Yes, Depression

I received my new issue of No Depression magazine the other day, and like I always do, I leafed through it checking to see what musicians were interviewed and what albums were reviewed. What I missed and found later was this note from the publisher:

Dear Friends:
Barring the intercession of unknown angels, you hold in your hands the next-to-the-last edition of No Depression we will publish. It is difficult even to type those words, so please know that we have not come lightly to this decision.

For those not familiar with the music magazine, let me explain: For 13 years No Depression has won acclaim for its coverage of the alt-country, country, Americana music scenes. Their cover subjects have ranged from Gillian Welch to Elvis Costello to Drive-By Truckers. They also did not succumb to glossing themselves up (like Paste magazine, which has turned itself into the GQ of music magazines), instead opting for solid reporting and filling a well-loved niche.
But now, despite a solid readership base, advertising revenue is shrinking and dying because of the collapse of the corporate music industry. It's a hard fact to stomach that as it becomes easier to access music through downloadable and DIY albums, that it would help destroy things we love -- like No Depression. While the publisher says they will try to continue an online presence, I'm pretty sure it won't be the same or have the same impact to me.
It all boils down to one less voice heard for deserving musicians. No Depression? Not for me.

Issue No. 19, February 2008

Guitar Heroes!! - Saving the World
With a Single Lick
(A Modern Acoustic Readers' Poll)
When we were kids growing up in the ’70s guitar-based rock was king. Bands like the Allman Brothers, Little Feat and Led Zeppelin fist-pumplingly ruled; we spent our money to see blues greats John Mayall and Albert King; and there was nothing better than the ripping, rocking guitar duel between Eric Clapton and Duane Allman on “Why Does Love Got to be So Sad.’’
By the ’80s, the guitar-god sound were all but history, replaced by the jangly rhythms of R.E.M. and then the grungy, layered guitar of Nirvana and Pearl Jam in the ’90s.
Despite the demise of the grandiose – if not self-indulgent – solo, we haven’t lost our love for a great guitar break. But we also appreciate the quieter, more tasteful licks that complement rather than carry a song. We’re just as happy hearing a great backing banjo as a screaming solo. Maybe our ears are getting older, or maybe we have refined our understanding of what skillful guitar playing is.
With this comes a new type of guitar hero: He or she may not leap tall buildings in a single bound or stop a bullet in their teeth, but they will always be there to save the day – by adding the perfect delicate lick or knocking out a short, nasty solo that strikes an emotional chord inside us.
We’ve been bombarded by the likes of Rolling Stone magazine and others with their lists of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Those lists always start, as they should, with Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Allman, Vaughan, etc., and fill out with other great blasters of the past. But they rarely acknowledge the many guitarists who, while they may not deliver the firepower, have the musical heart and soul.
So we asked our readers to put aside the guitar gods — alive and dead — and tell us which guitarists today make them stop and take notice when they play?
We think you’ll find the list fascinating: Some you’ll recognize immediately, some you won’t; some are solo artists, some play backup to singer-songwriters. All are accomplished players with something great to offer. The list cuts across many genres of music from rock to world beat, inspiring us to stretch beyond our musical borders.
So thanks to all for taking part. We’ve gotten to hear a lot of great guitarists we didn’t even know about.
Now, if we can only get that “Layla” solo out of our heads…
To download the new issue, click HERE
Also, to read reviews of new albums by up-and-comer Thao Nguyen and an all-women tribute album to Neil Young, click HERE

MA 5- Songs
Songs that helped us survive this issue.
1. “Beat (Health, Life and Fire),” “We Brave Bee Stings and All,’’ Thao Nguyen. Energetic and fun.
2. “My Winding Wheel,” “Heartbreaker,” Ryan Adams. He’s got that alt-country thing down pat.
3. “On the Radio” “Fidelity,” Regina Spektor. Her eclectic songs are incredibly catchy.
4. “Stay on the Ride,” “Children Running Through,” Patty Griffin. Listening again to the whole album, and this song is a standout.
5. “To the Dogs or Whoever,” “The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter,” Josh Ritter. Bolstered by an exuberant appearance on Letterman.

Hey 'Shell, You Know It's Kind of Funny...

I recently caught Michelle Shocked playing at Club Passim in Cambridge. As I stated earlier in this space, I go a long way back with Michelle and have followed her faithfully through her many phases -- folk, jazzy swing, country, rock. But her gospel phase is tougher to take, and it's not because of the music. It's the constant proseletizing and asking the audience to join in on every chorus like she's a preacher. I wanted to shout, "We're paying YOU to sing, not us!" But the music was great; her band was top-notch with longtime cohort Rich Armstrong on trumpet, bass, harmonica, etc., keyboard player Reggie Royal, who has a very nice voice, and (I'm saving the best for last) Erin McKeown on guitar.
And though Erin seemed like a fish out of water as far as the religious aspect of the night, her guitar playing was great. It was clear she was new to the music, trying to find her spots to shine. But you have to give her credit for putting herself out there in a new situation.
A review in the Boston Globe really sums up the show the best, so click HERE to read it.
Also, I took a couple of video clips at the show. Below is one; for the other click HERE

Playin' in the band

The dynamics of a band teeters, from brilliance to disaster, depending completely on how its players mesh. I have never personally been part of that experience, but have been around it enough to know that one bad apple -- a superstar ego, someone who is perpetually late or absent -- can change those dynamics and destroy a band. And while I am not saying this was the cause of the split-up of cellist extraordinaire Rushad Eggleston from Crooked Still, I would like to think after seeing them a bunch of times and reading about them, there was something to it.
First, let me say that I love the band, and after seeing a few YouTube clips (one of them below) with their new lineup, I'm happy to report they look energized and should be just fine. I think I blogged last year after seeing them at Passim that after the show I had this crazy fear that they would not stay together long. They seemed like a group, with a star cellist and star banjo player, with a ton of talent but not much chemistry. In the middle was this diminutive but powerful singer Aiofe O'Donovan trying to hold things together. I also saw them at Rushad's final concert at Sanders Theatre, and while they were all saying nice things, I didn't find his departure to be overly emotional for the band. And finally, Stills' bassist Corey DiMario, on his blog "Play the Bass, Drive the Bus," writes this about recording the group's new CD with new bandmates violinist Brittany Haas and cellist Tristan Clarridge: "It's really hard to express how excited I am about this music. It's exceeded every expectation I had going into the process by miles. It really feels like we are a band now, both musically and otherwise."
Here's to hoping that Crooked Still continues to make that crazy bluegrass music that we've come to love. I can't wait for the new album.

Sarah rocks!

We've come to expect a rockin' show by Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, and last night at the Lizard Lounge she did not disappoint. After debuting her new video for her song "Stop and Think It Over," which had a fun '50s-type girl band feel to it, she proceeded to blister her way through a set of songs mostly from her new album "Diamonds in the Dark." Sarah and the band are so much more polished even from a year ago when we last saw her. The band just really hammers every song, and Sarah is just a great presence in front of it all. She and her bass player Binky have great personalities and keep things light, while drummer Robert Larry Dulaney smiles his way through each tune. And I've left guitar player extraordinaire Mike Castellana for last because he deserves special attention. His electric and pedal-steel playing is ferocious and tasteful at the same time. If you have a chance to catch these guys, do it! To see more pics, click HERE. To view a couple of clips click HERE and HERE.

The lull is over

The holidays are over, which means the clubs get busy again and it's time to get back into the music scene. There are many shows I'd like to see, but two I HAVE to see. The first is Sarah Borges at the Lizard Lounge a week from tonight. It's been a while since I've seen her live and that's way too long. Sarah's latest album, "Diamonds in the Dark," which I reviewed last September (click HERE to read the review), made many "best of 2007" lists, which she so deserves. But it's on stage where she really shines, and the Lizard -- one of our favorite venues -- is a great place to see her.
The other must-see show is Michelle Shocked (with special guest guitarist Erin McKeown, oh yeah!) at Passim on Feb. 5. For those not familiar with Michelle, well, she is one of a kind. She definitely marches to her own beat. What I have always loved about her is that she follows her muse, changing styles and genres as it suits her. And I follow right along... Lately, she's been into a gospel thing. It's not my favorite style of hers, but I'm willing to listen. One thing you can be sure of with Michelle is she throws her heart, soul, and wonderful voice into whatever genre she takes on. And with Erin along for the ride, I can't wait to see and hear what happens!
A little taste of Sarah live!:

Videos!

In my attempt at being a full service bloggerator, I've posted all my concert video clips on YouTube. Among the artists so far are Josh Ritter, Lori McKenna, Crooked Still and the Wailin' Jennys. You can check them out by going to www.youtube.com/modernacoustic.
Here's a taste of what's been posted