Flanfire

LEEANN ATHERTON – Heart Traveled Road

Leeann Atherton had a CD release party at the Saxon Pub on September 18th, but guitarist Kevin Hollingsworth was at nearby South Austin Hospital preparing for his first round of chemotherapy (which we understand went well).  Let us all hope and pray for a speedy recovery and victory over this dread disease — Kevin’s singer-volleyball star daughter just started ninth grade. 

Leeann says this is her personal indulgences record, focusing in song on all of her ex-boyfriends, though one of my favorites is the Mike Stevenson ditty, “Ode to Nowhere.”  [Old barn dancers know that Leeann once recorded an entire album of Mike's songs -- as he is too shy to sing them himself.]  Heart Traveled Road is also Leeann’s first record done entirely in one studio with one producer — the celebrated Rich Brotherton.  The band is David Carroll on upright bass, Bill Whitbeck (Rich’s partner in crime with Robert Earl Keen) on electric bass, Barry “Frosty” Smith on drums, and Riley Osborn on keyboards, with occasional help from Brian Standefer on cello, Kim Deschamps on dobro, Maddy Brotherton on violin, Kaz Kasanoff on saxophone, and the James Sisters on backing vocals.  Rich, of course, plays everything else — including the cittern and harmonium.  The songs are radio friendly, with the longest (“Change of Heart”) the only one over 4 minutes long.  Brotherton has presented us with a stripped down Leeann, a woman who has shaken off old layers of skin to reveal yet another beautiful layer underneath.  Less bravado, more sensuality, more vulnerability too.

Funny things happen on the road to somewhere.  Leeann said her NEXT record will be her very best ever — and who knows?  But ten days before her show, she did not have a band and all of a sudden these cats showed up, some just down from Nashville, to play the CD release and maybe a bunch more down the road.  There are also co-writers on “Daily Blues” (an acoustic blues about coffee and the news co-written with recent collaborator Zhenya Rock) and the flat-out rocker “Lucy” (a story of how Leeann got her house and barn written with help from Brotherton), but the rest show sides of Ms. Atherton that many may not recognize.

“Change of Heart” sounds like an old Bobby Blue Bland song, with Kazanoff’s soft sax and Osborn’s killer keyboards and Leeann explaining how he “turned the other cheek, baby, and you looked the other way…”  No wonder she has the down and out blues — yet “Ride Out the Blues” is a bouncy number that begs for a duet arrangement.  Leeann shows off her harmonica skills here, too. 

But this record really takes off with “Looking for a Rainbow” and never quits.  This slow blues ballad (with that great chorus in the background) features some soulful guitar work and Leeann’s wailing vocal (imagine Irma Thomas covering this one!).  Next up, “Bougainvillea Sunset” has the flavor of old Mexico with a nice acoustic solo from Brotherton — you can dance to this one.  I love this cut, as you just see Leeann at 25 as she sings this one.  “Ode to Nowhere” done with the hot band was just amazing — closed our eyes and let the song take us wherever our hearts wanted to go.  I have always liked Mike’s songs, and this is another good one.  Leeann next teases us with a cabaret song, “Remember Me,” and then it is time to rock and roll with “Kiss.”  I can just see the jitterbuggers!

“I Believe” could be an Otis Redding song — that little riff underneath the guitar, the soulful lyric, and the honesty, plus the return of the James Sisters (I wanna hear THEM sing live!)  “Soul Song” features Standefer’s cello and Maddy Brotherton’s violin — this is quite a step away from the R&B soul singing Leeann … into a warm wonderful place that suggests a moonlit night on the beach or at an Italian bistro or somewhere else equally romantic where you can hold your lover very very close.  “Way of the Heart” is just as quiet — but here we have the dobro, and a waltz to be sure.  I can just see the video — with Lyle Lovett and Leeann dancing on a checkerboard marble floor somewhere.  This stuff just knocks me out.  The final cut, “Dream Again,” is also the shortest song on the record — a reverie of sorts, a song about the contentment that this passionate woman has always been looking for.

JESSICA SHEPHERD – You’re Country Now

Some of my earliest and fondest memories of Austin are of the South Austin Gospel Choir, which was formed at Leeann’s barn with Renee Fuqua (who like me just celebrated another birthday) as the choir director.  Leeann and Jessica Shepherd were both members of the choir, and Jessica today sings with PJ Liles in the Rockin’ Gospel Project.  You’re Country Now, Jessica’s sophomore solo project, opens with the classic country “Honky Tonk Angel,” a paean to her fellow girlsinger friend Floramay Holliday that also recalls Jessica’s longtime friendship with 2008 Texas State Musician Shelley King. 

Musicians here include Nick Connolly on keyboards, Kyle Judd on lead guitar, Perry Drake on drums, and Rob Jewett on bass, with lots of help from Roger Crisci (guitar), Kim Deschamps (dobro and pedal steel), Laurie Gibson (fiddle and vocals), Sally Gibson (vocals), Floramay Holliday and Shelley King and Eric Leikam (vocals), Andrew Frazier (ukulele), Roger Cumpian (drums), Dale Spalding (harmonica), David Valley (bass and vocals), “Washboard” Judy (rub board), and “The Wave” (percussion). 

“Five Year Fling” is a tough country gal song about an ex-husband that would be a big hit for Tanya Tucker, and “Do Your Damn Job” (my personal favorite) is an equally tough number about the city of New Braunfels and its war against Jessica for littering city hall with recycled materials the city had failed to pick up for months (this case in reality got quite nasty as the city elders were not happy with Jessica’s wicked humor expose of their incompetence).  This may be the best song about garbage since “Alice’s Restaurant,” and it ought to be a real country classic.

“God By Your Side” is a gospel number you can dance to (thanks in part to Laurie Gibson’s fiddle) — just the ticket for venues like Hill’s Cafe.  Another favorite is “Western Knight,” which showcases Jessica’s whistling talent and has a lilt that makes for great two-stepping.  “Humpty Dumpty” is a song from Austin folksinger Steve Brooks, known for his work with Jim Hightower’s radio show.  Like the beauty shop epic poem, “Ethyl’s Purty Palace,” this song shows off Jessica’s humorous side.  Imagine a female Roger Miller telling a funny story that is all too true.

“Soldiers of Love” comes right out of Jessica’s love of peace and love (the SAGC motto).  This cut features Spalding’s harmonica and Jessica’s explosive power boost vocals, plus a hot guitar solo or two from the Guitar Stud himself.  “Victory” has more harmonica and LOTS of fiddle – this is a driving number that just won’t quit.  The final cut here is the title song, written (as was “Western Knight” by C. Maples.  And indeed, Jessica Shepherd, whom we used to describe as Americana, has become “country now.”  And we like it.

Ho-kay!  You can see the video of Jessie Torrisi and the Mello Cellos (Rob Jewett, who plays a lot of other instruments as wel, and Alissa Schram) at La Zona Rosa, where Tuesday nights will be rockin’ with members of the Marshall Ford Swing Band and Milk Drive in upcoming weeks.  Many may not realize that the front room at this giant venue is a great place (for example) to shoot a video, watch a band and play ping-pong all at the same time — and the bar has pool tables and a great lounging area besides.  And some good draft and bottled beer. 

I could not resist throwing in another photo of Danny B Harvey — shown here playing with the Jessica Shepherd Band (that’s Perry Drake on drums, but also Trisha Keefer (of the Trishas and Dustin Welch’s House Band) on fiddle and David Valley on bass).  This show was out at Klattenhoff Park in Wells Branch on a hot Sunday afternoon — but the real smoke was coming from the stage.  Jessica just sent her new CD off to the manufacturer and it is hot stuff. 

The Beautiful Mistakes started out a few years back and were for a while the house band at Roadhouse Rags (one of my favorite Austin venues), but here they are at Momo’s Club — Ben Todd and Ben Sirko on guitars and vocals, Ashley Pankey on bass, Jason Toll on drums, and the amazing Aaron Starr on harmonica (amazing because he has brought out the saxophone as a second instrument).  This is one kick-ass band that can jam with anybody — the more I listen, the more I like.  Stop by the Continental Gallery and ask Ben for a demo — made (where else?) at Roadhouse Rags — and I hear the band is about to put together a newer collage of their live sets there onto a playable disc.  RUMOR has it that a tall Kentucky blonde may be on stage with them here and now.

Also debuting a new CD is Boerne’s Matt McCloskey (living here now, of course), who has been holding down Mondays at Momo’s for the past few weeks.  Matt has a new CD available, “These Times Won’t Last,” recorded with George Henderson on bass, James Richardson on drums, and Joe Moralez on keyboards — but his band right now includes Brian Marshall on guitar (and banjo!).  Matt himself plays guitar, piano and harmonica on the record, which features seven of his rockin’ songs.  He is back at Momo’s in July (with Deadman on the bills too) and plays the EverGreen House Concert in Boerne at the end of the month.  The title cut is a nice opener, and the record continues with “Bottled Up,” which rocks, and a real ballad, “That Kind of Love,” that has an old-time feeling – a mesh of Mellencamp and Ryan AND Bryan Adams, pop but indie too.  Maybe Matt lives in a pink house?  “Give All Your Love To Me” is another ballad.  “Love Her Through the Hard Times” sounds like a song written by a man who is growing in responsibility in real life — a song about commitment that all too often these days is foreign to our experience — a real primer for keeping the fires lit.  “Dyin’” is pure R & B — and great to dance (close) to.  The last cut, “Baby, I Need You,” is an admission that genuine love really makes a huge difference in our lives.