Front Porch Musings

The other day my buddy Joey sent me an email about a band his buddy is in.  He described them saying  ”They fuse a kind of bluesy country Americana sound with an urban city classic rock. You can hear flavors of Dylan, Gram Parsons, The Band, Neil Young, Wilco, Will Oldham, The Allman Bros, Leon Russel throughout.”  Naturally, I got a boner.  And not one of those “Interesting…” boners either.  This was a full-on “I gotta check this out immediately!” boner.  Maybe I’m talking too much about boners, but you can see I was pretty damn excited.  Turns out, it was totally justified.  The band, named The Morning Pages absolutely rocked.

So these guys are from Brooklyn and after my first listen, I immediately thought they sounded a whole lot like another Brooklyn act, The Weight.  The Morning Pages are straight out of the 70′s,  so much so that if I gave my dad their record he would probably be all “Oh man, I remember seeing these guys in ’75 at The Fillmore!”  Of course, then I’d have to tell him he was mistaken and he would call me a “Smartass”.  Anyway, the point is that these guys take a lot of their sound from The Band and Gram Parsons.  That makes me happy as hell.  Throw in a little Waylon Jennings and now I’m swimming in my own filth.  Such evidence of this “pig in shit” scenario can be heard on standout tracks like “This City Keeps Me Down” which is a boogie-stomp of Country Rock and Roll which features a guitar solo that makes me want to throw myself against a concrete wall repeatedly. My favorite track at the moment is the breezy “Move to the Country” which sounds like a sped-up CSNY song influences by the great Levon Helm. The vocals of frontman Grant Maxwell and backup vocalist Kendra MacDevitt really shine through on this ballad about leaving the city behind for a simpler life out in the country. I’m also a big fan of gospel music and the leadoff track “With the Lord” sounds like something you’d hear at a Felice Brothers concert. The song, seems to be about blind faith and has a killer hook to really grab you in. Awesome stuff.

So yeah, I think what I really like about these guys is the sophistication in their music. Brain spoke yesterday about how the Kingsly Flood writes stuff he can relate to, and I think The Morning Pages are the same type of band. The Porch is in the middle of a metropolitan city so sometimes we can’t really relate to Moonshiners and Mountain Men. The Morning Pages write country music handcrafted in a city and the results are pretty goshdarn great. I urge everybody to check out this record as I haven’t stopped playing it for the last week. I cant wait to see these guys out West soon. Going to be awesome…

Sorry about the boner,

Skeeter
http://www.myspace.com/themorningpages

“With The Lord”

“Move to the Country”

“Stumble Towards the light”

Check out this AWESOME video of them doing Bob Dylan’s “You Aint Going Nowhere”

Do you like Thin Lizzy? Do you like T.Rex? Do you think the thought of both bands combining sounds awesome? If you answered yes to any of these questions, I might have a record you’ll enjoy. Hailing from the “City of Brotherly Love” comes Free Energy. Free Energy is the afterbirth of acclaimed indie-band Hockey Night and their debut, “Stuck on Nothing” is a flipping fun-ass record. These guys don’t whine about much and so this is a perfect record for an afternoon drive or a day at the park slamming beers with friends.
As a huge Thin Lizzy fan, I love hearing the influence from the Phil Lynott-fronted act on tracks like “Bad Stuff”, which sounds like a cousin of “The Boys Are Back in Town.” The 5-minute rocker isn’t short on guitar solos, do-whop harmonies or fuzz and feedback.  It kind of makes me want to jump in an old Thunderbird , hotbox that thing and cruise around the neighborhood at 15 miles an hour looking for an Inn-N-Out Burger.

However, I’ll admit, this isn’t a perfect record. There is far too much Weezer in the lyrics and vocal pattern to make me proclaim this as the next best thing, but all-in-all, it is a fun release. And with summer coming, that’s really all you can ask for, right?
I don’t have a lot of time to write a lengthy review tonight with packing for SXSW and figuring out what the hell to attend while I’m there, but I did want to share this one on you. Hope you enjoy!

“Bang Pop”

“Bad Stuff”

“Young Hearts”

Next week one of my very favorite bands, The Whigs, will release their third album “In the Dark.”  I’ve been so excited for their latest offering and my expectations were pretty goshdarn high for this record.  After my first listen, I absolutely hated it.  The band spent a lot of dates with mega-stars Kings of Leon the past few years and much of “In the Dark” was influenced by these tours.  The Whigs are going for a “bigger” sound and I’ll be honest, it took a few listens getting used to.  At one point, I even texted Keith saying that “I hated it” and he responded that he couldn’t get through it as it was too “KROQ” for him. (Modern Rock station in Los Angeles that plays a lot of Foo Fighters, Phoenix, etc.)  However, I’m really glad that I (and Keith) gave this another listen.  After dismissing “In the Dark” it has become one of my favorite releases of the year.  Frontman Parker Gispert writes a batch of songs that show some real growth from the simple pop of “Give ‘em All a Big Fat Lip” and the garage punk-rock of “Mission Control”, and I think “In the Dark” has the potential to help the band achieve some more commercial success.

The album opens with The KOL-esque “Hundred / Million” which features some sick drumming by the ridiculous Julian Dorio behind a throbbing bass line by Tim Deaux.  The soaring track feels like the perfect concert opener and I can see them opening with it tomorrow night at Slims here in San Francisco to whip the crowd up into a frenzy.  A few big pop gems follow with “Black Lotus” and “Kill Me Carolyne”, two songs that would fit nicely on many playlists throughout rock radio.  ”Black Lotus” is currently one of my favorite songs from the record, and the drumming combined with Parker’s infectious chorus is a hyperactive version of their hit “Right Hand on My Heart” in my opinion.  ”Kill Me Carolyne” is a bit too “Sex on Fire” for me, but the there is no denying the radio potential and the tendancy to turn the volume up REAL loud when you hear it.  I think that is a pretty good sign that you’ve got a hit on your hands, right?

My favorite track is the dark, “I Am for Real”.  Highlighted by a prodding bass line with lyrics like “I don’t need to kill anyone to let ‘em know I am for real / I don’t need to walk in your backyard to let you know just where I stand” and the the song reminds me a bit of another Athens act, R.E.M.  Elsewhere you find a lot of what has made The Whigs so much fun.  ”I Don’t Even Care About the One I Love” and “Someone’s Daughter” would have fit nicely on 2008′s “Mission Control”, and the closing “Naked” feels like a b-side from their “…Big Fat Lip” debut.

All-in-all, this is a very solid record and it has been a lot of fun diving into this one.  If you are a big Whigs fan, you may need a listen or two to adjust to this one but trust me, it is worth it.  And hell, if you’re not a Whigs fan yet, “In the Dark” is a good way to get introduced.  This is a very strong release from a band that is really hitting their stride.

See them on tour in a town near you as they are touring the nation right now in support.  And pre-order their vinyl at www.thewhigs.com and get the deluxe package because it looks really sweet.

See ya,

Skeeter

Stream some tracks!

“Black Lotus”

“Kill Me Carolyne”

“I Am For Real”

See them on tour!

Mar 9 2010 8:00P
Slim’s w/ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club San Francisco, California

Mar 10 2010 8:00P
Slim’s w/ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club San Francisco, California

Mar 11 2010 8:00P
Echoplex w/ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Los Angeles, California

Mar 12 2010 8:00P
Echoplex w/ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Los Angeles, California

Mar 13 2010 8:00P
House of Blues w/ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club San Diego, California

Mar 17 2010 4:15P
SXSW – Lambert’s (QuinnStorm/C3 Party) Austin, Texas

Mar 18 2010 1:45P
SXSW – Clive Bar (Sony Music Shindig) Austin, Texas

Mar 18 2010 9:00P
SXSW – Beauty Bar at the Palm Door (Rolling Stone Showcase) Austin, Texas

Mar 19 2010 8:00P
SXSW Austin, Texas

Mar 20 2010 6:30P
SXSW – The Side Bar (40 Watt Party) Austin, Texas

Mar 31 2010 7:30P
Bowery Ballroom w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (18+) New York, New York

Apr 1 2010 8:00P
Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (18+) New York, New York

Apr 1 2010 11:30P
The Late Show with David Letterman New York, New York

Apr 2 2010 8:00P
North Star Bar w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (ALL AGES) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Apr 3 2010 9:00P
Harper’s Ferry w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (18+) Boston, Massachusetts

Apr 4 2010 8:00P
Ottobar w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (ALL AGES) Baltimore, Maryland

Apr 6 2010 8:00P
Cosmic Charlie’s w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (21+) Lexington, Kentucky

Apr 7 2010 8:00P
Exit/In w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (18+) Nashville, Tennessee

Apr 8 2010 9:00P
40 Watt w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (18+) Athens, Georgia

Apr 10 2010 8:00P
WorkPlay Theatre w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (ALL AGES) Birmingham, Alabama

Apr 12 2010 8:00P
Riot Room w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (21+) Kansas City, Missouri

Apr 13 2010 8:00P
Boulder Theater w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (ALL AGES) Boulder, Colorado

Apr 15 2010 8:00P
Martini Ranch w/ Band of Skulls and 22-20s (ALL AGES) Phoenix, Arizona

Apr 18 2010 8:00P
Cain’s 2nd Stage (ALL AGES) Tulsa, Oklahoma

Apr 20 2010 8:00P
Mill Creek Bar (21+) Appleton, Wisconsin

Apr 23 2010 8:00P
Bottom Lounge Chicago, Illinois

Apr 27 2010 12:30A
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon New York, New York

May 14 2010 12:00P
Hangout Music Festival Gulf Shores, Alabama

Jun 5 2010 12:00P
Mountain Jam Hunter, New York

Exebelle and the Rusted Cavalcade have quickly become one of my very favorite country acts.  These Virginia natives have already released two superb EP’s and this last month they dropped their latest seven-song offering “Vivement l’Automn.”  Man, this record is effin’ badass.

I finally got to this one last night on my drive home to visit my family down in Bakersfield, and I was so jacked up when I heard the second track, “Rosasharn”, which is written about the book “Grapes of Wrath.”  If you aren’t familiar with the story, it tells the tale of the “Oakies” as they travel through the Dust Bowl on their way to Bakersfield.  It was pretty cool to hear some of the stories of my city’s past in a rumbling, hell-raising country song.  From there, Exebelle slows things down a bit and the following tracks really play like a country-Pink Floyd.  Kind of a weird description, but that’s the best I can do.  I was jamming down I-5 in the dark night and when “Lithium Smile” came on, I hit repeat about six times.  It put me in a complete trance and I was really taken by the vocal harmonies and weeping steel guitar in the background.  This is a truly epic track.  By the end of the EP, I was jonsen’ for some more upbeat music from the band and they absolutely delivered with the perfect pop song “Harboring The Tygers.”  Again, the vocal harmonies and track production on this song are incredible.  Exebelle really pays attention to detail when they are in the studio and because of that, they are able to create some of the very best country songs I hear.

So guys, don’t sleep on this EP.  It can be easy for us to ignore small offerings from bands as we wait for a full-length.  Exebelle seems happy putting out new EP’s for us to hear every few months, and I’ll tell you, I really enjoy that about them.  Besides, with three releases in less than three years, put ‘em all together and you have a nice double-album!  Whoop whoop!  I should also tell you, the cats in the band are absolute studs and really nice doods all-around.  We’re hoping for some tour dates out West at some point and you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll be there.

The group is cool enough to give their records away at a cost of $2-3 dollars, so make sure you head over to their pay site and throw ‘em some love.

Buy Here

“Rosasharn”

“Lithium Smile”

“Harboring The Tygers”