Archive for the 'bands to watch' Category
Drive-By Truckers: Dripped in Southern Charm and History
Author: Butler Bad
The music of the Drive-By Truckers is a pounding mix of southern rock and alt/country. From a musical perspective, they are one of the few current bands that have and utilize three guitarists. They also generously share the writing and vocal responsibility between Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, bassist Shonna Tucker, and from about 2002-2007 (former) guitarist Jason Isbell. All four have pretty distinct sonic styles and really make the music interesting. Read the rest of this entry »
read comments (0)The Black Crowes
Author: Butler Bad
It might be difficult to understand or recall the brilliance of The Black Crowes because they have been out of the spot light for quite a while. While they continue to make great music, they do not get the radio play they did in the halcyon days of their youth.
While the brothers, Chris and Rich Robinson, formed The Black Crowes in 1984, it was not until 1990 that they released their debut album “Shake Your Money Maker”. The cornerstone of their debut was the rocking cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle”. Their sound was unabashedly reminiscent of The Rolling Stones and classic bands such as “Humble Pie” and “The Faces” before Rod Stewart started hawking the “American Songbook” to your mother! Read the rest of this entry »
2011 Sneak Peak: Music You Should Be Waiting For!
Author: Butler Bad
Editors note: We have been backed up with quality posts and this one slipped through the cracks hence the dated references to some of the titles which have already been released. So, without further ado, back to Butler…
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Another year has come and gone and we are in the early stages of a new year. Out with the old and in with the new! Today, I give you a sneak peak at some of the highly anticipated releases of 2011. So sit back and let your music pants go crazy as you peruse this fine list of music to come. Read the rest of this entry »
2010 Year In Review Part Deaux: Texas Music You Should Be Listening To!
Author: Butler Bad
As the saying goes, there must be something in the water! There is something about the Texas music scene that defies typical musical conventions. This, of course, comes as no surprise to the millions of Texas music fans. The variety of music that hails from the great state is as expansive as the West Texas plains. While Austin is known as the “Live Music Capital” of the world, there are plenty of fertile musical breeding grounds in Texas.
Today, I will WOW you with some of the musical greatness that came from or had ties to Texas in 2010. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, it is just a few of the albums that I have had in heavy rotation over the course of the last year.
| Artist | Album | Observations |
| Old 97’s | The Grand Theatre Vol. 1 | Dallas band gets back to their roots and write good music without trying to be anything more than they are. After 17 years it is good to see them comfortable in their own skin. |
| Spoon | Transference | Not as much of gloss and a lot more rock is what make this album great. Not shying away from the darker textures, Spoon creates a less poppy album and the laxity of Transference is the strength of the album. |
| Reckless Kelly | Somewhere In Time | A fine album of cover songs to their one time mentor Pinto Bennett. |
| Roky Erickson & Okkervil River | True Love Cast Out All Evil | Concise production shapes the sorrow of the Austin icon Roky Erickson’s life and ultimately the optimism of his return. |
| Court Yard Hounds | Court Yard Hounds | 2/3 of the Dixie Chicks show that sometimes less is more. Jakob Dylan adds his dusky dulcet tone for a quick duet. |
| Alejandro Escovedo | Street Songs of Love | The fierceness of the guitar and the bombastic instrumentation belie the emotional elements of the lyrics. |
| Arcade Fire | The Suburbs | Currently Canadian, Butler boys do hail from the sterile Houston suburb known as the Woodlands. This is a great album and also made my 2010 Year in review. |
| Ryan Bingham | Junky Star | Former rodeo star hits the big time with Golden Globe and Oscar win and a current Grammy Nomination for his work on the “Crazy Heart’ soundtrack. His 3rd album is no fluke either. His whisky and cigarette vocals are the perfect vehicle for his forlorn tales. |
| Randy Rogers Band | Burning the Day | One of the hardest working bands in the state. Over 200 dates over the past years. Still time to record and release their 5th album. |
| Norah Jones | …Featuring Norah Jones | The list of collaborators is what makes this album genius. You have the rap community represented with Talib Kweli Q Tip, and Outkast, the rock genre is fortified by Foo Fighters, and Ryan Adams is a genre chameleon so several are covered with his efforts. Also, Willie Nelson adds his own brand of greatness. |
| Walt Wilkins | Agave | A true Texas troubadour. No one does it better then Walt. The words of a poet delivered honey sweet with a calm, familiar feel. Need to see him live if you ever have the chance. |
| Tommy Alverson | Texas One More Time | With a twinkle in his eye, and a beer in his hand, Tommy makes music that makes you feel fine. When Tommy sings, it feels like a warm summer night and for that moment you are carefree. Highly recommend you see him live, you won’t regret it. |
| Six Market Boulevard | Running On Seven | I caught these boys live one Sunday afternoon at a local barbeque joint. Nice, strong debut album. |
| Mike Ryan | The First One | Great voice, laid back attitude, and interacts with his fans. Ballsy covers of Lenny Kravitz and Conway Twitty. Need to see him live to fully appreciate his brand of greatness. |
| Bruce Robison | From the Top | Amazing songwriting that has made many country artists famous. This album finds him paired with Rodney Crowell and it is an effort steeped in simplicity. When you write as well as Bruce, you don’t need to add a lot of fluff. |
The Black Keys just two dudes from Ohio making sweet, sweet music!
Author: Butler Bad
Today we will dissect the musical catalog of the Black Keys. I just can’t say or write enough about the music these two dudes put out. Pure musical genius and a little slice of heaven to boot! If you listen or buy one album today, make it something from their catalog. Read the rest of this entry »
Vanilla Fudge Embodied Psychedelic Sixties Sound
Author: Bob Bembridge
Who the hell are these guys?
That was Ringo Starr’s reported response upon hearing the Vanilla Fudge’s explosive cover of “Ticket to Ride.”
Ringo wasn’t the only Beatle blown away by the Fudge’s symphonic interpretations of “Ticket” and “Eleanor Rigby” on the group’s 1967 debut album. George Harrison reportedly played the album to anyone who would listen. Considering that the Beatles had just released “Sgt. Pepper,” that was no small compliment. Read the rest of this entry »
Beach House/Vampire Weekend
Author: Gabriel Barrio
Suddenly passing my driver side door at unholy speeds is a small Honda civic, white paint scuffed on the rear fender, with annoyingly loud muffler, with clothes hanging from a line in the backseat. I struggle to keep up on this never ending highway littered with small towns that have one exit, advertising rooms for rent and Big Macs. Each town passing in the blink of an eye, no sign of highway patrol anywhere, everything is flying by and it feels like this whole month is going the same route passing me by as I sit and watch as moments fall away from me one after another, quicker than I grasp. On the lonely and ever darkening highway up to Albuquerque, NM to make a stop off at exit 215. This night we sip champagne, we dance, we gamble, we shuffle around to and from rooms, this night we arrive just in time to see Beach House and Vampire Weekend at the Hard Rock Hotel. Read the rest of this entry »
The XX
Author: Gabriel Barrio
Hangover of the surreal. Waking up way too early on a Sunday morning driving through traffic. I see headlights in the distance, each set of lights passing me by, flashing, blinking, red, green and yellow lights, sitting in silence trying to wipe the fatigue from my eyes and shake the bleak from the break of day. Cars pull into a parking lot in unison, people like machines one by one empty their cars and huddle into groups to ride elevators to different floors. Walk into offices with rows of cubicles with blank faced people staring wildly into the screens in front of them. I sit down and as the world and room is spinning around me I ask myself is this all we are meant to be? A listless mass of people falling through time, spending endless hours doing everything and nothing all at once, we move, walk, drive, sit, breathe and eat all in sync like robotic animals that we are slowly becoming. The ant like people toil and move to rhythms unheard to them but only to I, and I can hear the words and rhythms of The XX reverberating in my head as they all move in time lapse. Read the rest of this entry »
2010 Year In Review: Music You Should Have Been Listening To!
Author: Butler Bad
Well, 2010 was quite the year! Everyone got a little older but ladies, you don’t look it! In spite of continued political divide, the yet to rebound economy, and little oil spill in the Gulf, 2010 was a pretty great year in music. Not for the industry as a whole (canceled tours, decline in both digital and CD sales, etc…), but in terms of the output from various artists it was a pretty fine year. Hell, the Beatles finally capitulated to the masses and released their catalog on iTunes! Back the Brinks truck up boys, we are cashing in!
Here is my annual review of what I thought, and thereby, was good in the world of music in 2010. If it did not make the list, it means I did not get a chance to listen to it, or it sucked. It is entirely possible that some music got by me this year. It is more likely that the music I did not listen to was not listenable and therefore sucked. Read the rest of this entry »
Mike Ryan: New on the Texas Scene
Author: Butler Bad
Well, it is Friday and it has been a few days since I last posted a blog. Part of that is due to my hectic vacation schedule of lying in bed, watching T.V., drinking beer, and attempting the occasional home project. The other part is due, in no small part, to my incredible laziness the last couple of days. However, it has not been a total waste of a few days. Read the rest of this entry »
Fistful of Mercy
Author: Butler Bad
This is the first blog I have done about a band who has not released any music to date.
Fistful of Mercy is the latest band to get the super group moniker attached to them. This is, often a dubious title as the sum is never equal to the parts. Fistful of Mercy is comprised of Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur, and Dhani Harrison. Their album, As I Call You Down, is scheduled to be released in October. Read the rest of this entry »
Zac Brown: Pass the Jar
Author: Butler Bad
Zac Brown and his rowdy band of musical brothers did a benefit concert for the Georgia Theatre, a cultural haven of the Athens music scene that burned down in 2009, and released it as a live album entitled Pass the Jar. The album is a two disc set that is accompanied by a DVD of the concert. Zac’s music is typically fun in nature and drenched in the good time vibe. The concert exemplifies that vibe and the diversity of the cover songs reflects his deep appreciation for music in general. Read the rest of this entry »
The National: An Indie Band of Brothers
Author: Butler Bad
The National is the indie band of brothers (seriously, it is two sets of brothers and a lead singer) strengthened by the unique baritone of lead singer Matt Berninger. Formed in Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, The National released their self titled debut in 2001. Read the rest of this entry »
The National
Author: Butler Bad
The National is the indie band of brothers (seriously, it is two sets of brothers and a lead singer) strengthened by the unique baritone of lead singer Matt Berninger. Formed in Ohio in 1999 and currently based in Brooklyn, The National released their self titled debut in 2001. Read the rest of this entry »
Band of Horses
Author: Butler Bad
Band of Horses is the indie rock band that was birthed in the fertile musical breeding ground of Seattle, Washington in 2004 and signed to the indigenous Sub Pop Records. Ben Bridwell and Mat Brooke formed the band after the demise of their former band Carissa’s Wierd and the band came to the attention of Sub Pop after opening for Iron & Wine during some Seattle area shows. Read the rest of this entry »
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead is the Austin based art rock band that just happens to have one of the coolest names in the business. And, their music is as cool as their name (which is often truncated to Trail of Dead). The band came to fruition in 1994 when long time friends Jason Reece and Conrad Keely relocated to Austin from the indie breeding ground of Olympia, Washington. Read the rest of this entry »
Broken Bells
Author: Butler Bad
Broken Bells is the self titled debut album of the mash up of in demand producer Brian Burton (Gorillaz, The Black Keys, Beck) who is also known as Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley) and James Mercer (The Shins). In 2004 the two met and decided to work together and four years later they actually got together and began recording. You can’t rush greatness folks! The album was released in March 2010. The music has an experimental edge to it but it is also immersed in melody. Read the rest of this entry »
Joseph Arthur
Author: Butler Bad
Joseph Arthur is the singing /songwriting protégée of former Genesis front man and current world music guru Peter Gabriel. Arthur was the first American recording artist singed to Gabriel’s Real World Records. His 2000 release Come to Where I Am and the opening slot on tours with Ben Harper and Gomez helped Arthur attain a larger fan base. He also briefly toured Europe with R.E.M. in 2004. Read the rest of this entry »
Brett Dennen
Author: Butler Bad
Brett Dennen is something of a pop/folk artist. Brett’s impressive inflections are the focal point of his music. His voice has a youthful timbre but is deceptively soulful. His debut album is a bit more bright and playful than the rest of his work. Through poetic lyrics he addresses numerous sociopolitical issues such as poverty, child labor, war, disasters, and the dark side of politics. The thought provoking lyrics are gently delivered through his warm, dulcet vocals. Read the rest of this entry »
A Perfect Circle
Author: Butler Bad
A Perfect Circle is the ever changing heavy metal/hard/alternative rock group that was formed in 1999 by Tool’s Maynard James Keenan and guitar tech to the rock stars Billy Howerdel. Howerdel’s resume includes bands such as Faith No More, Fishbone, Guns N’ Roses, Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, and most fortuitously Tool. It is through his work with Tool that he approached Keenan with his music and Keenan offered up his vocals in the event that Howerdel ever formed a band. Read the rest of this entry »