"THE BIG REDs" Red Line Root local music blog awards 2013!

The weathers getting colder, we had our first sign of snow today here in Boston, and your social network newsfeeds are getting flooded with rants of "vote for my band" and "this awards show thing is total rigged bull sh*t". Yup, its November and that means the season of local awards shows is beginning here in Beantown.

While I do have to agree with many of the rants, there isn't such a focus on "local", the same bands are nominated year after year regardless of relevance, and so on and so on...I do feel that there is some importance to these awards shenanigans. They do actually shed light on some of the bands busting their asses all year round, and usually its a pretty big damn party with a lot of folks you may not typically run into otherwise.

I first set out on this blog adventure to do just that, shed light on those folks that you may not have heard of, but are out there busting their tails to just get their music out there. Sure, I don't typically encompass ALL music genres, but theres a lot to cover in the folk, roots, Americana realm. Thats for certain. But to do this fairly and properly, I do need some help in nominating (and of course the voting process). Below are listed the categories for which you can nominate folks with a brief description of each. I have some people in mind already, but I want your feedback and input as well. Whether or not an event or party will take place is TBD, but we will tackle that beast when it happens. For now lets get some nominees rounded up!

Best Local Female Songwriter - this is straightforward, right? Has to be female - check. Has to write good songs - check. Also being talented, playing instruments well, and sounding great are a plus - check.

Best Local Male Songwriter - see above...except you know, be a dude.

Most Bad Ass Local Rock n' Rollers - The band that kicks it up a notch with every performance. Has a basis in the Americana genre, but with that extra bite of bluesy rock goodness or rock a billy kick.

Best Local Picker - Now this could be the best local bluegrass acoustic picker, the best local mandolin player, or banjo toter that is just flat out amazing.
 UPDATE: branching best local picker out into separate pools for guitar picker, banjo picker, and mandolin picker.

Too much (or just enough) Twang award - The local electric player that just sets the frets aflame and is tasteful, but puts a crowd in awe each time they play. Can play with anybody, anywhere, anytime and make it sound sweet!

Best Local Roots/Americana Act - This differs from the Bad Ass Rock n' Rollers in that I consider this one to be more based in the bluegrass, folk, acoustic realm. A four piece bluegrass outfit, an acoustic act with light drums, a trio with all strings? That kind of thing. The softer side of the genre, if you will.

Best Local Roots Duo - Two guitars, a guitar and a mandolin, a banjo and an upright...keep on adding and subtracting, so long as you get two folks with two instruments and their voices (or no voices, that works too).

Best Local Music Venue for Roots music- what place, night after night, showcases the best in the genre?

The Unsung Hero Award- the master purveyor of the community. The one who is out supporting their colleagues and friends every week, hosting local showcases, and helping to teach younger musicians the ropes. You get it.

ADDITION - Best Local Fiddle/Violin family player - lets face it, we have entirely too many talented fiddle players in this town, they need some love too!

GENERAL RULES:
-Local to the North East (Mass, VT, NH, Maine, RI...and I guess we can consider CT and NY too)
-Someone/a band who is out there "doing it". That is, playing more than a gig every couple of weeks.
-Give me some damn suggestions! I need help in getting a great comprehensive list of folks...some I don't even know.
-Post on the Facebook page your nominees, or email me at redlineroots@yahoo.com 

In a Nutshell: Kayleigh Goldsworthy "Burrower" album review

In a nutshell is halfway between my "first listen" and full album reviews. I listen all the way through a record ONCE and spew my thoughts...here is what I thought of Kayleigh Goldsworthy's new record "Burrower"...

 I first heard of Kayleigh Goldsworthy at this year's campfire. festival at Club Passim in Cambridge. I'll be completely honest, the first thing that struck me was "wow, she's cute" and then she sang, I went "wow!" and I was convinced that she had "it". Her ability to captivate the audience with her voice, guitar, and stories was uncanny and each and every song was better than the last. I was hooked.

Goldsworthy has a very fresh and spirited voice. She has a very pretty and pleasant tone to her vocal, it would sell great commercially, but also stands up strong in one of the best listening room's that the Northeast has to offer. A balance that seems almost impossible, but she nails it. There are small hints of punk in her indie-folk sound, which is a welcome juxtaposition. The annunciation of certain words makes you think, "hmmm she probably listened to some Bad Religion, Social Distortion, and Fugazi in her day...maybe she has a few tattoos?" but the folk and country influences stand out most strongly. Loretta Lynn meets Joan Jett? I dont know where I am going with that, but you get the point...she creates thoughtful folk music with a bit of an edge, and I dig it.

"Burrower" features 9 great tracks (I love these 9 track records, a great choice!) laid on a palette of traditional American roots instrumentation. Great playing cast over a blanket of great storytelling with smart production choices make for a really excellent listen.

The first track "Spark" is an example of that "punk meets folk" feel for me. The proclamation of certain phrasings really have that "I'm kind of pissed and you are going to listen" punk vibe. Well, Ms. Goldsworthy, you have my attention.


As the record spins on, the punk influence dwindles and country and bluegrass sounds begin to sneak

in.

"Where the Summer Goes" is an upbeat, yet sorrowful tune with a bit of a bluegrass feel. The banjo makes a nice appearance throughout the three minutes. This is my favorite of the bunch. It wastes no time getting into the song, has some great elements, the vocal work is flawless, the instrumentation is fun, and its a downtrodden tune with a bite (see: "now its your fucking loss"...you go girl with droppin' the f bomb!). Anyone can write the word "fuck" into a song, but it takes some conviction to make me believe it, and believe me, I am convinced...

riding by the river, don't know where the summer goes

or why you stay the night and then you left me all alone

All together this is an EXTREMELY strong solo effort from Kayleigh Goldsworthy. She envokes hints of another one of my favorite lady singer-songwriters, Jenee Halstead, in some of the more country inspired tunes. There is a great mix of songs, emotion, and feel in this records short 9 tracks. I will be listening to this again and again and enjoying every second. I really hope to see this young lady swinging back through Cambridge sooner than later.

Check out "Burrower" on bandcamp and buy the damn thing!

http://kayleighgoldsworthy.bandcamp.com/album/burrower-2

What makes music "beautiful"?

Beauty is an extremely subjective term (and perhaps one I use all too often to describe my musical tastes). Personally, I find anything that really moves me to have some form of beauty to it, musically speaking. Whether that be an extremely well played overdriven guitar solo, the emptiness when the instrumentation falls out from beneath a female singer’s vocal to highlight just that, or the pain, grief and emotion that a songwriter shares with us no matter how dark those feelings may be. All examples of what I consider to be beautiful…just something that truly moves me in the moment that I hear it. Something that excites me and makes me want to listen to it again and again. Something that takes me out of my daily grind and sets my mind adrift in that realm of where the music was conceived, even if just for a brief moment. 

That being said…here’s my list of 5 musical things so far this year that I found to be particularly moving, poignant, and just plain old beautiful…

1)      The Milk Carton Kids. While it is true that TMCKs released their new record “Ash and Clay” in March of this year, I have really taken that deep dive into all of their previous material, solo and as a duo as a result of their Newport performance this summer. There is a graceful and faultless simplicity to their “two voices and two guitars become one sound” take on music. Their harmonies are absolute perfection and the differences in personalities, playing, and songwriting meld to create one remarkable musical body. Unadorned, unfiltered, and pure splendor. Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan find beauty in simplicity.

2)      Dan Baker’s new record “Pistol in my Pocket” was probably one of my most anticipated new records of the past…well, 2 years or so since I first met him and bought “Sad Song Junkie”. Baker asks for no apologies and bears all in his writing. He sings with an incredible amount of heart and desolation, so much so I just really FEEL what he is singing about. A guy who really sinks himself into his songs so much that regardless of the amount of autobiographical input, I truly believe his conviction (though, I think he sinks a lot of himself and his surroundings into this stuff). Dan Baker finds beauty in sincerity, passion, and heart through his music.

3)      I have probably mentioned this at least 1,000 times to folks I know, but Jason Isbell’s “Southeastern” is probably my favorite record of all time (and released just this year). A perfect blend of rock n’ roll, candid songwriting, and exquisitely depressing heartbreaking ballads, I honestly have not gone 2 days without listening to this record since it first fell into my lap. I think the mark of a great songwriter, versus a good one, is the ability to take your faults, your darkness, and really create something incredible out of it. That’s exactly what Isbell does in putting his demons out there in song. Jason Isbell finds beauty in acceptance and revelation; singing about the things that a lot of folks would rather bury in the backyard.

4)      The combination of Hayley Sabella’s voice and excellent finger picking…I picked up Sabella’s latest release “Farm Fingers” this year and reviewed it a few months back. I then went and saw her play a few times and she blew me away. The tone of her voice and the control that she has over it is unlike any other singer I have really witnessed. It's effortless but at the same time completely commanded. The intro to the title track is rich and full of layers, it builds and builds until it’s just a finger picked guitar and a voice to enter the actual “song”…such a clever arrangement. The “Easter Song” track is also a beautiful song. Sabella’s voice is just beautiful…that’s really all there is too it; oh, and she is a hell of a songwriter too. 

5)      Community…there are two very specific examples of what has really brought the incredible compassion and humanity of music communities in the North East in 2013. First, the amazing outreach from the Boston music community in the events of the April marathon bombings. What seemed like almost immediately following the atrocious acts was an outpouring of love and willingness to contribute anything to help those effected by the bombings. Recording sessions of classic Boston songs to contribute to the OneFund, benefit shows at a number of venues, the amazing collection of artists pulled together by Allston Pudding for their sampler, and the still ongoing support to drive forward funding for those in need of medical and financial help. 

The second being the outreach of the music family surrounding brown bird when David Lamb’s diagnosis was publicly announced. Being in the spotlight as a touring musician is a hard spot to be in when something like this occurs and the fans, friends, and community was anxiously waiting to help in any way they could. This was most evident for me at the Newport Folk Festival where fans could write a message and take a picture to show their love for Dave. I was brought to tears seeing the line of folks to send their love through this. We love you D.L. and can’t wait to hear the music you are working on and see you back out on the road and in good health!

This community of people has truly humbled me and that is a beautiful thing.

What makes something musical beautiful to you?

Show you need to know: Friday at Tommy Doyles w/Glenn Yoder and the Western States, Tad Overbaugh and the Late Arrivals, and Anders & Kendall

For this week's "Show you need to know" I caught up with Rick from Tad Overbaugh and the Late Arrivals to clue us in on a great gig coming up this FRIDAY, November 8th at Tommy Doyles in Harvard Square...details below, check it out.

1) So, tell me what bands are playing and how did you all meet?

Anders & Kendall 9pm

Tad Overbaugh & The Late Arrivals 10pm

Glenn Yoder & The Western States 11pm

RC: I met Anders Parker in 2006 while living in Seattle, through my bassist at the time whose NYC band in the 90s toured a lot with Anders' band Varnaline.  Anders and Jay Farrar of Son Volt had just recorded a record called Gob Iron, (http://www.jayfarrar.net/discography/death-songs-living) and the two of them flew into Seattle for a show, and borrowed our gear.  I subsequently saw him play solo a couple times, and this past summer I happened to be back in Seattle at the same time he and Kendall Meade were playing a house concert at the home of our mutual friend.  Since he now lives in Burlington, VT we talked about getting him down to Boston for a show with us at some point.  This date worked out for an east coast swing they are doing this fall.

 When I moved to Boston from Seattle in 2010, I met both Tad and Glenn via Craigslist ads they were running.  Ironically neither was looking for a drummer.. but they both described a style of music that appealed to me, so I reached out to them for some networking, knowing nothing at all about the Boston scene.  They were both extremely helpful to me in getting my bearings - Glenn connected me w/ a couple different guys in the NEAF circle with whom I played a few shows, and of course I ended up playing in Tad's band.  So we've wanted to share a bill w/ Glenn for a while, and it's extra cool that Anders and Kendall are on board.

2) Atmosphere can make a show great, what makes Tommy’s a good place to catch a show?

RC: Harvard Square in general is such a fun place on a weekend, seems like it's always a party on a Friday
night.  We personally associate Tommy Doyle's with our experiences at New England Americana Fest, having played that room last year, and enjoyed great shows this past September.  With the high stage it feels like a big venue, but it's still small enough to feel intimate too.. plus great sound.  Hard to beat.  Also if you have young healthy arteries, the Corky Pig Burger is insanely good!

3) Finally, shameless self promo…tell us why this show is going to rock!

RC: Most of your readers probably know Glenn Yoder already; as Red Line Roots has written, his new record is outstanding.  The live show is just as good or better.  Anders & Kendall play a lot of house concerts, so this chance to see them in Cambridge in a great room like this, is kind of a rare opportunity.  I hope a lot of folks will come support them so that they come back more often, and maybe for NEAF next year!  Tad is putting the finishing touches on his first solo record, due out in the spring.  He's a real professional in the way he approaches songwriting and performing, and the band seems to get better with each show. We have not played out since NEAF in September, so we can't wait. 

Thomas John Cadrin "Play the Room" EP review

I had the pleasure of sharing a bill with Thomas John Cadrin a few months back. He really impressed me with his guitar playing. A strong player, sitting in with a few other folks during the night and playing his own stuff as well. He mentioned his new project to me called “Play the Room”. As with most gigs, you run into people they tell you about their latest recording and it happens so often (for most gigging musicians) you sometimes get in a good listen, and sometimes it takes a while. To my own detriment, it took me until now to really dig into this record, and I am kicking my own ass because it’s a REALLY cool concept executed particularly well. A dude and his guitar in a professional studio room, hit the record button, then release the thing when it’s done. Another one of these things I think all artists should have to do…no crazy overdubbing, there is difficulty to really tune anything up because of potential bleed in the different mics. This is really a “what you get is what you will get live” kind of a situation. Bravo, Mr. Cadrin, bravo.

His sound lays somewhere between folk and rock with a sprinkling of early 2000’s post-punk revival stuff, at least in its commercial appeal and some of this phrasing. While I tend to stray from that type of music, I actually quite like TJC’s tunes and overall sound. Smart arrangements and…again…really fucking great guitar playing, make me enjoy the music a lot. I get nuances of acoustic John Mayer in his playing (don’t hate, Mayer is an incredible guitar player) and his voice is hard for me to pinpoint or compare to something already existing. A good thing indeed.

“Thoughtless Saint” is probably my favorite track. There is some tasty guitar playing in the beginning, TJC’s vocal shines in this one. Not too much, but just enough variety to really keep the listener locked in. In this case, simplicity is the best formula for a good tune. Solo guitar solos can be real hit or miss, and Cadrin’s playing is tasteful but moving and energetic. Great dynamics, range and flow to this track.

Breathe until there's nothing left
strive for depths that have drowned the rest 

The guitar playing is solid and on point as I have come to expect from Cadrin. Very cool, versatile and interesting picking patterns (that many guitarists strive for and fail miserably at...Cadrin executes on effortlessly). He has a real strong voice with a great vocal range, moving in and out of falsetto (listen to “Separation Situation”) with ease and effortless style. And man, I just really love the concept. I cannot say that enough. Simple and unpretentious. It’s intimate, raw and real and that is how music should be made.

Listen to Cadrin’s “Play the Room” on his bandcamp page and be sure to check him out live soon…

http://thomasjohncadrin.bandcamp.com/album/play-the-room

First Listen: "Fly Away" Barbara Cassidy Band

 For today's First Listen track we have the track "Fly Away" by the Barbara Cassidy Band.

The track starts in with a bit of a simple ukelele sound and begins to build right away.There are definitely some interesting textures happening within the track. The break around the 1:45 mark has a nice little piece with some flute parts, a hint of twang/slide guitar in there. I kind of dig that. The vocals harmonize well with each other, you can tell there is a second voice somewhere in that mix, but it blends very well.

Cassidy has a pleasant voice to listen to, but at some times it feels a little put on or perhaps generic. It's a little "too much thought and not enough feel", which tends to turn me off a bit. In the technical sense, she measures up but for me music isn't about technicality, its about emotion and feel and  that's just missing a bit here for me, personally. The song pays respect to the American folk writing tradition, so I can certainly appreciate that.

Overall the track is a fair enough effort, its arranged in a way that makes sense, has some good instrumentation, but just lacks a bit of "that certain something" that sets music apart for me.

I think I may have to just dig in a little deeper...but til then, that's my first listen response.

Make your own opinion and check out the Barbara Cassidy Band on http://www.barbaracassidyband.com/

Doctor Gasp and the Eeks "Vampire Fish for Two" album review

Dan Blakeslee aka Doctor Gasp is an institution of Boston music. His personality shines. His creativity knows no bounds….and he is back with a new Halloween record. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Doctor Gasp and the Eeks present “Vampire Fish for Two”, complete with that beautiful and intriguing artwork that the man is known for.

The record has this “you just stumbled into a speakeasy for the deranged!” kind of feel to it. And I mean that in the best way possible. It’s fun, its full of life (though some of the songs are about dead things), has a waltzy vibe, and it just has that “thing” that Dan Blakeslee embraces so well. If you know, or know of, Dan than you know what that “thing” is. The record has so many variant textures and the sonic din of each track is so interesting if you really dig deep and listen. Don’t be fooled, this is no gimmick despite it being a “holiday record”. These songs are admirably thought out and deeply charged with liveliness and soul. Plus, the liner notes denote saw, zombie sounds, and frying pan as instruments played...you just can't go wrong!

The take on the “Monster Mash” is rather loyal to the original tune sonically. It’s fun, danceable, and

the entire arrangement is really wonderful with Doctor Gasp’s vocal in the fore front really driving the tune. The ending is particularly representative of Blakeslee’s humor. I will let you listen and hear it for yourself.

“RAWR!” has minimal lyrical content (something I typically LOVE from artists..especially Dan), but is one of my favorites from this collection. A cool swinging guitar, the background noises aplenty, the marching of the drum…and then….RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWR!!!!

“The Werewolf” is actually a wonderfully beautiful song. The base of the arrangement is an almost silent swelling organ (or it could be accordion?) in the background, sparsing picked banjo and guitar parts, and Blakeslee weaving the tale of lost love in beast form. Regardless, it really strikes a chord and the ambiance and feel of the song sits deep with me.

OK, the next track is INSANE. It’s a rap track, complete with record scratching, rapping about classic monsters (apparently Swamp Thing was a bit of a ladies man?). A really excellent departure from what one would expect. And as per the rest of the record, the textures and layers of the track are complex and smart.

 (photo by Michael Winters)

This entire piece has Blakeslee’s typical fullblown energy and witty sense of humor. I don't know how, but he is able to take what seems like even the most ridiculous of topics and write smart and wonderfully brilliant lyrics about it. I love this. I love all the work that Dan puts forward. It’s always completely enthused and he sinks his whole heart into his projects. Blakeslee should make records for every holiday!

Buy your download or physical copy now at: http://doctorgasp.bandcamp.com/album/vampire-fish-for-two

Only a few shows left to catch Doctor Gasp before he retreats back into the catacombs for another year!

10/29 Dover, NH-Barley Pub w/Soggy Po Boys 9pm
10/30 Salem, MA-Salem State/Ellison Ctr. "Underground" 8pm
10/31 Cambridge, MA-TT The Bears w/Tallahassee 9pm
11/02 Providence, RI-Columbus Theatre w/Snake Wagon 7pm