Flanfire

Lured as I was to the Gypsy Lounge (East Sixth near Comal for the uninitiated) by the prospect of hearing Stefanie Fix swap songs with Noelle Hampton, I walked in the door only to find joy unimaginable — the lovely Havilah Rand in the stead of my great pony-tailed pal Dave Madden, along with Noelle’s “man” Andre Moran playing lead guitar for all three lovely ladies. This is Stef’s gig mercifully moved from jovita’s (good call, Mister Bane!), and in two weeks her special guest will be (drum roll!) Wendy Colonna.
The place was packed — on a Tuesday night — the atmosphere was thick with incense and the lush red curtains that encase the floor level stage. The music was surprisingly psychedelic at times, and I was back in the Sixties again. Best thing about this double set was that all three women are seemingly in awe of each other’s talents — and all were helping with the ooh’s and lala’s as appropriate. Love (as Jesse Colin Young so greatly desired) was all around. And, yes, they have Jameson and ginger!

I looked around and noted the presence of one Jimmie Dreams aka the booking agent Jimmie Graves, and it was to be his night after the ladies were done.  Mind you, the Gypsy’s owner noted that his website will be up “soon,” and a quick check of his Facebook page was equally unrevealing, so for now the best way to find out who is playing is word of mouth.  And the place is full – even in the back tented (and heated) smoking lounge.  A few minutes later D-Madness walked in, and I knew I was not going ANYWHERE!  You just have to know that this smiling, very charming visually impaired but musically gifted man [Brian Conway long ago told me D-Madness was the most amazing musician in all of Austin, and he just might still be right!) is going to rock your world — tonight he was playing (as he often does) his Tama drum kit and sampling on a keyboard, while using his voice as a musical percussion instrument in addition to singing and rapping and playing styles from jazz to funk to ure soul.  I have also seen D (aka Dwayne Jackson) playing bass (notably, on a SXSW Sunday at Hickory Street with Corrina Rachel).  Tonight was no exception — last time I saw D was at the Moody Theatre with Bavu Blakes at the fundraiser for Austin Music People (AMP) — tonight it was the interplay of drums, vocals, a little keyboard action, and alternating lead guitarists (one of whom was the illustrious Mister Dreams).  All in all, the Gypsy is going to be HUGE in this town — next door to Hotel Vegas, around the corner from the White Horse.

Before I go, I want to thank Lee Duffy and Rick Busby and all of the folks who made last weekend’s Austin Songwriters Group confab so special – I only got to spend half a day on Saturday, attending three or four sessions and listening to music from Marvin Dykhuis, Will Sexton, Joe Manuel and Sonny Throckmorton, but the time was more than well spent.  Friday night had been special at the Continental with the Mastersons (Chris and Eleanor), and Saturday night just as special with the return of Cowboy and Indian (plus a fine set from the Dead Left, with Neal Kassanoff, Lindsay Greene, and Lauren Gurgiolo).  I spent Sunday evening chilling at Baker St. for the open mike, heard some fine sets from close friends and newcomers to Austin (even Marcia Hayden Hendrick all the way from East Hampton, Massachusetts) – and we all got an unexpected blessing when Mandy Rowden and Deann Rene played a short set to close the evening.

Previews of coming attractions — Let’s start with the Love Leighs next Tuesday at the Gypsy, but first we get the first shows of the year from the Moonlighters and Deadman on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, at the Saxon (both shows at 10 pm), and tomorrow night it’s Josh Buckley at Trophy’s with Bob Hoffnar sitting in on pedal steel (after Kem Watts plays the Crow Bar).  Lots more I could write about, after all this IS Austin — but wow two chances to see and hear Lonnie Trevino, Jr., in one weekend (with friends coming in from Colorado and Louisiana to see the Deadman show).

Finally, I just heard from The Iveys, The O’My’s and Judson McKinney — all of them with new music and all hitting Austin for SXSW, along with half the plugged in world.  It’s just two months off … so catch up on your sleep now.

Friends, I thought I had done well to have my friend Laura Jean Thompson down from Chicago and play at the Whip In, Romeo’s, Cheatham Street, Baker St.,and the Ham Jam Concert Series — and to meet with Charlie Stewart and work on plans for Folk Alliance and beyond — but that was just the prologue (and indeed Laura and i had some fine adventures togethe!).

No sooner than I had dropped Laura at Austin Bergstrom on Tuesday did I get myself to the Contintental Club to see Dustin Welch with Steve and Mike Bernal on bass (and cello) and drums, Roberto Riggio on violin, and Eric McFadden on lead guitar and lead and/or harmony vocals. What a show — “Two Horses” as I had never seen it before, with Steve Bernal reaching notes on the cello rarely heard. Afterward, I ended up at the Korean karaoke joint on North Lamar singing and wishing Sarah Temple at happy birthday. Wednesday it was Trophy’s for Josh Buckley and Gilded Splinters with Phil Hurley sitting in on lead guitar. Thursday began with Barbara Nesbitt singing her heart out to a warm and fuzzy crowd (lots of fellow musicians) at Maria’s Taco X-press, then a quick jaunt to Baker St. to catch a set by Jennifer Ellen Cook, and off to Stubbs for shows from Les Rav and the White White Lights (with a stopover at the Mohawk in between). Barbara has a voice that melts gold into butter, and Lauren Bruno and Les Rav have added the impeccable Jenni Wieland on French horn and Andrew Noble on violin (and a little lead guitar!). Special thanks to my pal Scott Andrews, who was at the show the night before he played Houston’s House of Blues.

But Friday’s on my mind, and after a long day of work (missing day 1 of the Austin Songwriters’ Group’s annual confab) getting to the Continental Club with my pal Josh Buckley to see the Mastersons (Chris and Eleanor, with the bonus of sister Bonnie Whitmore in the house, and of course Falcon Valdez on drums. Chris has long been one of Austin’s (well, Bertram’s!) finest guitarists and songwriters but even he admits people come just as much to see and hear (and marvel at) Eleanor, who has developed from a strong side woman (violin and mandolin) to hardcore troubadour guitarist and lead singer. Their new CD, Birds Fly South (due in April, except for some advance copies the kids had with them), is just gorgeous, especially IMHO the title track! They’ll be back for SXSW so do not miss your next chance!
At the show (the reconstituted Derailers followed) Josh and I met two great new friends and he got to play them some of his own songs late into the night.
Saturday I finally got to the Omni for the ASG shindig and ran into so many old friends and met a few new ones – and got to hear Sonny Throckmorton and Joe Manuel (with Marvin Dykhuis and Will Sexton) sing some of their greatest hits, hear some top experts in booking, management, and more share their secrets, and have a wonderful time! Thanks again to Lee Duffy and Rick Busby and the whole crew for putting on such a powerful event (featuring indstrry pros from all over the place).
But life is all about Saturday night, and this one was super special — the return to the stage of Jazz Mills and Cowboy and Indian before a packed house at Hotel Vegas (which had already seen Nakia, the Dead Left and the fabulous Greyhounds). Never enough props for Neal Kassanoff’s songwriting, but adding the love of my life, Lauren Gurgiolo (if you ever watch her play guitar you will know why!), to his band (thanks in large part to the genius of Lindsay Greene!) was a stroke of genius mixed with sheer good fortune. Lauren, lead guitarist for Okkervil River, promises new things from her own group, the Dialtones, in coming months, and Neal was beaming when I asked him how his nonprofit music teaching organization for disadvantaged children, the Groundworks Music Project, was going. He had just gotten a major grant that will cover his entire budget for 2012. GOOD TIMES!!!!!! OF COURSE I cannot be objective about Cowboy and Indian — they are all family to me — Dorian, Peter, Daniel James, Jazz, Jesse and Stephanie RULE MY WORLD and are just downright wonderful! Now part of our evening (thanks, Josh and Anita for hanging with!) was spent at the hottest new country bar in Austin, the White Horse, listening to the Carper Family and later to Clyde and Clem’s Whiskey Business (who as always were a barrel of laughs and a joy to behold!) — and Denis O’Donnell, Mashall McHone and the gang also had a packed house. There was also this amazing ring around the moon — part of one magical night in Austin! And tomorrow — new adventures await, as I wait for another show from Cowboy and Indian (to help out our beloved Ruby Jane) and from the stripped down T-Bird and the Breaks quartet!

This is a hodge-podge — starting at the end, working back a bit … Tonight a bunch of us gathered at Flipnotics to visit in their “living room” with Raina Rose, Drew Pressman and their handsome offspring — with the bonus of hearing Johann (or J) Wagner and special guest Wilson Marks. This was Raina’s first public performance since she was great with child, and she admitted her callouses had disappeared but she and Johann (and also Wilson) tossed out songs that in many cases were full-house sing-alongs and in some cases were heard in rapt silence. I met Jen Hitt, another Austin newcomer, songwriter and host of WAMU 88.5′s (Washington, DC) Capital Americana radio show (yeah, it streams!). She has a show upcoming at the Irie Bean! [Sidebar -- Marks, it seems, once gave a guitar lesson to a very young Matt McCloskey, which apparently worked!]

Earlier today, I got to hear the Jackie Myers Band (Jackie, Mike Brinley, Mark Williams, and Stewart Lane) for the first time since before they went into the studio to cut a new record (release date in early spring 2012). People at the Cedar Park Farmers’ Market loved what they were hearing. I did too!

Friday night Brett Randell had a welcome home to Austin show at One 2 One Bar — soon to be relocating to an as yet undisclosed location, but not before a knock-down New Year’s Eve show hosted by the venerable Donny Jones! Then it was over to Skinny’s Ballsoom (thanks Brad and Maggie for keeping this great room alive!), and I got there in time for some of Kyle Offidani’s amazing guitar work. I was there mainly to hear Digital Antique, one of my favorites (two violins, a viola, a cello, plus electric guitar and electric bass and drums) … and soon, apparently, a vocalist as well! Stay tuned! I stuck around for the second Austin show of The Bellmen (featuring Travis Sutherland of Utopia Fest fame) plus Dustin Halsell (lead guitar), Reid Faist (drums), Jeremiah Silsby (bass), and Benjamin Taylor (keys). Lots of energy there — and they rocked on in spite of equipment issues.

Thursday night was pretty special — the night before I had run into James Hyland while watching Amanda Cevallos at the Broken Spoke (happy hour, with Glen Rexach on guitar!), and he told me about a benefit he was playing the next day – at Spicewood Elementary. So I get there and it is the Stonecastle Family Band, which I had not seen since Lauryn Gould was a teenager (or so) singing with her dad (Rick Steinburg), his wife Deby, and her sisters at the Triumph Cafe (long before I actually MET Lauryn, my favorite flutist/keyboardist). The benefit was for a beloved teacher who has tongue cancer … and it was well attended! Hyland played a set with Will Dupuy on bass and Bobby Socia on guitar; Datri Bean put on an amazing show on piano and accordian; Ryan Gould and two of his fellow Jazz Pharaohs (notably the amazing Stanley Smith); and this gal playing bagpipes! It is always fun to watch Ryan sing and Lauryn dance! And, yeah, they play bass and flute (respectively) pretty well!  Later, I stopped by Baker St. to see the best set yet from JUSTIF and the Missing Pieces (Jenna G and Samantha Burge) — ran into Hector Ward and half of his band who had been dining there, and stuck around for Charlie Mason.  Good times!

[Meanwhile, I am listening to Doug Burr as I write this stuff -- and also Steve Carter!]

Wednesday was, admittedly, ridiculous! Started out at The Crow Bar for Kem Watts (her trio sounded quite good, and HalleyAnna showed up!), then to the Spoke for Amanda (where I also ran into Waldo Wittenmyer, who is now doing some booking at the Hole in the Wall), then all the way up to the NeWorld Deli to catch half a set from Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus (such dear friends!), then over to the Hole in the Wall to hear Ashley Monical (with Brian Paugh on fiddle!), then down to Trophy’s to catch a set from Austin newcomer Jason Ludwig (that boy can wail!), and finally to the Mohawk (thanks for the reminder, amazing woman Sarah Gonzales) for a super set from Danny Malone – with strings and horns (notably Steve Bernal on cello, Andrew Pressman on bass, Jenni Wieland on French horn and more, and Andrew Noble on viola — the others – violin, sax, and trumpet - were from Little Lo and Mother Falcon).

Now Monday was COLD and thus the outdoor open mike at House Wine was short but very sweet … and I was at Momo’s early and later … first for William Kelley, later as Dustin Welch sang the songs of his father Kevin.  But it is Tuesday that made this week special (not counting the amazing show out in Luckenbach by Phil Hurley, Phil Bass, Lonnie Trevino, and Josh Zee with help from Teal Collins Zee — the Moonlighters!)!!!!  SONGWRITER NIGHT at Momo’s, starting with Jenny Reynolds (who brought some really good songs new to my ears) and the awe-inspiring Nathan Hamilton (the Abilene native whose songs ought to be listened to with the reverence others hold for TVZ, Guy C, etc.).  Nathan has a brand-new CD, “Beauty, Wit and Speed,” that like all of his others is just phenomenal!    [Watch for my review!]  Nathan Hamilton is one of my role models (did I mention?) — a man who lives by his code, who speaks the truth, and who has fought through anger to find a quiet peace.

Next up was the Drew Smith-Jon Beckham-Graham Wilkinson song circle, with special guests Nathan Singleton and Will Webster.  I had encouraged new-to-Austin songwriters Jason Ludwig and Josh Buckley to come, and Shilah Morrow and a bunch of other music people were in the house for what turned out to be an amazing circle of songs by friends who supported each other with hot licks, harmonies, and sometimes witty banter.  Highlights (a few among many!) — Jon Beckham’s “Snowy River, Mountain High” (a song covered by James Hyland but sung even better with Jon’s twangy voice), Graham’s “Personality Disorder,” and Will’s song about his parents and his other song about the War Between the States.  Words cannot describe the energy in the room (the garage doors were shut on this cold, damp night, and that perhaps added to the energy!) — and the exhilaration from the love being poured out by every man on stage!  Also in the house were the Los Angeles based trio, The Fallen Stars, who played afterward …

My evening was far from over, as i hustled over to the 29th Street Ballroom at Spider House to hear Meggan Carney with her trio (Johnny Vogelsang and Drew D’Entremont) — with Meggan on electric guitar.  Meggan has a major show at Momo’s on December 23rd, where she will be releasing another new EP .. a teaser is already up on her Facebook page … words and music for “Empathy,” which includes the line, “Understand that I will never be
unwary of your heart….”

One more note — Chicago songbird Laura Jean Thompson flies into Austin on December 20th to play shows at Romeo’s (12-21), Momo’s (12-26), and the Ham Jam House Concert (12-28) — plus the Cedar Park Farmers’ Market and maybe a few surprises!  I am thrilled to be sponsoring this tour … and just as thrilled that well-known author and public speaker Jenni Schaefer will be making her singing (only) debut at the Ham Jam show.  For details just let me know via Facebook, email or slapping me upside my head!

I did not really want to go. I mean, you drive down this steep hill just to get in, then you park and walk up a lot of steps just to get to the box office. THEN you stand outside in the cold (or heat, or rain, or whatever Texas weather the day brings) before they let you in (or you stay downstairs and hobnob with the usual pretenders crowd of one-percenters, as they are now called). And, yeah, rain or shine you have to walk up this outdoor spiral staircase … and that’s all BEFORE you get into the theatre.
But, OK, it really IS worth it all, because the acoustics are great and there is not a bad seat in the house (unless you do not really enjoy getting up for late arrivers with middle of the row seats). You have to stand in line to get a drink, and there is only a single unisex bathroom upstairs (and who wants to traverse those circular steps and miss half the show?). The theatre seats really are from an old theatre, with oversized cup holders suitable for 40-ounce soda pops. And all of the music — until recently, that is — is out of towners whose clientele is the snobs who never come to the Saxon, the Continental, or even the Spoke. Well, ,mostly.
The truth of course is that none of those venues has what One World has to offer. Parking, to start with (OK, the Spoke has a parking lot!). A huge stage with great lighting. Great sight lines and high ceilings. Not even the heralded Paramount has as many seats that close to the action! And when it is Alyse Black and Little Brave, you feel really great that Austin musicians are on a stage worthy of Austin talent.
Little Brave opened, with Gum-B (Mark Williams) sitting in on cello — a stripped down Brave with K Phillips ONLY on accordian, Michael Christmas on drums, and of course Stephanie Briggs at center stage on guitar, keyboards, and ukulele. [After the show, a 16-year-old singer-songwriter was so thrilled to meet Stephanie, as she too plays those three instruments with her songs!] It was funny to see Stephanie wonder whether it was okay to “cuss”!
But this was Alyse Black’s night. She had a seven piece band PLUS special guests — notably Kalu James and White Widow. The band itself was pretty special: the afore-mentioned Gum-B on standup bass and cello, Shawnee Kilgore on backing vocals and guitar, Will Wallace on lead guitar, Alex Henley on electric bass and guitar, Bruce Logan on drums — and a trumpet player too. One of the things that makes Alyse’s shows special is the care she gives to her fellow players — it is as much their show as hers, in her view.
The show was officially to unveil Alyse’s brand-new project, “The Honesty EP,” along with her live album, “The Triple Door Sessions.” The set list, though, included selections from her two earlier releases and some special surprises — not the least of which was Alyse’s very sexy red sparkly dress, which she claimed to have found just a day earlier at Goodwill (yeah, right!).
The blown away moment was Alyse’s rendering of the Willie Nelson classic, “Crazy,” with only Will Wallace’s acoustic guitar (including an amazing, lengthy solo). Songs like these show off the power and tenor of Alyse’s radiant voice — and this was followed by a song from Shawnee Kilgore about her favorite pirate — with Wallace and Kilgore on twin guitars and Alyse also providing vocal support. White Widow and Alyse rocked out together, and Kalu’s powerful song about his Nigerian homeland was given quite a special full-band arrangement.
The new recording is stripped down — and thus I suspect it will rapidly become my favorite Alyse Black record of all time (until of course she puts out something even newer). I mean, people like her flirtatious spirit onstage and her bouncy songs (including an Adele cover this night), but truth be told, Alyse’s real strength is singing ballads without a lot of instruments to drown out her voice. The banter keeps the show alive and energetic — and then she drops the H-bomb on you with “Even the Best” (or really just about any song from the new EP).
Okay, I admit it. I loved going to One World when we won tickets to see Judy Collins (by knowing that Sandy Denny wrote and originally sang “Who Knows Where the Time Goes”) — but I never saw One World as a local music venue — until tonight! And better yet, the management is talking about an entire SERIES featuring local music … now THAT to me is worth the steep driveway, the outdoor climb, and the other stuff. [Aside - do smokers even care that they sometimes miss half the show to step outside?]
Other Music Highlights from Thanksgiving Week
Bar none — Drew Smith and the Lonely Choir in what may have been the best performance EVER by this amazing band — my favorite (and Ihor’s) for several years running. Jake Owen played what may have been the most powerful guitar solo I have ever heard during Drew’s song, “Bending Like a River Flowing,” and Ryan Bowman (bass), Kyle Thompson (drums), and Matthew Russell (keys), along with Drew, played inspired music in what may have been their last show for a while (the BoDeans are going on tour, taking some of Drew’s players with them).
Earlier that evening, the Beckham Brothers once again showed they are a band to be reckoned with — and one that needs to get off the Willis Alan Ramsey kick and RELEASE the music they have recorded. The Band of Heathens as usual really brought it — and yes I took a detour on Friday evening to go hear Max Frost along with Face, Tiny and Dave Scher rock the house at Beale Street Tavern. Even earlier I had caught a smokin’ set from Edison Chair — which plays Wednesday night at the Parish — if you like the Beatles you will love this band that has that same energy and real potential for playing bigger stages (for example, opening for Fastball New Year’s Eve at Uncle Billy’s on the lake).
Thanksgiving Day was wonderful, the crowd gathered for the third year in a row at Donny Jones’ country estate to chow down and jam. Later I slipped out to catch Dustin Welch’s set with Steve Bernal (cello), Mike Bernal (percussion), and Roberto Riggio (violin) … and it was the way I have been hearing Dustin’s music ever since I saw him with Joe and Trisha Beckham and Brian Standefer on cello at Lambert’s. And Saturday night we stopped by to see Dale Watson (who will be taking a hiatus from performing starting in February to act in a play) and ran into Sunny Sweeney and her new husband at the Spoke — and then dropped by Momo’s to see George DeVore with his brand-new hot band. And there was even MORE!

Sunday I knew wsa going to be busy — but there was more than even I knew, starting with a quiet party at Quin Ulrich’s to honor his dad Steve and the lovely Elizabeth (on their way to Guatemala again!). Mark Ambrose was there, as was Tony Velasco and even Matt Silaski got there bfore I headed out to Threadgill’s for the big GRAM PARSONS TRIBUTE, organized once again by Patterson Barrett.

Now if you konw me, you know I always say that Gram Parsons changed my life with his songs. Sunday night, there were over three hours of Gram songs, songs Gram sang and even a couple of songs ABOUT Gram … most of my favorites except “The New Soft Shoe,” which was on the bill but the performer was unable to make the show at the last minute. Now it being Gram’s music, and it also being a lot of my friends on the stage, I liked everything I heard, especially liked the spirit of the evening (and the weather!). But a few performances stand out, perhaps because of the song itself as well as the performance. Earl Poole Ball (WHO PLAYED WITH GRAM) was his always delightful self, and the handsome Steve Carter has not lost a step. Karen Abrahams, who opened the show, reminded me once again why she is just royalty in central Texas, and Leeann Atherton and Julieann Banks showed that Girls STILL just wanna have fun.
Bu when Brian Pounds broke into “A Song for You,” the tears just started streaming down my cheeks. Same story when Phil Hurley (sans guitar) interpreted a song so good not even Townes could have written it — Thousand Dollar Wedding. And Bill Carter with Will Sexton did Hickory Wind, and Noelle Hampton backed by a quartet of lovely ladies sand “She.” I got to hear Sahara Smith for the first time as she sang (in a voice almost too high for the song) “Sin City” — and there was Dallas Wayne (whose powerful voice just survived the fires that took his home) and so many others … Gram Parsons would have turned 65 on November 5th, and he would be very proud of his daughter Polly, who now lives here in Austin and does amazing work through the Gram Parsons Foundation. The Threadgills audience sang together with an expanded band on “In My Time of Darkness,” one of those songs that once again (and I am surely a heretic as a native Texan for saying this!) NOBODY has reached deeper into our hearts with. My only hope is that next year, someone will sign up to sing “Hippie Boy.”

The night at Threadgill’s was over — but not the night itself — heck, it had hardly begun! Next up was the Saxon Pub, where Amanda Cevallos had gathered another group of fine musicians — some of whom were doing double duty (herself, Steve Carter, and the incredible Mike Stinson among them) — to celebrate the music of Texas music legend Doug Sahm on what would have been his 70th birthday. Performers included Leo Rondeau, Mike Harmeier, George DeVore, the beatiful Beth Lee (and of course the equally beautiful Amanda Cevallos), and David Jimenez. The show stopper, though, had to be the finale, with Tameca Jones belting out “She’s About a Mover” as two of the Southern Sirens shook short-skirrted, fishnet-stockinged booty so impressively that more than one of the players admitted being at least a little bit distracted (not enough to affect their playing, to be sure). The house band for the evening included members of Amanda’s own band, most notably the same Neil Flanz who was a member of Gram Parsons’ band the Fallen Angels. This show was a lot of fun and featured a lot of that San Antonio flavor.
And, yeah, after THAT show was done, I trekked over to Momo’s to catch part of the King Biscuit set featuring Will Webster jamming with David Jimenez and Jonah Kane-West of keyboards, with Wil Landin sitting in on sousaphone. Kurt McMahan keeps finding formulas that work for bringing great players together to have a good time and entertain anyone smart enough to come.

I cannot leave talk of this great first weekend in November without mentioning yet another music legend — the man whom T-Bone Burnett has called “the soul of Texas music.” — Turner Stephen Bruton. Here is a little vignette:

“He was one of the bright spots in the lives of anyone who was close to him,” said Kris Kristofferson, who hired a 22-year-old Bruton to be his guitar player in 1971. The gig lasted 17 years and made the pair as close as brothers. Bruton also played in the bands of Bonnie Raitt and Delbert McClinton, plus he produced career-defining albums by Alejandro Escovedo, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Marcia Ball..
“I feel fortunate that I was able to get back to L.A. last night and say farewell,” Kristofferson said. “He finally knew he was going, after fighting it so hard for so long. I said I would see him again down the road, probably sooner than later.” The two talked for awhile, then, late Friday night, Bruton said he had to go to sleep. He never woke up. He was 60.
“Stephen Bruton was the soul of Texas music,” T-Bone Burnett said in a statement Saturday. “This is an incalculable loss. He was my oldest friend and I loved him like a brother. I learned more from him than I can say.”

TAG — Monday night madness — began at the Whip In, as Stonehoney’s Nick Randolph played his first solo set in maybe a decade before a packed house that included almost the entire California expatriate musician community in Austin (Josh and Teal, Andre and Noelle, Clint and Q, the list goes on). I had invited my friend Lily out to hear some songwriters, and promised her the second half of the evening would be at House Wine. And what an excellent choice! From Marc Palaoro to Will Wallace to Tammy Kantor (with Drew Howard) to Katy Priestley (of KP and the Boom Boom) to Scott Andrews to Luke Benson (just back from Moab, Utah) to Kole Hansen (just back from a four-month tour) to Craig Marshall, there was no letdown at all — and we missed some very good performers who had gone on earlier in the evening. Kole has a major show at Momo’s on November 17th (a Thursday night), and Will Wallace will be sitting in with her band.

Creative guitarists do seem to abound in Austin. This will be a short post — but I just had to write about Kinky Machine, featuring Ethan Kennedy and Matt Muehling on guitars, with Matt Sheffer, Sam Pankey and Drew D’Entremont on percussion, bass and drums, respectively. Mahshad V. says Kinky Machine is “the new black” — and after just their second show tonight at Frank, the other word is “yum.” This is progressive rock that cannot simply be described — just go see and hear for yourself. There is a lot of work to do here — but this quintet of young but very talented players has already sent a statement that they are a band to be reckoned with — and now they need to (a) do some recording, (b) get a video, but mostly (c) keep playing and getting tighter and adding songs to their repertoire. And of course (d) having fun and making money (ha!). I DO love Frank as a venue — I DID place Madi Diaz and Kyle Andrews there for next Wednesday and add Meggan Carney (with Ethan K on guitar of course) to the bill — and it’s not just because I like a good hot dog (though that’s another reason to like Frank!).

Now I knew that when i got to Momo’s to hear Wisebird I would likely run into Luke Benson, just back in town after a very productive summer — yup, he is working on a new record, too. True, the joint was jumping with lots of friends (including my long-lost pal Rob Cooperman, whom I knew was back in town but had not yet seen) — all were there to relish Joe Beckham (bass), Dave Meservy (drums and vocals), and Will Webster (guitars and vocals) just rip the stage apart with joyous sounds. Eric Hokkanen, who has been a mentor to Webster, also showed up to admire his and Will’s joint handiwork.

Speaking of Matt Muehling, I am reminded that NEXT Friday his old bandmate Sam Lipman releases his debut solo CD, “Nebraska,” at Momo’s — Sam may be the nicest Aussie ever created .. and he is one heckuva musician and creative genius — dress up and make this night special!

Speaking of “special,” Raina Rose is a mom … she and Andrew Pressman are the proud parents of a baby boy! I will never forget the first night I met her at the Ham Jam — her aura just totally filled the living room (which is two stories high) … and her songs were so real you could get your fingers wet just touching their wet paint.

Just as special in its own way, Graham Wilkinson is releasing his new EP, The Spiritual Acxcessories, on November 4th at Momo’s — with Drew Smith and the Lonely Choir following at midnight. I can only suggest that we in Austin are so blessed with such songwriters as Jon Dee Graham Wilkinson (which is to suggest that Graham’s songs remind me of Jon Dee’s in their raw honesty and passion). This EP may be the record of the year … and Graham says it cost (an unbelievably small sum) to make, leaving him enough money to actually do some marketing. But this is a free tip to the wise — get two, one to keep and one to share (and of course burn baby burn more). And, yes, with Drew Smith in the house, there might even be a Michael Lahrman sighting.

[And downstairs from Momo's there is a sign on the door noting that the "Powder Room" has applied for a liquor license.]

Three days (daze?), thirty (plus) bands, and of course a few side projects. SX620 and SXSW have come and gone — and we are just now sorting out all of the music we recorded and the video we shot. One thing we know. There is some great stuff out there — for example, Meggan Carney’s quirky songs and powerful voice, which she will be taking to Washington, DC, and Chicago on behalf of the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau in coming weeks. Flanfire will be joining Meggan and the incomparable Drew Smith in the Windy City (barring strange incidents that could happen). Meanwhile, Drew’s Lonely Choir played an amazing set last weekend at Momo’s that left even Ihor Gowda gasping for breath…. And I met Merri Palmer … at long last. Raw .. her new CD, Drinking and Dreaming, is as raw as an open wound from intentional cutting, so honest Abe Lincoln would blush, and so intense (and yet often funny but even more often poignant) that you just through the songs (and maybe an on-stage performance or two) you sense that this woman way too soon wants to fix every broken thing but knows she cannot … and wonders why. “Early in the Morning” is a deja vu moment in time as one copes with the non-reality that you tried to keep real but could not — one of the most haunting songs ever. “The Daily Grind” speaks of the earthquakes in people’s lives that so disrupt normal and always seem to come with aftershocks. “Underage Smokers” takes us back to high school memories — and a wish that “you’ve grown up to grow sane.” “Hopeless Romantic” bounces into your head to open the show, and you realize that this seemingly happy song has its darker overtones, as “everything I’ve loved so far’s gone bad.” The title cut has this line, “plans are what you make until something more important comes along,” and so relationships sometimes come to an end. There are songs here about which I cannot write — maybe because Merri has a heart the size of the moon itself and a passion for people daring to seek their own truth that comes from seeing hypocrisy way up too close. This offering follows her earlier acoustic EP, “The First Five Years,” and features new new synthesizer and lots of harmonies (many her own). Merri will have a residency at Flipnotics next month and has other shows about town … that is, if she doesn’t hop on a cruise ship to sing for her supper.

Elsewhere I recently gave high praise to the new CD by Jenny Parrott and Vaughn Walters, aka Loves It! Tonight I stopped by the Whip In to catch Jess Klein with Patterson Barrett as they sang an amazing duet of “Grievous Angel” that evoked the passion and joy of the original Gram and Emmy Lou that changed my life. Also on the stage, Professor Feathers aka Mark Addison (who will be sharing HIS songs with Jess i a fw weeks) and Danish songbird Annemarie Jensen (who has been “touring” with Chris Hawkes and will be in town through the end of April).
Then it was off to the Continental Gallery to check out The Frank Mustard Project — I liked their songs but even moreso their cover of Link Wray’s “Comanche.”

Coming up — Thursday at Threadgills’ – Cowboy and Indian (wear a costume); Friday at the Cactus, the beautiful Bonnie Whitmore (with Graham Weber), at the Continental Club, the long-awaited CD release by Slowtrain, and at Momo’s round 2 of Dave maden’s OMG Orchestra featuring Sara Hickman, John Pointer, and more … and the show I really want to see — Merri Palmer with D. B. Rouse (Kiddo) and others at Hornitos — which starts at 7 pm. It’s gonna be a looonnng night!

The EP is really just a CD with fewer songs than other CD’s — kinda like soup and salad without the entree, especially if the musical meal is tastefully delicious.  And so here we have it — some tasteful, tasty music that leaves you hungry for more.

CORRINA’S DREAMLAND BAND – Blue Moonbeams

Corrina Rachel (Kalish) is tall, blonde, and old-fashioned (at least in her musical taste) — I always think of her as a 1940′s pinup girl who might have graced the noses of many a fighter plane (can anyone say “Betty Grable”?).  Unlike most other Austin jazz singers, Corrina belts em outta the park as her “dreamland band” changes from gig to gig (or so it seems).  The lineup for this five-song EP is Trevor Labonte on lead guitar, Ryan Bowman on bass, Masumi Jones on percussion, and Ephraim Owens on trumpet.  Three of the songs here are originals — I really like “Answer,” a bouncy tune that nonetheless gives our gal ample room to show off her extensive vocal range … The Bert Kaempfert tune “L-O-V-E” is a great way to show off the musical talent she has assembled, nd “Blind in Love” continues the groove (thanks, Trevor).  Corrina’s voice here is its sultriest.  The disc opens with Corrina’s “Blue Moonbeams,” but it is the closer — Mel Torme’s “Born to be Blue” – written before Corrina’s FATHER was born, that steals the show here …. Here our gal puts her Texas twang to work and brings back the grit of Billie Holiday … sultry, swanky, and (you know the word).  Yeah, she is super sweet!

MARGO VALIANTE — I Can’t Pray

You look at Margo Valiante — tall, slender, even a little gawky sometimes — the girl next door.  UNTIL she opens her mouth to sing … where DID that voice come from?  And to be true — she is THE VOICE!  OMG this is the real thing — produced by Rich Brotherton with band members Etan Sekons (electric guitar), Kyle Clayton (the Austin woman’s favorite bass player), and Jordon Ellis on drums (when he is not playing with Ben Sollee).  Riley Osbourn adds keyboards and Brotherton throws in a little of his own guitar prowess .. all the songs are Margo’s.  West Virginia transplanted to Wyoming .. with a pause for college at Skidmore – and a dad who once sang in clubs in Washington, DC, and its suburbs.  All that, and where did these blues and gospel tunes come from?  Tracy Nelson (Mother Earth) meets Janny Grein (my favorite white gospel singer ever).  “Fake Flowers” opens this five-song EP — this is the blues with Osbourn’s organ grinding it out and Sekons’ guitar (what’s a New Yorker doing this down and low?) laying the backdrop for “The Voice” — man, I would never buy plastic after hearing this song!  Their love was not real and the only way he could show it was to give her fake flowers when he goes … and she is just now realizing what happened! 

Next up is the title song – This is a gospel lament of the highest order … in live shows, Margo sets the stage afire with frenzy … you just ACHE when songs like these are done.  “Holy Ghost is my bottle, He won’t tell me my sins, He’s got a mind to drive me crazy, everywhere I go, everywhere I’ve been…. I read the gospel when it needed me, but it’s the label that I seek,, well I’ve got nothing more to show before the demons that I do keep….”  The intensity is way down on
“Sing I Do,” a prayer for a husband and lover … “He’ll come to me with a gesture so grand, he’ll wipe away tears and put a ring on my hand ….”  Then it’s “First Born Son,” with acoustic guitar only and a brooding bass line … “far as the moon on a golden day, he left his seedy eyes behind and drove away.”   TURN UP THE VOLUME AGAIN for “Mama Don’t Know,” a song about whiskey and sin, maybe the best blues song I have heard since “St. James Infirmary.”  Five songs — and I am completely drained.  Be sure to take your blood pressure medicine before going to one of Margo’s live sets.  You will need it — i promise!

MOTHER FALCON — Still Life

OK this is NOT Polyphonic Spree.  The band is NOT wearing robes.  But it is maybe the largest collection of musicians on an Austin stage playing rock operettas since that Dallas-based phenomenon.  Multiple cellos (Italo Benevides, Nick Calvin, and of course founder Nick Gregg), multiple violins and violas (Rita Andrade, Clara Brill, Maurice Chammah, Yun Du, and Austin Harris) plus Tamar Kalifa on accordian and piano, Matt Krolick on trumpet, Gilman Lykken on bassoon, Claire Puckett (the essential one) on guitar and vocals, Matt Puckett on saxophone and vocals, Luke Stence on bass, and Isaac Winburne switching rapidly from sax to drums kit to piano and back.  Their EP release at Central Presbyterian Church was one of the Music Events of the Year .. and why not?  Mother Falcon, whose members average maybe 19 or younger, won this year’s Austin Music Award for “None of the Above” — one of the city’s best bands.  I well remember the first time I saw Mother Falcon – at Cafe Caffeine on Mary Street — Nick struggling to play his cello and sing at the same time (all fixed with better mike placement), an assemblage of players who were not quite sure if this would all work, but something just clicked.  The PASSION!  I am not even going to write about the individual songs, because I hear this EP as a five-movement, high energy symphony (or cacaphony?) … kind of like what Explosions in the Sky does without words.  The heart races along with the violins and cellos.  I am proud to say I talked (it did not take much talk) The Tiny Tin Hearts into doing some shows with Mother Falcon (memorably at The Parish for their own CD release!) — and each band fed off the other’s already considerable fan base. 

MR. BROWN — Invisible To You

Kris Brown is one of my oldest friends in Austin (time, not age) — and I confess I would rather hear him play lead guitar than bass, but then again, with his reggae band Mr. Brown it is the bass that carries the rhythm, and besides Kris has PJ Herrington to play guitar.  Johnny Radelat holds down the drums here, with Courtney Audain supplying additional percussion on the recording and Matt Jacobs playing keyboards.  Plus Deke Jones on additional vocals and the Fresh 2 Def horns — Joseph Serrato on tenor sax, Michael Ray on trumpet, and Javier Stuppard on trombone. 

The title cut shows that Kris can croon with the best of them — this is one classy cut!  Kris wrote “The Name of Love” with Deke Jones, and this is a classic reggae song … you gotta dance, but this is a song about the Almighty Father by many names.  “Wolves in Shepherd’s Clothing” — funny, earlier today I heard a friend describe himself as a sheep i wolves’ clothing (and of course I am friends with real wolves Winter and Luna) could just be Jamaican it is.  “This Love” features General Smiley, and “Wolves Version” features zydeco king Philipidon.)  Lastly, we have the dub version of the title track — groovin’ grooving music.

Okay, so (a) I have had a long vacation from writing because (b) I was working on my house a lot and (c) I was winning a cooking contest and such things.  Now I am backed up, CD’s stacked high on my desk (and more coming all the time), and LOTS of great shows to comment on.  I will warn that I will be posting SOME comments on my Facebook page (Duggan Flanakin) because that can be quick and easy (I will not say “dirty”).  OK, my other camera broke, too, and I have not yet mastered taking prime time photos on my new one.  But let’s get started.

THE TEXAS SAPPHIRES – As He Wanders

Billy Brent Malkus is a true Southern gentleman, and I fondly recall the startup of a “side project” (that is, away from Nathan Hamilton and No Deal) with old friend Rebecca Lucille Cannon of the punk rocker band Sincola.  The Sapphires (Texas was added because of an old soul band with the same name) went through a bunch of players until one day Brent and Lucy realized they had a headlining act.  The band’s debut CD, “Valley So Steep,” was just killer, and the studio followup, “As He Wanders,” picks up where the debut left off.  The band today is Brent, Rebecca and Slim Bawb Pearce, generally Scotty Matthews, and whoever else shows up. 

The new CD is chock full of “whoever shows up,” including Billy Dee (Donahue) playing bass, Nathan Fleming on pedal steel (often found with Jesse Dayton), Tommy Detamore on dobro, Justin Kolb on upright bass, and the incomparable Dennis Ludiker on fiddle (well, he IS the 2008 and 2009 Texas State Champion).  Fleming shines just about every time he is on a track, starting off with “Nashville Moon,” written by Brent’s Baltimore buddy Arty Hill.  Ludiker’s fiddling is always “ludicrous-ly” good.  Brent, who grew up on a Maryland hog farm, does not have to fake it to be a kicker icon — it’s in his blood!

“190,” the first of many Malkus cuts, features Rebecca on vocals, is another old-time country “standard” (notably because of the style of pedal steel Fleming uses here, and you have to realize the kid is still on the short side of thirty!).  “Riddled Days” is a Malkus standard that features Detamore’s dobro and Slim Bawb on mandolin — this waltz is just good songwriting.  “Stunt Double” gets back to honkytonking — and a great idea for a two-timing man who wants to avoid his woman’s wrath.  Rebecca ( aka Lucy) wrote “Teardrops or Rain,” an old style country ballad light years better than the “songs” Taylor Swift primps through on CMT.  I just LOVE THIS SONG!

It’s back to honkytonking with Brent’s fun song, ”How Did I Get So Sloppy Drunk (When I Was Drinking Neat)?” and back to Rebecca on Brent’s ballad “Make Him Make Me” (yup, she’s singing the harmony parts too).  Another great song with some great instrumental breaks … CLASSIC!  Just play this on every radio station that ever called itself country and the Texas Sapphires will suddenly be on the bigtime rodeo circuit and the Opry on the side. 

Next up is “Baltimore Cage,” which opens with Slim Bawb on mandolin and Dennis on fiddle — this is a song about being in jail.  Another great one to hear live (as I did at the band’s Continental Club CD release party a few weeks back).  Then it’s Slim Bawb’s “Farmers Tan,” a song that also appears on Pearce’s own CD (reviewed here earlier) — one that tests the ability of the human ear to keep up with (super?)human fingers.  Back to Rebecca on vocals on “Spirits,” and then “Freiheit Rag,” with Brent and Slim Bawb picking and Justin Kolb thumping away, before you get to “Pure Land,” the destination of choice.  This song cries out against littering, potholes, and other evidences of human debris that show our failure to appreciate the gifts we have been given by the Great Spirit.  This is a gospel song much moreso than “Bring Out the Bible (We Ain’t Got a Prayer)” from “Valley So Steep.”

The Sapphires are on tour in Colorado and New Mexico until March 18th, when they play a SXSW party at the Whip In (and play again at Roadhouse Rags on the 21st of March).  These guys (and gal) are the real deal!

HANK & SHAIDRI ALRICH with DOUG HARMAN — Carry Me Home

Hank Alrich is an Austin legend if for nothing less than his service managing the original Armadillo (taking over from longtime buddy Eddie Wilson), even though he left town decades ago and moved to California where he raised a passel of daughters and son.  The Austin American-Statesman quotes Wilson as saying that, “Hank is a hero.  If not for Hank, the Armadillo would have been closed in two years instead of open for 10.”

Just one of Hank’s many daughters is the quiet Shaidri, whose talent is just off the chart.   Doug Harman makes it a trio on cello.  I will defer all of the GOOD details about Hank and Shaidri to my pal John Conquest — you should really read HIS review of this delightful recording at Third Coast Music.  This is old timey music … I can only say I am grateful to get to hear Shaidri when her dad comes to town and that I am still hopeful that she will get out more (or that Hank will just start playing a LOT more shows here), because her voice (and her fiddle and guitar playing) takes you back to a simpler, sweeter time — even when she is singing the sad ballad, “The Death of Ellenton,” about a town “that’s gone forevermore.”  Conquest reminds us that Shaidri was winning fiddle contests at age 6 and that “she glows in the dark.”  I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE!  The trio cover songs from Utah Phillips, Peter Rowan, and others but include four Hank Alrich originals, including “Austin City Limits,” which opens the CD.  You get a taste of Shaidri’s Celtic music prowess on “Blarney’s Ghost Medley,” six minutes of pure joy.  Hank’s vocals shine on ”If I Don’t Get You” and Shaidri’s glisten on “Carry Me Home,” just two of the many songs Hank has written over the years.  This stuff is Carter Family good — and Shaidri joyously is beginning to get out more into the Austin music community, a light destined to shine VERY brightly over our city.

Now Hank is promoting a second valuable release — In this, the 40th Birthday year of Armadillo World Headquarters, Armadillo Records will release Taking Turns, a song swap from Austin artists, musicians, engineers and studios. It has always been Armadillo’s mission to present a wide range of quality talents, musicians and styles to satisfy and provoke the adventurous and discriminating tastes of our audiences.  Leading off this new CD is (who else?) Shaidri Alrich, but the CD also includes songs from Beto y los Fairlanes, Denim, Michael Durbin, Tommy Elskes, Greezy Wheels, Lindsay Haisley, Mady Kaye, Maryann Price, Shake Russell, Craig Toungate, and Elizabeth Wills.  Fans of old-time Austin music will line up to get this jewel.

I will never forget Labor Day at Ski Shores … Randy Weeks and Will Sexton playing for over 200 minutes straight (Randy’s songs) for a bunch of friends and with a very special guest who was the one really responsible for getting her daddy and his friends out on a sunny afternoon.  Nor will I forget one Wednesday happy hour earlier this year when I walked into Z Tejas and Will (noticing that every table was occupied) asked if someone would let his friend Duggan sit at their table.

Nor can I forget that night at the Driskill when Will was so excited about going into the studio with Mark Hallman and Andre Moran to cut all the tracks on his brand-new CD “Move the Balance” in one day.  Or his joy at getting a new MySpace page (which of course someone else is monitoring).  Then there was that night a few weeks back when Ruby James and I drove up to NXNW with some friends in from California and Will and Charlie Faye extended their set for a full hour just for us.  And that night, even more recently, when Ruby hopped on stage at the Hole in the Wall and realized that Will could not remember the words to his own songs.

I can write this last note because the whole town now knows that Will had a mild stroke — and that his friends in Austin have responded with great generosity and love to give him a cushion to rest and recuperate.  So right now the best thing we can do for Will — but even moreso for our own enjoyment — is to get down to Waterloo (or wherever good music is sold) and buy one, two, three or more copies (yeah, it’s after Christmas now, but good gifts are always in season) of the CD which has on its inner sleeve, “White Middle Aged Well Dressed Man Looking for Love.”

Will plays guitar and bass here, with Bukka Allen on B3 and accordian; Mike Thompson on piano, guitar and even trombone; and Dony Wynn on drums and percussion.  Ray Bonneville (harmonica), Bill Carter (bass), and Hallman (bass, vocals and lots more) are joined by Ruby (Red) James, Charlie Faye, and Noelle Hampton as guest vocalists for eleven songs written by Will (sometimes with friends and family).  All 11 songs, IMHO, are suitable for lots of airplay, and I even had the “bright idea” that we could raise a lot of money for Will (and get his great songs heard around the world) just by persuading some of his and brother Charlie’s high-profile friends to contribute their own vocal tracks to each of the songs here — for example, Steve Earle, who along with Charlie Sexton co-wrote “Amnesia Lights,” and why not Bob Dylan on “Pissed Off Nights”?  But then again, people worldwide just oughta hear Will singing these songs.

The title cut, “Move the Balance,” opens the CD, with Ruby on backing vocals, and Mike Thompson’s piano paves the way for this lilting, very moving song .. that you just want to play over and over again [but that's true of every song here].  One of my very favorites is “Certain Kind of Something,” with Will serenading his lady, explaining that she has “got me running round in circles with your image in my brain … “  This is like Buddy Holly meets the early Beatles … but up to date musically.  [Mind you, John, Paul & Co. modeled themselves after the Crickets!]  You just have to start singing along by the second time the chorus comes around.

But “Sunday Driver” is just as smart lyrically, with Will singing that, “and I know you’d like to be known as the world’s strongest known survivor, but I’ve done about all I can do, my Sunday driver.”   But ”Pissed Off Nights”  may be even better — “those you left behind keep getting nearer and nearer, and those you stand behind just keep on disappearing ….”  There is a LOT of Mike Thompson here, and Bukka on B3, and that’s always good.  But what about “For Always”?  A bouncy little ditty — easy to dance to — all about “my destination blues” — “but with all of the keepsakes of my heart, you know you will always be a part … for always.”  I again am hearing the ghost of Buddy Holly here …. even in the guitar solo.  And Charlie Faye!

“Best Intentions” is like Will as Tom Waits — his voice gets low and down and dirty … with Bonneville’s harmonica adding in lots of fog.  This song has Greg Goshorn and Stephanie Smith as co-writers … This is late-night music — for the 3 am club.  Next up is “Beauty Pageant,” a lament marked by some beautiful piano … that just grows on you. 

“Amnesia Lights” gets you dancing close with your honey … “we were only trying to find the time that passed us by …  if you try you just might forget it all tonight, underneath the amnesia lights …”  Now Ruby and Noelle join Will on “Little Late for Loving Me Now,” a rocker that once again evokes The Crickets (though Holly’s lads would not have added the ”whoo hoo hoo’s) and a hot guitar solo and Dony’s classic rhythm.  YUM!

All very good — and yet the final two cuts are my very very favorites.  “Closing the Airport” is like “Blue Christmas,” a sad ballad in whic ”time has tangled up all my thoughts, all I need to know no one can tell … seem to have lost, misplaced everything … close the airports and the highways in this town, close the street that I live on….”   Just beautiful.  And then there is “Happy Hour,” one of my favorite songs of all time … and so autobiographical.  Will sings, ”here comes the lonely clown, here comes the lonely clown, here comes the lonely clown with the big red heart … ” And yet, “Since time began the wisest men will meet again at happy hour.”  [Which must mean Bill Carter, Stephen Doster, and Will at Z Tejas every Wednesday.]  We get Thompson’s trombone as part of the happy hour celebration music at the end of the song … as the loneliness fades away while wise men play joyfully together….. you gotta be there!