl With the Dirty Hair” and “Billy Gibbons’ Beard”, which appeared on he and Michael O’ Connor’s ablum, Hard Times.

Speaking of Hard Times, it may well be my favorite record released this year and if not it is damn close. An album with a theme of Gulf Coast losers it really is a great collaborations. Carroll and O’Connor take turns singing the lead parts on the songs, and co-wrote most of the material on the record. “Billy Gibbons’ Beard” is my favorite song that Carroll sings on it. It is sad and funny all at the same time, which is a common thread on the album. The other Carroll standout is the title track which is kind of self explanatory.

Overall Carroll’s career is already amazing and shows no signs of slowing down. I would really suggest buying everything in his catalog because there is not a bad one among them. Also do yourself a favor and go see this guy live if he ever comes near you. You can learn more about Carroll on his site here.

Tags: adam carroll, Graham Weber, Guy Clark, Hayes Carll, john prine, Mark Jungers, michael o'connor, slaid cleaves

Artist of the Month, August 2010 : Graham Weber

Aug 1, 2010 Artist of the Month

I have read or heard Weber compared to the likes of John Prine, a young Bob Dylan, Todd Snider, and an early Wilco era Jeff Tweedy. All of those comparisons are fair enough but they really fall short of accurately describing Weber. All that needs to be said about Graham is that he is a great songwriter who has digested the catalogs of all the greats and came through with a voice and a sound all of his own.

Weber began his musical journey in his native Ohio early in this decade. Starting out a little later in life than some, he cut his teeth in various bands in the area before embarking on his solo career. After recording and releasing the mostly acoustic, Naive Melodies in 2003, Graham decided to make a bold move and departed Ohio for the overcrowded songwriting scene of Austin, Texas.

When I asked him a few years later why he decided to make this move at a time when he had begun to develop quite the following in Ohio, Weber replied, “I could have stayed and made enough money in Ohio as a medium sized fish in a small pond (I would argue that most of Ohio’s music scene is just a mud puddle, unfortunately), but I wanted to see if I could make an impact in the ocean that is Austin.” Quite the undertaking indeed, it did not take long for Austin to begin noticing that this guy was not just another wanna be Prine.

The Texas community seems to have embraced Weber and rightfully so. Long time Austin resident, Slaid Cleaves almost immediately took Graham under his wing and has served as a mentor since his arrival . Graham quickly made his move up to playing all of the best venues in the Austin area both as an opener for greats like, Snider, Guy Clark, Ellis Paul etc. and as a headliner.

I personally got turned on to Weber’s music on accident. I received a song swap that Graham had played shortly after the move to Texas with Adam Carroll and was completely floored by the depth of the songwriting that was coming from this unknown artist. After a little research, I was disappointed that he had come from Ohio and that I had never had the chance to see him here. At the time Naive Melodies was his only release so I bought it to see if this one live recording was a fluke or if this was the real deal.

I got the disc in the mail and put it in my car stereo that day, there it stayed for a solid two weeks. Although Weber himself is now disappointed in his debut, I to this day feel that it is one of my favorite records perhaps of all time. The emotional honesty that flows out of all the songs on this record serves as a great introduction to the seemingly complex simplicity that Weber has a way of portraying in almost all of his works.

Naive Melodies displays the heartache that Weber was feeling after a failed relationship, the insecurities of starting a new relationship and his biting sense of humor.This ability to channel such contrasting emotions is the thing that makes Weber stand out among his peers and makes a live show a must see appointment.

“Tight Rope Walking” is still one of my favorite songs in his catalog. “I know your nose caught the smell of whiskey, and I know I came in seven hours late, I can’t believe that you even missed me, tight rope walking that thin line between love and hate”, he sings in this song chronicling the difficulty of finding balance in a relationship.

Inspired by the late Johnny Cash and rapper Snoop Dogg (trust me it works just listen), “Late Show Someday” captures that animosity towards someone who has scorned you and infuses the anger with a sensational amount of humor. This song is completely over the top and that is exactly where it should reside.

I don’t think you can talk about this album and not mention “Oh Roberta” the song that so impressed Slaid Cleaves that he included it on his Unsung release, an album of covers written by his favorite unknown writers. Weber’s song holds its own against a collection of songs from really great songwriters. “Do you still see my silhouette when your lashes start to close, I’d like to know oh Roberta where have you gone?” is my favorite line in this song, sang to the one who got away.

Shortly after settling in Austin, Graham set out to record his first Texas album. With a lot more instrumentation, a great studio band and some impressive guest musicians the result was Beggar’s Blues. Hitting the streets in 2006, this release shows the growth Weber’s song crafting had undergone in just a short time and further established his ability to conduct the emotional roller coaster that is his albums.

Starting off the album is the fast paced, lyric filled “After All”. This song really represents Weber’s mastery of word play. “Self proclaimed soothsayers say they know what no one else knows” , it’s lines like that make this song memorable.

“Love and Money” once again shows Weber’s sense of humor in this song about the impossibility of mixing the two things we need most in life. Along with Weber’s strumming on the acoustic this song features a killer horn section almost giving it a Vaudeville feel. It’s a departure from what he normally does and man does it work.

Inspired by his first Texas Independence Day, Weber wrote the amusing tale of trying to make it in the music business, “Stars and Circles”. While the narrator may not have what it takes to “make it” he is happy enough eking by in the Texas sun.

Perhaps my favorite track on the album is “Avenue A”. The story of a road weary musician trying to find a drink on a Sunday morning in Lower Manhattan. Weber’s vocals in this one really give the lyrics their depth and meaning. He almost sounds like this was recorded after a day like which is described in the song. “They won’t serve Bloody Mary’s til twelve hours til Monday, so I’m shaking and waiting on Avenue A” , the chorus pretty much sums up the song.

2008 saw the release of Weber’s most recent album release, with his most ambitious recording project yet, Door to the Morning. The production value on this one really ratcheted up the quality of the record. Employing more of a pop sensibility and a little bit of Rock n Roll feel, this album is Weber’s best yet. It’s always nice when a great songwriter begins to really find his way in the studio without losing what made him great in the first place and that is what Door to the Morning accomplished for Graham.

The opening track, “Snow in July” is the prime example of the improvement in the recording. Backed by a full band with great piano and organ parts, Weber is able to maintain the lyrical mastery while really delivering an upbeat rockin’ number. “Sometimes your friends turn to foes and it snows in the dead of  July” is just one of the great lines that Weber drapes over the musical backdrop the studio band lays down.

Following the upbeat feel of the opener, comes the piano and slide guitar ballad, “Candle So Close”. Included in this song are very good backing vocals by Graham’s wife, Michelle Keffer. You can tell those two have spent many a night singing together, because her voice beautifully compliments his tired drawl in this one.

My favorite song on this one is the acoustic and pedal steel based, “Bite Your Tongue”. This one finds Weber at his lyrical best in a song of a lover leaving.

In addition to the three studio albums I have discussed, Weber has released two live samplers that feature unreleased material and the in between song banter that makes his live performances so much more than just a guy with an acoustic guitar.

What amazes me about seeing Graham live is that he is constantly writing songs. Some writer’s see the process of writing a song as work and with Weber they just seem to fall out on the paper. He is consistently writing better stuff that he has already released. He is one of those guys you wish lived in the studio, because he forgets so many of the great songs he has written. One of my favorite things to do is request a song I have heard him play prior and see if he remembers it. If you go see him anytime in the future ask him to play “The Hooker and the Hitman” , an eight minute song of an unlikely love, and tell him Adam told you to do it.

Perhaps the most telling thing I can say about how great I think Weber is, is that I have had to purchase all of his records at least twice each because I have given them away to share them with others.  I found out that he is currently working on the follow up to Door to the Morning. Tentatively titled, Women, it is going to feature a mostly female backing band and harmony vocals in addition to a co-write with Slaid Cleaves. I know I am looking forward to this release which will hopefully come later this year.

Weber will making his first trip back to Ohio in two years in a couple months and I hope to catch a show or two and have him on the podcast. In the meantime you can visit his website www.grahamweber.com and find links to buy his records and such. Later this week I will post a live Weber show to download.

Here is a video of Weber playing “I’ll Take Texas” an ode to his adopted home:

Tags: adam carroll, Artist of the Month, bob dylan, Graham Weber, john prine, slaid cleaves, todd snider

Album Review : Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows : Songs of John Prine

Jul 4, 2010 Album Reviews

I have always been a fan of tribute albums and this one is no exception. Oh Boy has put together a large portion of the next wave of Americana artists on this one to pay their respects to one of the greats.

By putting so many great new artists on this record, Oh Boy has created a situation that will send new fans in both directions. The line up had me intrigued before I even opened the package and it did not disappoint.

As with every tribute record you could sit and nit pick which songs were present and which weren’t, or who else you would have gotten to appear, but I believe they did as good as job as anyone in balancing the tracks on this one.

Some of the artists stuck with a straight forward interpretations of the songs and others made the song their own. I personally enjoy it when someone owns the song they are doing on a tribute as long as it does not take away from it.

My favorite tracks on this album are really hard to pick out because I enjoyed so much of it. Favorite in this case takes so much into consideration, artist, song choice, arrangement, and performance.

Having said that the biggest standout was surprisingly, Conor Oberst and his band. I am not a huge Oberst fan, I think everything he puts out is okay, but it never really excites me. His version of “Wedding Day in Funeralville” is great on here. He gives it a raucous country feel and his vocal delivery fits the song perfectly.

Another track that stood out among the others was The Drive-by Trucker rocked out version of “Daddy’s Little Pumpkin”. The Southern Rock n Roll grit that they added to the track pushed this song over the edge for me, I loved it.

Another surprise for me was that another band I am not a huge fan of turned out one of my favorites on the record. My Morning Jacket does a pretty straight forward but, right on version of “All the Best” on this one. It was good enough that I am going to have to explore their music more to see if my first impression of them still holds true.

A couple other must listens on this record were, Josh Ritter’s solo acoustic version of “Mexican Home”, Old Crow Medicine Show’s bluegrassy rendition of “Angel From Montgomery”, The Avett Brothers’ version of “Spanish Pipedream” and Justin Townes Earle’s “Far From Me”. All of those songs had something that made them rise above the rest.

Overall the tribute was a success. A bunch of great artists turned out to put their touches on all of these classic tunes. I think most everyone did the song they chose justice and hopefully this will help introduce a new generation of roots music fans to John Prine, a man whose every song has a feeling of perfection. As with all things Prine you can go to Oh Boy Records’ site to get this cd and they have actually put up a page on blogspot just for the tribute record and it can be found here.

Tags: album review, Avett Brothers, Conor Oberst, john prine, Josh Ritter, Justin Townes Earle, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Drive-by Truckers, tribute

Album Review : John Prine : In Person & On Stage

Jun 30, 2010 Album Reviews

After a thirty second guitar and mandolin intro, an aging male voice sings, “I am an old woman..”, the opening line from a song he wrote as a young man some 40 years ago to an overwhelming response from the crowd.

I think that really says all you need to know about John Prine’s latest live album, In Person & On Stage. The man still has it, and the songs still ring true to the listeners on all accounts.

This release gives all we can ask for in a live album from a legend. Newer songs, different arrangements of classic tunes, a cover tune, great back up musicians, and a few well placed guest appearances.

I love when older artists release these live records, we get to hear old songs with a new voice. On this record we get a greatest hits live of sorts with “Late John Garfield Blues”, “Spanish Pipedream”, “Paradise”, and the aforementioned “Angel From Montgomery”.

In addition he put three tunes off of his latest solo effort, Fair and Square, including a dedicated to his wife version of “She is my Everything”.

Interspersed throughout the album are entertaining stories that help explain the songs and give the live versions even more meaning. My favorite on the record is his story prior to “Bottomless Lake” about his father planning weekend trips and his mother complaining about his driving. When an artist has been doing this as long as Prine, they have some really good stories to tell.

As for the guests on the album, Iris Dement, Emmylou Harris, Josh Ritter, Sara Watkins, Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch, and Fats  Kaplin show up on this one. The standouts for me are Harris who helps Prine deliver what I think may be my favorite version of “Angel from Montgomery” ever and Ritter sitting in on “Mexican Home” which he contributed to the just released Prine tribute,  Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows both add something wonderful to this release.

A final thing that needs to be mentioned about this recording is the excellent backing band of Jason Wilber (guitars and mandolins) and Dave Jacques (bass guitars). They give an understated and tasteful performances adding to the songs without taking away from them.

Overall this is an absolute must have for Prine fans casual and fanatic. I am glad to have gotten a copy and it will certainly find a regular place in my rotation. I love all the performances on this record and really how can you go wrong with 14 live Prine songs?

You can get a copy of this album lots of places but I suggest you go right to Prine’s label, Oh Boy Records and get it there and take a look around at the other stuff they have to offer. Later today or tomorrow I will finally get around to reviewing that tribute album as well.

Tags: album review, emmylou harris, Iris Dement, john prine, Josh Ritter

Lists : Five Debut Albums That I Love

May 24, 2010 Lists

This list is in no way comprehensive nor is it in any order. These may not be the best debut albums of all time or even my favorite ones if I gave it a lot more thought. They are however five debuts that blow me away every time I hear them. Sometimes an artist or band just gets it right the first time around.

1. Steve Earle : Guitar Town (1986)

Earle comes out of the gate with an instant classic, Guitar Town, what’s crazy is that he was already 31 when this record was released. This record was over ten years in the making as Earle honed his songwriting chops hanging out with Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.

Before this album, Earle worked in Nashville writing songs for other as so many writers do and had recorded another album that was not released. However, when it finally hit the shelves it helped make Steve the next big thing as it rose to number one on the country album charts.

Within its ten tracks are so many great songs. Highlights for me are the title track, “My Old Friend The Blues”, and “Daddy’s Little Rock n Roller”.

2. Todd Snider : Songs From the Daily Planet (1994)

I am so conflicted with this album. I love every song on this record, even the songs that have become the cliche Snider songs to like. While some of the album versions of the songs are great a lot of them leave something to be desired. I think the record company people tried to make Todd sound entirely too pretty and that would be a theme on a few of his albums and they don’t capture the raw energy of Todd with his then band the Wrecks or the emotion he plays with solo.

Having said all of that, this is still a great record to listen to. The songs that are nailed here are phenomenal and the ones that could have been recorded differently are still great songs. Snider is one of the best writers working today in my opinion and he let that shine through right from the beginning.

Of the songs that are great on the record, my favorites are “Turn it Up” (because sometimes you just have to rock out), “Somebody’s Coming”, and “Spoke Like a Child”.

3. John Prine : John Prine (1971)

Got to love when one of the “Next Bob Dylans” becomes the first John Prine. I’m not sure if there is another debut album that contains so many classic songs. With his unconventional delivery, Prine released what I feel are some of his best songs on the first go round. Many of these songs would go on to be covered by everyone under the moon and to me the best versions can still be found on this gem of an album.

As for favorites on the album, how can you go wrong when you have “Angel From Montgomery”, “Sam Stone”, “Far From Me”, “Illegal Smile” and “Paradise” and that only makes up half the record?

4. The Counting Crows : August and Everything After (1993)

This record may not seem to fit among the others, but I love it just as much. Ever since its release I have been listening to it on a regular basis and it never gets old. Unfortunately they have never released a record as good as this one again. I have liked just about all of their albums, but they seemed to get progressively worse the farther away from August they got. Their newest release however did break that pattern slightly.

Back to August and Everything After though. From top to bottom the songs on this release are pretty depressing but, extremely well written and they sound incredible. It’s one of those records where I never skip a single song while listening and that is rare even from good ones.

My favorite tracks follow each other back to back in the middle of the album. “Perfect Blue Buildings”, “Anna Begins”, and “Time and Time Again” make for a great three song run.

5. Adam Carroll : South of Town (1998)

The most recent release of this list, South of Town is the first look into what is becoming a great career for Adam Carroll. I love this guy’s writing and his style. He has a way of writing things that sound really poetic and at the same time common. The way he strings words together is beautiful and then he delivers the songs with an aw shucks sound that is often times behind the beat and just comes off sounding amazing.

There is definitely a reason that he is becoming one of the most covered artists to come out of the Texas music scene recently and that reason is prominently displayed on this record. A lot of these songs appear again on his live records as well, but you get a great feeling from the down home recordings found on the studio versions.

Listening to this again last night, I  decided my favorite tracks on it were “Smokey Mountain Taxi”, “Cane River Blues”, and “Home Again”. If you are not familiar with Carroll go and buy this and all of his other records immediately.

That’s it for this list, while most of you probably own these records or at least know of them, hopefully you will revisit them after reading this. This list was fun, I think I will continue it some other time, feel free to comment with some of you favorite debuts if you feel the urge.

On another note, look for the first edition of the Broken Jukebox podcast early this week. It has been recorded and will be up soon.

Tags: adam carroll, counting crows, john prine, Lists, Steve Earle, todd snider