Coming soon!
Lydia Loveless Can Drink Now!
I blurted out, unceremoniously and without a bit of smooth, “So do you like the term country punk, or cowpunk or any of those things to describe your music? I don’t mean to be offensive. I just don’t hear any punk.”
“No,” she said. “I would probably say more rock-n-roll.”
“I was thinking more like power country,” I said.
“I’ve never heard that one before,” she laughed politely.
“Nope, nope. I just made that one up. Somebody has to make shit up.”
She’s been compared to Neko Case. That’s fair. “It’s a flattering comparison.” Lydia says. There is a similar sound, though she doesn’t consider Neko Case one of her major influences.
“So who do you like to sit around and listen to when you’re having a beer?” I asked.
She thought for a second “I like Sunny Sweeney a lot lately. It really depends on my mood.”
I told her that “depending on my mood” thing was cheating.
“OK. She said, “Sitting around drinking beer I would have to say Hank Williams.” I made sure she meant Senior. She did.
I listened back to my interview and realized how completely dorky I sounded, which made me feel great. I mostly write. So I can read what I’m saying and realize how dorky it is before I put it out there to be read. Of course, I put it out there anyway. I would be lying if I said I didn’t love dorky.
I completely sounded like I was being fatherly to Lydia. I’ve always been worried I would never stop being attracted to girls much younger than me. My voice was almost like a grandmother. I’ve always found women my own age attractive, still do. The field of potential embarrassment has just seemed to always grow and grow. It’s always just started at 21 and worked its way up to whatever age I happen to be. So I figured I would just be some creepy old dude who never stopped liking 21 year olds, even when I got to be 80 or something. But my conversation with Lydia clearly showed that I am becoming appropriately old.
In my ridiculous fatherly voice I asked her about touring with her dad. She tours with her dad you see. He is her drummer. She writes her own songs. She’s cute as a button but tough as nails. That sort of thing. Those sort of questions.
I feel I’ve buried the lead though. In September Lydia Loveless turned 21. Now some of you may have forgotten that feeling. But to someone her age, man. POW! She can step up to the bar and order for herself . Now, she can legally booze it up at the venues where she plays. So when you go see her show at the Nick this coming Friday, the 14th, buy her a drink.
Lightnin’ Malcolm: I thought he was a Black Man
By Lee Waites
I learned a lot about Lightnin’ Malcolm during our conversation: There is no Mrs. Lightnin’ Malcolm, and no Lightnin’ Malcolm Jr. I’m not sure how we got on the subject. I was probably trying to win my badge in tabloid journalism. “As far as I know there isn’t one. Not by name at least. Nobody’s come up to tell me I got some kid somewhere. But it’s been, y’know…we’re not live on the air are we?” He was much relieved to find out we’re only a newspaper (only is relative of course).
One thing I didn’t learn was that he’s a white man. I swear, talking to him on the phone I thought the dude was black. All I had heard up til then was the audio of his music. So I didn’t know. This will probably make him feel a tingle of pride. Now I am a white guy who thinks he can wail like a black guy. So I don’t know how much credibility that gives me.
In his raspy “blues” voice he had one important request. “We’re not playing there this time. But I really want to give a shout out to someone over there. I want to give a shout out to Mr. Gip’s place. I mean it’s really good to see an old fashioned juke joint like that. You all know Mr. Gip?”
Of course, to this, I says “Oh yeah! We know Mr. Gip. Cindi over there has one of our t-shirts. I think with everything that’s been going on Mr. Gip’s is getting pretty famous.”
“Just make sure you give my shout out.”
Lightnin’ Malcolm describes his own music as raw, hip, country, blues. He might have thrown in some other descriptions, but I couldn’t keep up. A slow, mellow talking man, Malcolm gets moving and excited when he gets on the subject of his music. “It’s our own style. Throws back to John Lee Hooker , get down, a groove you can dance to, a lot of energy. Almost everything we do is original. We mix reggae sound, soul, country music. We mix it all to make our own sound. Even if you don’t like the Blues, c’mon out…If you don’t like the Blues you ain’t heard me yet!”
Malcolm says they’re mostly doing original, new music on this tour. Although he enjoys putting much of the old sounds into his music. He makes it all his own. It’s like throwing it all into a blender and coming out with a delicious Blues smoothie.
He’s from Mississippi. So I can’t really call him an outside agitator. But I still recommend you men keep an eye on your women. Let’s avoid any unfortunate romance.
Brigitte DeMeyer – A Sexy, Soulful Singer
Saturday October 22 at WorkPlay opening for Will Kimbrough
So the women have all written they’re reviews of Brigitte DeMeyer. Now I’ll give an unabashedly male perspective. Let’s get past this part quickly, she’s got a sexy swagger. And that helps when you watch her sing. Let’s go ahead and be honest.
God forbid you listen to her voice too closely, singing those dripping sweet lyrics, you’ll be caught. It’s not fair. Just because a man has good taste in music, he cares about the details, doesn’t mean he’s not still just a man. It’s not fair for someone to be that loaded up with good stuff!
God forbid you listen to her voice too closely, singing those dripping sweet lyrics, you’ll be caught. It’s not fair. Just because a man has good taste in music, he cares about the details, doesn’t mean he’s not still just a man. It’s not fair for someone to be that loaded up with good stuff!
The breath between each note is just as much the sound she is as the smooth flow of her words. Let’s call it a sexy, countryish, bluegrass, gospelly, soulful music. She’s going places but she’s not chasing anyone, she has her own style about her, casual, cool and friendly. I like her.
An important quality I look for in an artist is whether or not I think they’re any good. Sounds simple. It is.
Would I pop a beer and listen to their music? If I wasn’t working…would I be just as happy staring at the speakers for a while, soaking it all in, as I would with the songs in the background at a party. That’s the best way to judge, the real way.
I have been listening to DeMeyer. I enjoy her music. I’m going to download the album. It inspires a feeling. That’s a review.
Would I pop a beer and listen to their music? If I wasn’t working…would I be just as happy staring at the speakers for a while, soaking it all in, as I would with the songs in the background at a party. That’s the best way to judge, the real way.
I have been listening to DeMeyer. I enjoy her music. I’m going to download the album. It inspires a feeling. That’s a review.
Agent Cooper
Listen Here! Agent Cooper! These guys sound hard rockin' with an intelligence bent. By that, I mean they seem like spies to me. I don't mean just any kind of spies either. I mean the kind that enters your head with their crazy mind control music and make you think you're having a great time. When, in fact, they are implanting thoughts that allow them to control you and will later activate you with a trigger word. Then, who knows what they'll get you to do. I'll ask them what they plan to do to you and let you know later. I'll find out when they're coming to town so you'll be able to go get brainwashed into their Hard Rock army or whatever!
They was here. They gone now! But keep watchin'. They might come back!
PS. I usually just change the tense on what I said about them before they came.
Matt Woods.
Complex folk, blues gypsy Bret Mosley came to Bottletree on Wednesday, June 1st. He reminds me of a complex, hmmm...folksy blues gypsy. He scares me.
The Milk Carton Kids. Why do two white guys singing pretty always get compared to Simon and Garfunkel? I, for one, won't do that. But I will tell you to be careful about these two. I think they want to steal our women. They were at Workplay, Thursday, June 9th. But don't worry. So was I. I tricked them into putting me on the guest list, told them I would write a review. Well we know how that goes. .
P.J Pacifico. Why does one white guy singing pretty always get compared to Pual Simon? They're not all like Paul Simon. Others, according to his press release have compared him to Paul Simon. James Taylor...I can dig some James Taylor sometimes. He played in a coffee house... Not James Taylor, or Paul Simon...but P.J. Pacifico. He was at the Red Cat on Friday, June the 10th. My thought is, he has a pretty and soothing voice, which is good for people hopped up on coffee.
