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Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, and Other Good Stuff


Seasick Sailor

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Went to House of Blues last night to see William Beckmann.  He put on quite a show with his limited original material (3 album releases) and a few surprising covers.  
 

His original stuff is pretty good. Texas country with Norteno and mariachi influence.   He sings in English and Spanish (from Del Rio).  
 

The covers included I’m on Fire Dreams, Wicked Game, That’s All Right Mama, Oye Como Va and Volver Volver.  

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On 8/13/2022 at 8:20 AM, deadshank said:

Went to House of Blues last night to see William Beckmann.  He put on quite a show with his limited original material (3 album releases) and a few surprising covers.  
 

His original stuff is pretty good. Texas country with Norteno and mariachi influence.   He sings in English and Spanish (from Del Rio).  
 

The covers included I’m on Fire Dreams, Wicked Game, That’s All Right Mama, Oye Como Va and Volver Volver.  

Damn that’s reallllly strong 

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On 8/13/2022 at 8:20 AM, deadshank said:

Went to House of Blues last night to see William Beckmann.  He put on quite a show with his limited original material (3 album releases) and a few surprising covers.  
 

His original stuff is pretty good. Texas country with Norteno and mariachi influence.   He sings in English and Spanish (from Del Rio).  
 

The covers included I’m on Fire Dreams, Wicked Game, That’s All Right Mama, Oye Como Va and Volver Volver.  

Not at all the look I expected after listening to a few of his tunes on Spotify. Great stuff

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Sticking this here. NSIAP.

 

This should be strong:

https://variety.com/2022/music/news/billy-joe-shaver-tribute-album-willie-nelson-outlaw-country-americana-1235342370/amp/

Sexton’s quote is awesome:

Sexton did not have a lifetime of hanging with Shaver, as his producing partner did. “You know,” he says, “every time we came into contact, I took it as an important thing that he didn’t tell me to get lost.” 

 

 

Edited by UTexasFight
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  • 2 weeks later...
2 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Maybe a little weird, but the beginning of high school football season always makes me think of this song. One of Jason's best imo:

Thanks for that.  What a songwriter.  He belongs in the conversation with Kristofferson, Clark, McMurtry, Prine, etc.  I naturally gravitate to melody and structure first, but when it's a great lyricist like Isbell I become obsessed with the tiny details they weave into songs.  Over and over again I think to myself "how in the hell did he come up with that line?"

Just the concept of a "speed trap town" alone is genius.  We all know what one is, but I never in my life heard that phrase until Isbell coined it.  It paints an entire setting in 3 syllables.

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30 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Over and over again I think to myself "how in the hell did he come up with that line?"

I think the same thing about the "it's a boy's last dream, and a man's first loss" line every time I hear it. Just such a universal experience that I haven't ever heard in a song. 

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3 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

I think the same thing about the "it's a boy's last dream, and a man's first loss" line every time I hear it. Just such a universal experience that I haven't ever heard in a song. 

. . . perfectly set up by "these 5A bastards run a shallow cross".

As an aside, if you ever want to be amused (or depressed) by the reading ability of the average American, check out some of the "song meaning" sites.  For this tune, you'll see multiple people assert that the protagonist's son died in a HS football game.  WTF?  No, that's not what Isbell is saying.  His character's son isn't playing.  His dad is terminally ill, and it's likely his marriage is failing.  The HS football game was a convenient place to get loaded.

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1 minute ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

New Tyler Childers album coming 9/30. He's been playing "Can I take my hounds to Heaven" live for a while now, and it's a great tune. I wonder if he'll put any of the covers he's been doing live all summer on there. 

attachment-tyler-childers-hounds-heaven.

I dig the gospel vibe on Angel Band.  It will definitely lose some of his "HE'S THE SAVIOR OF COUNTRY MUSIC" crowd, and I'm just fine with that.

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  • 1 month later...

missed the earlier discussion on that song, which is one of my favorites and in an even earlier discussion y'all corrected me on the "indian mound" lyric

"veins through the skin like a faded tattoo" is also a great line. Just on its own, a great line - so visually perfect, and without anything other than the dad is old and a state trooper I bet that sumbitch had a navy tattoo (which, I know is not what he is saying, but I still bet he does).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Not quite on the line of Sturgil, Zach Bryan, or Tyler, but this thread was as close as I could find. 

Laney Wilson is the best female country singer I have heard in a long time. Her voice reminds me of Dolly and she can fucking sing some shit. I expect her to have a long carrer, and think she can sing (traditional) country and still get mainstream radio play. 

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missed the earlier discussion on that song, which is one of my favorites and in an even earlier discussion y'all corrected me on the "indian mound" lyric
"veins through the skin like a faded tattoo" is also a great line. Just on its own, a great line - so visually perfect, and without anything other than the dad is old and a state trooper I bet that sumbitch had a navy tattoo (which, I know is not what he is saying, but I still bet he does).

Apropos of nothing really, but Speed Trap Town is a good follow to Cover Me Up if you are playing JI songs on guitar. Capo is up to you. They are both in Drop D.
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Both excellent songs to learn drop d or dadgad. Another is Whitehouse Road by Tyler Childers. Which gets you close to Choctaw Bingo.

Outfit, and Tour of Duty are great songs to learn how Isbell tools around from that two finger G (300030, some of those are probably muted) to two finger C, two finger D, and the fun little licks between. Big uplevel in my ability to fuck around and find out by learning all of those songs.

Edited by Celery Man
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On 11/2/2022 at 4:17 PM, TexasHooch said:

I've been dipping back into Charlie Parr of late.  Pure Americana.

 

Fuckin’ love Charlie.  He played the little theatre in Lanesboro a couple winters ago, and I chatted with him for a minute before the show.  Super nice guy.

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On 11/2/2022 at 4:17 PM, TexasHooch said:

I've been dipping back into Charlie Parr of late.  Pure Americana.

 

Fuckin’ love Charlie.  He played the little theatre in Lanesboro a couple winters ago, and I chatted with him for a minute before the show.  Super nice guy.

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20 years ago we hosted a backyard "Turkey Fry and Pie" concert and brought him and a couple of his buddies in to play.  It was one of the greatest nights ever.  There's really nothing better than a house concert, and he couldn't have been nicer.  Somewhere out there there's a pic of me sitting on my roof with a red solo cup and a drumstick, jamming on some Charlie fucking Parr.  He's in Cedar Falls later this month BTW.

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2 hours ago, fluff said:

Anybody checked out any of the videos from the Zach Bryan show last week at Red Rocks?  So fucking awesome. Would have been a pretty epic concert to attend.

Red Rocks Snow Video

We went out a couple of weeks ago to see a gentleman named “Jellyroll”. Was colder than a witch’s titty. 

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57 minutes ago, Kennythetiger said:

At least you switched albums. I’m still stuck playing this over and over:

 

My understanding of that album is that he basically taught himself fiddle and then made an album of old fiddle songs + long violent history. Which is rad. I listened to it while moving to North Carolina and had Zollie’s Retreat stuck in my head long enough that I eventually just watched the Ken Burns civil war documentary again.

Edited by Celery Man
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are there two better lines in any one song?

"Well I used to go out in a Mustang
A 302 Mach One in green
'till me and your mama made you in the back
and I sold it to buy her a ring"

"so don't let them change who you are boy
and don't try to be who you ain't
and don't let me catch you in Kendale
with a bucket of wealthy man's paint"

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10 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

are there two better lines in any one song?

"Well I used to go out in a Mustang
A 302 Mach One in green
'till me and your mama made you in the back
and I sold it to buy her a ring"

"so don't let them change who you are boy
and don't try to be who you ain't
and don't let me catch you in Kendale
with a bucket of wealthy man's paint"

”My daddy didn’t pull out, but he never apologized.  Rock and roll means well, but it can’t help telling young boys lies.”

“There’s a fool on every corner, every street, in everyone.  But I’d rather be your fool nowhere than go somewhere and be no one’s”.

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13 minutes ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

Zip City is an amazing bit of songwriting, but this one always makes me chuckle because we all know this girl.

Keep your drawers on, girl, it ain't worth the fight
By the time you drop them I'll be gone
And you'll be right where they fall the rest of your life

It’s the most scathing shot at an ex, probably ever.  It makes Blood on the Tracks look cuddly.

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