The Bay Twang

Your Dance Card is Full - Twang Happenings Around the Bay

2012-03-06T22:07:00.004-08:00

Jinx Jones is at Speisekammer on March 16.

I promised myself I would not do a calendar site, so, naturally, this is a calendar post. But people got gigs to talk about...

The B Stars are at the Uptown (great venue) with Deke Dickerson this Friday, March 9, starting at 9 pm. The band has been busy recording and is ready to release a new single that will appear on 7-in. vinyl first. Mmmm....the smell of new vinyl.

Fresh off a show at the Knockout last week, a busy Red Meat crosses the San Mateo County line for a show at 23 Club in Brisbane, 9 pm, on March 10. They're up in Winters on March 16 for a show at the Palms Playhouse.

Maurice Tani (77 El Deora) joins up with Pam Brandon (Belle Monroe and Her Brewglass Boys) for a school night show of "Dirty Duets" at Blondie's in the Mission on March 15. The band includes Ken Owen, David Phillips and Mike Anderson. No cover, and the show starts at 9 pm.

Jinx Jones' Jazzabilly All-Stars are playing at Speisekammer, Alameda's German restaurant-cum-twang venue (and I do love me some sauerbraten...), on March 16. Come back to the island...if you prefer the City, the Bootcuts have a show at the Makeout Room in the Mission. Matt Lax joins, and it's a relatively early show at 7:30.

On your lucky Sundays, when you need some protein to fight that heaving feeling, the Hotel Utah hosts Country Brunch with the Afternoon Delight Social Band (aka Misisipi Mike, Mike Anderson, Steve Owen, Tony Sales, Dave Flores - most of the Midnight Gamblers). The next installment is March 18 - that's a twangy brunch (I like mine with Hollandaise, thanks). What makes the March 18 gig especially good is that the ADSB (that doesn't ring, btw) will be joined by Michael Montalto of Red Meat, Rik Elswit (Dr. Hook...yes, them), and Hank Maninger (Hacienda Brothers, Tearjerkers). Serious twang guitars.

Also on March 18, the Coburns return to Thee Parkside for an early show (4 pm). A little more alt than you are prone to find here, but I've been enjoying their EP, Greetings from San Leandro.

77 El Deora's Maurice Tani will join songwriter George Cole for a night of Eurocana at Yoshi's (Jack London Square) on March 22. This isn't a twang show per se, it's focused more on Tani's artful songs. Cole draws from traditional American composers and early 20th century jazz traditions, such as Django Reinhardt and le jazz hot (gypsy swing, for lack of a better description)...

The Famous are playing a late show in Cupertino on March 23, at the Brittania Arms. The set kicks off at 11:30, which should be perfect if you're writing code all night for Apple. The Famous are also playing at the Russian River Brewing Company (yum!) on April 7. The Famous have a great relationship with some of our local brewers (check out brewery news at the Famous' podcasts on their site). You will drink Pliny and you will like it.

The Patsychords are channeling the spirit of Patsy Cline at Amnesia, with the Gold Diggers and the P's and Q's on April 14. An early show at 5 pm.

Tanoa Samoa Boy Stewart hosts the A-Town Americana Festival on April 29. Tanoa books the B Stars and Kit and the Branded Men, both of whom are scheduled to appear and celebrate a day of Americana at Club Verdi in San Francisco.

Enough to do?

Hillbillies in the Sunset - Hootenanny West Side Revue

2012-02-28T12:26:00.001-08:00

Hank and Maurice stare each other down.

Two weeks ago I wrote about Radio Valencia's Bakersfield Backbeat show, and RV's live broadcast of Jack Champion's Hillbilly Hootenanny. The radio show is great (we love the podcast); host Jack Champion (local musician Christopher Ford) plays a collection of local favorites and twang classics. But if the radio show is fun, the live show is amazing, featuring some of the Bay Area's best musicians in a relaxed studio setting.

Prior to the last Hootenanny at RV's "Chicken Shack" studio in the Mission, the house band (Hank Maninger and the Champions) traded licks at the Riptide. Jack told me at the time that he was hoping to create a regular event, almost a salon of sorts for local twang musicians interested in stopping by. You can't ask for a better setting, even when the fog is in. The Riptide is low key, easy to get to (take the L until you hit the beach), and never a cover.

Another installment of the Hillbilly Hootenanny Westside Revue hits the Riptide on Sunday March 3, at 7 pm. On the bill: Hank Maninger, Jessica Rose, Maurice Tani, Margaret Belton, Kit Lopez - Glen Earl Brown (Kit and the Branded Men), Nettie Hammer (formerly of the Quarter Mile Combo), radio eminence grise Ben Fong Torres and a cast of thousands.

KO'd - Red Meat and Tom Armstrong at the Knockout

2012-02-27T22:22:00.004-08:00

You've read about them in the San Francisco Chronicle, now go see the real deal - San Francisco's Red Meat plays the Knockout on Saturday, March 3. Tom Armstrong will open, in support of his new album, Wine Stained Heart. Tom has an amazing voice and a deep respect for country music that shows in every note.

There are a lot of good honky tonk bands in the Bay Area. There's only one Red Meat. Insert lame knockout reference here.

Hear that train a' comin.'..Johnny Cash Birthday Tribute at the Knockout

2012-02-15T15:31:00.001-08:00

In 1991, I met Johnny Cash in a Los Angeles coffee shop. The man in black wore a full-length duster in the middle of a scorching L.A. summer. Why?

Because Johnny Cash is that fucking cool, that's why.

Johnny would have been 80 years old on February 26. He's gone, but his music remains. To celebrate his music and life, the Knockout is hosting the Ninth Annual Johnny Cash Birthday Tribute. Greg Yanito of the B Stars helps out with production, and the bill features Tiny Television; Jenny Lynn & Her Real Gone Daddies; The Better Haves, Tom Armstrong, and Misisipi Mike & The Midnight Gamblers. Plus burlesque with The Peppermint Twist Girls!

Doors at 8, cover is $10.

www.theknockoutsf.com

Mission Goes Country - the Hillbilly Hootenanny on Radio Valencia

2012-02-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

Smelley Kelley takes the mic with the house band at the Hillbilly Hootenany.

In the 1970s, I loved watching Hee Haw. The classic variety TV show featured some of the best country artists performing between comedy skits about rural life. With hosts Roy Clark and Buck Owens, every Sunday night brought great new songs and the same tired hillbilly jokes.

Hee Haw dropped out of syndication in 1991, and the days of the variety show have long passed. That didn't stop local musician Christopher Ford from reviving the format on Radio Valencia, San Francisco's local pirate radio (FM 89.7 in the Mission and surrounding parts, streaming at radiovalencia.fm). Radio Valencia is a not-quite-legal radio station that broadcasts from a warehouse in the Mission. Ford - through his alter ego, emcee Jack Champion - hosts a regular country radio show from 2-4 each Saturday, the Bakersfield Backbeat. The show features country classics and songs that will probably be classics some day.

Periodically, Ford ups the ante and switches the Backbeat from spinning records to live music. Helped out by some of the Bay Area's best twang musicians, the Hillbilly Hootenanny has become a gathering spot for musicians and fans of the genre. Hosted at Radio Valencia's studios on Cesar Chavez Street in San Francisco, the live broadcasts are open to the public and free of charge (donations welcome...). This is community radio, music at the grass roots level. "Nothing warms my heart more then to find out that local folks from the neighborhood are coming to the show," Ford told me. Ford is also helped by co-producer Greg Yanito.

It takes a lot of moxie and persuading to get 10 or 15 musicians to show up for free on a Saturday afternoon, but with the promise of snacks (!) and two hours of free airtime, Ford has quickly found a core group of players. "Getting great players is easy. You just ask," Ford said. "Once you make a fun scene they want to come be in it. I just open the door and say 'hey come on in.'" Recently, tireless guitar player and band honcho Hank Maninger was joined by Maurice Tani and Mike Anderson from 77 El Deora, Les James of Red Meat, and David Phillips on pedal steel. The crew warmed up at a "West Side Hootenanny Revue" at the Riptide, and they're amazingly tight considering that they work with a changing cast of guest singers.

The Lovers Lane edition of the show was geared towards a Valentines Day theme (check the link for a podcast), with Champion donning a Cupid outfit (a scary, scary sight), and duets featuring Jeanie and Chuck, and the Yani-tones (Greg Yanito from the B Stars and his wife Anne). Jenny Lynn, Eric Reedy from the B Stars, Smelley Kelley from Red Meat, Tom Armstrong, Jinx Jones, and Misisipi Mike were all featured. Most play one or two songs, sharing the stage with colleagues and peers in the local twang community.

These shows work because they're fun, and harken back to a great tradition of country music revues, where acts sang one or two songs as part of a tour rather than focusing exclusively on one group. "I am trying to bring together people. I would say I am trying to create community but that would not be fair to the community that already exists," Ford said. The atmosphere is loose and relaxed, ego-free and exclusively focused on the music. A way to enjoy twang without having to pay a cover, be drunk, or deal with idiots. Hee haw indeed.

Hank Maninger warms up the crowd with Maurice Tani, Les James and Mike Anderson.

Cowboy Cupid pays a (frightening, tighty-whitey) visit. All part of the entertainment.

Tight little unit.

Better known as Red Meat's drummer, Les James provides rock solid support.

David Phillips on steel.

In honor of Valentine's Day, lover's duets with Greg Yanito and Anne-Arnhym-Yanito, the Yani-Tones.

Jeanie and Chuck.

Jenny Lynn Williams.

Twang summit. Jinx Jones, Maurice Tani, Smelley Kelley from Red Meat.

Jinx Jones brought his "bling" guitar.

Misisipi Mike and Jinx Jones in a quiet moment.

Smelley Kelley ponders his next move.

Bay Twang in the SF Chronicle!

2012-02-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Credit where it's due: Red Meat, featured in the San Francisco Chronicle. (Photo: Ranchero Records)

The San Francisco Chronicle has taken notice of the local twang scene, running a Sunday Datebook cover story "Country in the City". I was fortunate enough to be quoted, and I have to give full props to Aidin Vaziri for shining a light on the community. The story featured Red Meat, Kit and the Branded Men, Misisipi Mike, and longtime blogger Jose Segue. I also had a chance to help out with a sidebar/local band primer, a round-up of some Bay Area favorites.

This story was important to a lot of local musicians who don't receive much recongition for their efforts. They do it for the love of music, not for money or glory (although that wouldn't be bad). The Chronicle is a mainstream publication that appeals to a broad audience, so it rarely has the space or inclination for smaller scenes. In that context, a Sunday Datebook cover story about twang is no small feat, and it's much appreciated. Thanks, Chron. And we can't say we minded seeing our name in Pink....

Homegrown: the San Francisco Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival

2012-02-04T11:12:00.002-08:00

Nell Robinson and Jim Nunally play St. Cyprians on February 17.

Contrary to myth, bluegrass does not disappear after Hardly Strictly rolls up its tent. The San Francisco Bluegrass and Old Time Festival starts next weekend, and it features the full spectrum of San Francisco twang.

Certainly, there are traditional bluegrass artists, favorites like Belle Monroe, Peninsula boys Windy Hill, the acclaimed Nell Robinson, and the very awesome Brothers Comatose. But there are also twangier West Coast choices like Misisipi Mike and the Midnight Gamblers, Hang Jones (related to the Midnight Gamblers via bass player Mike Anderson), Gayle Schmitt (singing for kids!) and the Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit. February 16 is the Honky Tonk Showdown at the Cafe du Nord, featuring a return performance by Misisipi Rider (also releasing a new CD that night, Wolf & Rider). Names will be named, and no quarter will be shown.

Unlike Hardly Strictly, you do need to get off your blanket for this festival. Then again, you won't have to fear a mobbed Golden Gate Park meadow giving you a panic attack. Venues are spread all over town, including Cafe du Nord, Slims, St. Cyprian's church, and Bird & Beckett Books in Glen Park. The festival isn't exclusive to the City, featuring several shows at Freight & Salvage in Berkeley and at Armando's in Martinez. The closing weekend, February 18, features an epic summit full of bluegrass workshops (sample: "The Modern Banjo"), a kids' show, and closing set featuring the Pine Box Boys. I hope the children are gone before that set (maybe...).

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass may garner more media attention and large crowds, but this collection of homegrown talent is more than holding its own.

Misisipi Riding Again, Feb. 16 - Cafe du Nord

2012-01-28T14:58:00.001-08:00

SF's lamented Misisipi Rider (i.e., Misisipi Mike and Cree Rider, plus Katy Rexford and Doug Blumer) will re-form for a show on February 16 at the Cafe du Nord. Cree Rider has been living in New York for the better part of a year, and the band hasn't been playing together locally. Expect great harmonies and songwriting, plus Rexford's expressive fiddle. Mike is also playing with the Midnight Gamblers on that bill, as part of the SF Bluegrass and Old-Time Festival.

The band is also using the occasion to release a new CD. Here's a 2009 rendition of "George Jones":

Venues under threat: Baazar Cafe saved

2012-01-25T09:39:00.000-08:00

Bazaar Cafe, 5927 California St., SF (photo: Bazaar Cafe)

Most neighborhoods don't welcome live music, and small neighborhood venues rarely feature live music these days. An exception to this trend is the Bazaar Cafe, in San Francisco's Outer Richmond district. The cafe is small and the music is usually acoustic, but the owners are friendly to the twang community. It isn't unusual to see Misisipi Mike or Maurice Tani from 77 El Deora deliver an acoustic set.

The owners of the cafe are having rough times, thanks to a down economy and the ever-increasing costs of owning a small business. Insurance, rent, expenses and payroll are never easy to meet when you're selling cups of coffee. A cry for help netted donations for the newly created Bazaar Foundation for the Arts. Musicians and neighbors have joined forces to help the cafe overcome its financial crisis and keep the doors open. And keep the music playing.

Stop by one night for a listen and keep live music alive in our community.

New Twang: Misisipi Mike & the Midnight Gamblers - Margaret I Miss You

2012-01-13T21:44:00.001-08:00

Misisipi Mike & the Midnight Gamblers - games of the heart.

Misisipi Mike Wolf is one of San Francisco's more prolific songwriters, both on his own and with a variety of collaborators. His new album with the Midnight Gamblers, "Margaret I Miss You", mines a soulful country vibe that evokes early 1970s singer-songwriters and a funkier, rougher side of country that emerged around the same time period.

Mike's songwriting shows a lot of influences, but he credits this album to, among others, Robbie Fulks, Waylon Jennings, John Prine, Jerry Reed, Charlie Daniels and like-minded musicians. Sprinkle in some Allman Brothers for heat, churn it up, and let it hang out. The Midnight Gamblers propel these songs behind Wolf's plainspoken vocals, including the solid bass playing of Mike Anderson (77 El Deora), Tony Sales on drums, Adam Roszkiewicz (lead guitar), Dave Flores (piano), and Leif Karlstrom (fiddle). David Phillips adds sublime pedal steel. None of the musicians are selfish, allowing the songs to stand on their own while providing enough force to keep your feet moving.

As always with Misisipi Mike, it's the songs that make this album worth listening to. His lyrics are clever, never cute, heartfelt without resorting to cheap sentiment or cliches. Like any good twang collection, there are traditional songs about lost love, drink, heartache and pain (the title track, "Number Two", "Where Did the Wagon Go?"). But on songs like " The Key to Nashville Tennessee" and "Bury Me in Montgomery", the listener is drawn into stories about the sacrifices of a traveling musician. A singer is offered a shot at the big time, only to find it a hollow place: "Number one's so lonely, if you're not here to share it with me...I'd throw away the key to Nashville, Tennessee if you would just love me", he sings on "The Key To Nashville Tennessee". "Bury Me In Montgomery" is a lesson about what happens when you try to walk in the enormous footsteps of Hank Williams. Hint: it doesn't end much better, only without the fame.

And then there's sex. "It's Two A.M." and "She Don't Care" are about both about dancing with someone who might not be the one that brung ya. "All that matters is that she's here right now, doesn't matter where she's been" he sings on "She Don't Care". Even as the protagonists of these songs dim their internal pain with the bottle, the music, or their bodies, they're still left with themselves. If you've ever lain awake at night and thought of the one you just lost, who's with "Somebody New":

"You look at the clock
but the hands don't move.
You turn towards the bottle
but it don't soothe.
The only person
you want to talk to
Is sleeping beside somebody new."

I want this album playing at about 12:30 in the morning, when the bottle is getting low but the night isn't over yet. When I'm ready to feel it. Although it's not on the album, the song that I think typifies the Midnight Gamblers' sound is their live show's cover of Don Williams' 1975 hit "Tulsa Time". A little funky, a little forlorn, a lot of soul - very much Misisipi Mike and the Midnight Gamblers.

Tis the season - Misisipi Mike CD release, new Tom Armstrong music

2011-12-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the holidays, Misisipi Mike has a new release and a party to celebrate at Amnesia on Thursday, December 15, 2011. Mike has just returned from an amazing tour of Europe with John Miller, including appearances on the venerable Radio Free Europe.

Also, Tom Armstrong (Smelley Kelly's Plain High Drifters) just released his third album, Wine Stained Heart. Wine Stained Heart just made the top 15 of the year on gildedpalaceofsin.blogspot.com. Tom is a great country vocalist, and on this album he has support from Red Meat drummer Les James.

We also just ordered Kit Lopez's new CD. Kit and the Branded Men celebrated the release of their new self-titled album on December 10th at Club 23 in Brisbane. Congrats to Mike, Kit and Tom on new releases.

In a perfect world, you will open up your stocking on Christmas morning and find one or all of these CDs in your stocking.

Branded! Kit Lopez CD Release Party

2011-11-30T21:24:00.001-08:00

This woman wants you to buy her CD. And you will.

Kit and the Branded Men will celebrate the release of their new album with a December 10 Release Party at the 23 Club in Brisbane (8:00 pm). The Palominos and Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue are also on the bill, but let's face it, it's Kit's big night.

The band's eponymous album is now available on CD Baby. But if you show up for the release party, you get a free copy of the CD included in the cover. Christmas gifts - done! Look for a review here as soon as we get our grubby little hands on a copy (sneak peak here). This has been a great year for CD releases among Bay twang musicians, so this should end the year on a good note.

We've heard the band several times over the last few years, and the show gets better and better. This is pure Northern California honky tonk, from Santa Rosa all the way down to the Alameda County Line. Officially, Kit and the Branded Men are: Christina "Kit" Lopez: vocals/ rhythm guitar; Glen Earl Brown Jr: vocals/bass; Darryl Pretto: Lead Guitar; Ken Owen: Drums; and Gary Giapetta: Pedal Steel. It's easy to settle into Kit's rich vocal tones and the warm interplay with Glen Earl, backed by a tight twang band anchored by the rock-solid Ken Owen.

Let's get this holiday thing cooking...

From the Bay to Bavaria, Misisipi Mike Heads to Europe

2011-11-13T21:20:00.001-08:00

Photo: misisipi mike

Fresh off a residency at Amnesia, a regular gig at the Hotel Utah, and presidency of Italy (ok, stretching it a bit there...), Misisipi Mike is heading off on a solo tour of the UK and Germany with close friend and sympatico Scottish country musician par excellence, John Miller.

This has been a good year for Mike, receiving the Bay Guardian's award for Best Songwriter in SF, playing gigs all over town with the entirety of the Bay twang nation, and working on a new CD that will be released in December.

And trust us John Miller on this - ~~not a lot of Germans like country, but~~ Germany is mad for country and the ones who do really like their country.

Here are the tour dates (if anyone sees these shows, please contact us with a guest review!):

Thur. 24 Nov
GLASGOW, UK.
Woodend Bowling & Lawn Tennis Club,

Fri 25 Nov
GATESHEAD, UK.
The Central, Half Moon Lane, Gateshead UK

Sat 26 Nov
SOWERBY BRIDGE, UK.
The Puzzle Hall Inn

Tue 29 Nov
NÜRNBERG, DE
Mata Hari Bar (this is one place we may need to check....)

Wed 30 Nov
STUTTGART-STAMMHEIM, DE
Golden Nugget Saloon

Thu 1 Dec
ULM, DE (our great-granddad was born in Ulm - little known fact!)
Radio Free FM, Platzgasse 18, Ulm
PLATTFORM Radio Show

VÖHRINGEN-ILLERBERG, DE
Illertal Cowboys Saloon

Fri 2 Dec
NEUDROSSENFELD by BAYREUTH, DE
Winni's Musikscheune

Sun 4 Dec
LONDON, UK.
Honky Tonkin' Sunday, The Golden Lion,

Twang in Germany? How about Elvis in the Army, taking Memphis to Germany:

Reviewed: Jinx Jones "Rip and Run"

2011-11-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

After listening to Jinx Jones' new release, "Rip and Run", you could be forgiven for occasionally wondering whether there's jazz in the rockabilly or rockabilly in the jazz. But there's no need for dividing lines as Jones crosses genres to create what he calls "jazzabilly". "Rip and Run" is an energetic, guitar-driven rockabilly/twang album that showcases Jones' abilities as a bandleader and guitar virtuoso.

Jones has played with legends like Chuck Berry and Solomon Burke, but he's also shown the kind of versatility required to score a pop radio hit with En Vogue's "Free Your Mind". After logging the miles and honing his craft, the hired hand days are long gone. These days it's creepers and a weathered Telecaster. His guitar playing on "Rip and Run" is quick and clear, dexterous but not self-indulgent.

Although the guitar is the star, the songwriting might lead you to question the wisdom of a night on the town with Jinx Jones. He likes his women kinda rough ("Out on Parole" - "she's out on parole, out of control"), and he seems drawn to women with a mean streak. "Doghouse" is about what happens to a man who gets to spend the night in a house of ill repute. He might get you thrown out of the best Bay Area twang bars - "Never Live It Down" is the about having too much fun at the El Rio (the Mission District), the 23 Club (Brisbane), and the Saddle Rack (Fremont). Sort of a twang debauchery tour, with Jones egging you on to more trouble. All while sweet-talking you with an easy crooning voice.

Don't be misled - there's plenty of straight ahead twang and rockabilly, full of tail fins and chrome on "Hot Rod Heartbreaker", the twang-cum-surf title track, the swinger "Time to Have a Good Time", "No Beer in Heaven" (wrong...), and "Redneck Barbie."

The jazzabilly comes out strongly on a great a cover of "How High the Moon" (our favorite track), where Jones' jazz guitar is mated with rockabilly stylings. From its jazzy intro to the shuffling rockabilly cadence (not quite what you expect after the intro), Jones toggles between rockabilly and jazz guitar in the same track. Rockabilly does have swing in its DNA, and it remains our firm belief that the best things in life swing. There's more tasty, twangy atmosphere on "Vibro eXotica" and the closing track, "Roma's Song", a beautiful walk off.

At a recent gig, Jones opened with "So What" by Miles Davis. Seemingly in the same breath, he pulled out a version of The Ventures' "Walk Don't Run" (surf music). I wonder what Miles would have thought of that segue.

Time to have a good time...

Been gone so long...

2011-11-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

Without intending to, I've taken a month off the blog. Things get in the way, real life and day jobs and all that. Planning more posts soon on Jinx Jones' blistering new release "Rip and Run" and Windy Hill's "Let's Go to the Fair" (Peninsula bluegrass).

Meanwhile, Red Meat just announced a show at the Riptide on December 10, 2011. I'm almost afraid to post about it, because it's a small bar and it fills up early. But this show ~~usually includes~~ will include a big toy basket for Christmas donations to kids in need, so you better come. With toys.

Not strictly Hardly Strictly

2011-09-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

If crowds are your thing, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is mecca. Good autumn weather, great music, and free admission leads to epic masses in Golden Gate Park. My recollection of seeing Elvis Costello consists mostly of avoiding a panic attack in a mob (albeit, a mellow, stoned bluegrass mob).

There are other events in San Francisco if you're seeking something a bit more intimate. On September 30 (Friday night), Jeanie and Chuck of the Country Roundup are hosting a night of bluegrass music at Cafe Velo Rouge on Arguello (near Fulton in the Richmond). Cafe Velo Rouge is an intimate space that sometimes spills out into the street. So, still crowded but only with your best friends and 15 of SF's finest twang performers, including Black Crown Trio, Bohemian Highway, Gayle Schmitt, Matt Lax, Maurice Tani (77 El Deora), Melody Walker, Misisipi Mike, Pam Brandon, Quake City Jug Band, the Shut-Ins, Smelley Kelley (Red Meat), the T-Sisters, Zoe Blank, and special guests (i.e., all the people who should be playing at HSBG but are not).

Not to be outdone, on Saturday night, on the other side of town, The B Stars, Petunia and the Vipers and the West Coast Ramblers are playing at the Verdi Club on Mariposa. If you want to dance to some toe-tapping Texas swing, this is your best bet. Because sometimes, a man's gotta dance. And when he does, it's got to swing....Not strictly bluegrass but then again what is?

Either way, it's musical overload this weekend. I'm still trying to figure out how to see Merl Haggard and Kris Kristofferson at the same time as Broken Social Scene. That's doable right?

Reviewed - Nell Robinson's "On the Brooklyn Road"

2011-09-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

Down a red clay road...(photo - Brenda Hough)

Rare is the musician who claims a legitimate Northern California birthright. More often than not, Bay twang is imported from another place called "home". For singer Nell Robinson, home is Alabama. Robinson's latest release, "On the Brooklyn Road", is a musical journey to her family farm on the road of the same name.

"On the Brooklyn Road" is loosely classified as bluegrass, but it doubles as a scrapbook and travelogue. Robinson traces her footsteps through a combination of original songs and carefully re-worked covers. Thematically, the songs tread on the familiar trinity of love, loss and redemption (in all their forms). Songs like "Woe is Me" and "I'm Brilliant" address self-pity and alcoholism. "Mayflies" is a study of fleeting beauty ("Life ain't nothing but a flickering dream, like the Mayflies that last but a day"). Robinson takes on Loretta Lynn's "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl" and follows it with Hank Williams' "I Saw the Light". The revival spirit continues with "Turn Your Radio On" ("Brother listen in to the gloryland chorus, listen to the glad hosannas roll") and "Sweet Sunny South" ("I return to the place of my birth, where my children have played 'round the door...").

Robinson's clear, confident vocals evoke Emmylou Harris with a warm touch of Alabama drawl. Capably produced with collaborator (and sideman) Jim Nunally, the music is authentic but never overplayed. There's plenty of quality pickin' (check out the dobro on "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl"), but this album is not about chops.

The heart of the album lies between the music. The tracks are interspersed with spoken-word stories told by Robinson's aging family members. In weathered voices, their stories cover family lore about kitchen table babysitters and radio batteries, murderous cooks and "swamp talk". The dialogue is an entire album unto itself, and this is where "On the Brooklyn Road" transcends. It evokes the work of legendary ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax, who, in the 1930s and 1940s, traveled the south recording local folk music for the Smithsonian. There's a lost world in these recordings, a world of Alabama pine and flooded creeks, big Southern meals and quiet nights on the porch. The final story, "Grown Men Cry", is a chilling reminder of the vagaries of life. Robinson has taken a huge risk with the intimacy of the spoken word selections, but it pays off. The selections are not random, if you listen carefully.

Robinson performs at a CD release party at the venerable Freight & Salvage on September 29, and then plays Hardly Strictly Bluegrass on October 1. Nell Robinson doesn't live on the Brooklyn Road these days, but you can go there with her any time.

East Bay Grease and The Sport of Kings

2011-09-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

East Bay Grease isn't a twang band, but they're part of the scene thanks to guitar player Michael Montalto of Red Meat. This video is grainy and the sound quality pretty mediocre; the Riptide isn't known for its acoustics. I'm fine with that. Dirty swamp music isn't supposed to be clear or pretty. That's for Steely Dan fans. A studio version of this song - and more - are available here.

East Bay Grease is the band that's playing when the fight breaks out in the back of the bar. When the drunk asshole you're playing pool with scratches the 8-ball and wants to fight you over it. He just said something about your girlfriend but you didn't hear it that well. The PBR starts to fly and all hell breaks loose. And nobody, I mean nobody, writes good songs about cockfighting.

Except these guys. God love 'em.

Jason Morgan of East Bay Grease lays it down.

The Famous - Twang a la Mode

2011-09-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

The Famous.

It hit me in the men's room at the Riptide. I've heard some unconventional country covers in San Francisco, but I could've sworn I was hearing Depeche Mode. Twang a la Mode? Not possible, this was a country band, not an 80s cover band.

I should have expected The Famous to throw a change up. For about half a set the band had kept it more or less conventional, albeit with some interesting tempo changes that suggested complexity under the surface. Working on new material this weekend, The Famous played a free set at the Riptide - the bar at the end of the world (take the San Francisco Muni L-Line to the last stop in the City. If you're in the water, you got off one stop too late.).

Like a lot of San Francisco-based twang bands, The Famous interject a fair amount of their punk roots into hard-charging country reverie. If Shane MacGowan were from Austin, he might've played in the Famous (or at least barfed on them as a sign of affection). Laurence Scott's wry lyrics and Texas baritone are fired by Victor Barclay's guitar playing. Barclay's selfless style ranges from sweet twang to full-frontal staccato assault. The rhythm section is G.D. Hensley and Chris Fruhauf. And Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" does work as a country song, if you know what you are doing. The Famous do.

The Famous have two albums out and are working on material for a third. I was humming along minding my own until the Budweiser hit me and Dave Gahan went bluegrass. Suddenly, I was intrigued. This is exactly what makes San Francisco's twang scene so vibrant - a mixture of post-punk and trad country, slightly chilled. Words are very unnecessary.

Black, white and shades of gray: 77 El Deora's "The Crown and the Crow's Confession"

2011-09-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

77 El Deora's "The Crown and the Crow's Confession" was released earlier this year, but the blog didn't exist in those days. This is twang for thinking people. If some of the songs take on a conventional country veneer, that's only a cover for the deep texture that lies beneath.

"The Crown and The Crow's Confession" is driven by the songs of guitar player and singer Maurice Tani, a San Francisco native. Tani's characters are shattered, lovers dodging bullets and running from the flames. A pugilist at rest, simultaneously resisting and celebrating his own blood lust ("there's a fire I don't speak of, something so base I'll never rise above"). A radio DJ searching for signs of intelligent life in the ether ("are you listening?"). Tani describes his songs as trailer park operettas, but the songs have a cinematic quality that goes farther. The visual landscape imagined by Bogdanovich in the Last Picture Show. A place for broken hearts and black and white movies. Where an old Buick winds up a red dirt road, and a Martin guitar barely escapes from a fire.

Throughout, lead vocalists Jenn Courtney and Tani animate Tani's literate verbal interplay. Courtney's husky voice plays well on its own or pared with Tani's solid singing. Tani's songs are fleshed out by bass player Mike Anderson, fiddler Steve Kallai and drummer Christopher Fisher.

Even in Tani's "dystopia", the protagonists rise above. A sweet version of Bruce Springsteen's "County Fair" is a reminder of the joy in small things. The flugelhorn solo in "Dancing with Devils" is heartbreaking and gorgeous, an incongruous jazz allusion perfect for the surroundings.

This music is neither retro nor country; it's twang noir. A fully realized universe, on a dark night, with an AM radio station sending out a strong signal from somewhere down Highway 99. Are you listening?

Artist in residence: Misisipi Mike gets Amnesia

2011-09-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

Out for a midnight ride.

Being an artist in residence in the Mission is a pretty nice gig. Sometimes heaven is a warm night on Valencia Street under a crescent moon, watching people dart between the bars and cafes. I have great memories of a month spent at the Elbo Room every Wednesday, listening to Charlie Hunter work on new material. Last night, Misisipi Mike and the Midnight Gamblers started a Thursday night residency at Amnesia, delivering a set that ranged from Texas swing to chunky outlaw country.

You don't expect to hear Bob Wills walking down Valencia, but he showed up early in the set with a high-steppin' "Take Me Back to Tulsa". Showing its range, the band stuck with an Oklahoma theme for Don Williams' funky classic "Tulsa Time" ("well here I am in Hollywood, thinking I was doing good..."). Mike's own songs and twangy Tele fit comfortably with spot-on support from the Midnight Gamblers. The Midnight Gamblers are drummer Tony Sales, Mike Anderson (77 El Deora), Leif Karlstrom on fiddle, Adam "Roscoe" Rosckiewicz on lead guitar, and Dave "Monk" Flores on piano. Special bonus last night included a mid-set performance by Tracey and Chris from Vandella. Aching harmonies and all.

Check it out. Good eats on Valencia.

Gilded Palaces: Remembering Gram Parsons at the Great American Music Hall

2011-08-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Chuck Prophet and Stephanie Finch - Do right woman, do right man.

"This earthquake's gonna put me in the poorhouse. It seems like this whole town's insane..."

On the way over to "Sleepless Nights, A Tribute To Gram Parsons", I listened to a Flying Burrito Brothers show recorded at the Avalon Ballroom in April 1969. The Burrito Brothers had opened for the Grateful Dead that night, just a few blocks away from where the Great American now stands. Knowing that Parsons had played down the street, it felt like a small part of his legacy was nearby for Saturday's tribute.

Parsons didn't call his music "country", he liked to describe it as "cosmic American music". Defying cheap categorization, Parsons' career blurred the lines between country and rock. They say that very few people bought a Velvet Underground album, but everyone who did formed a band. You could say the same thing about fans of the Flying Burrito Brothers.

"Sleepless Nights" featured seven bands, each performing either Gram Parsons covers or original music heavily influenced by Parsons. Nobody was strictly country and some (East Bay Grease), have almost no connection to Parsons' music. But part of Parsons' genius was to meld different forms of music, and that's what happened at the Great American. East Bay Grease mined Parsons' southern blues roots and finished with a straight-up rocker ("Lazy Days"), while Red Meat represented Parson's honky tonk influences. The Gypsy Moonlight Band somehow managed to channel a little early 70s decadence (Nudie suits!), and Big Eagle delivered a great version of "Wild Horses", a song that Mick and Keith "gave" to Parsons. Paula Frazer's serene version of "Sleepless Nights" took it to a more ethereal level. Chuck Prophet reminded me that the Byrds thought highly enough of Parsons to ask him to join the band. Stephanie Finch handled Gram's stand-by, "Do Right Woman", while Chuck left it to the crowd to finish the chorus of "You Ain't Going Nowhere".

The Burrito Brothers were hardly perfect on that April night 42 years ago, but if you look past the flubbed lyrics, you realize how far ahead Parsons was for his day. The impact of his music lasted much longer than his small discography and brief, doomed life. The fact that musicians continue to pay him vigorous tribute says a lot about the measure of Parsons' talent.

Drummer from Gypsy Moonlight Band took the Gram vibe all the way.

Red Meat -reminding us that Parsons could honky tonk too.

And now for a short break...

2011-08-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

We're off to Hawaii for some much-needed R&R. Here's Elvis in Hawaii, singing Aloha-Oe (about a minute in).

Fire on the mountain: Twang to the Rescue for local musicians

2011-08-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

Ring of Fire. (photo: haighteration.com)

Sometimes, a community joins together to help one of its own. A month ago, local musicians Gayle Lynn Schmitt and Tom Drohan were traveling in Europe when they decided to check on the news from home. They found a picture of their house in flames (above), victims of a fire that occurred in their absence. About the only thing salvaged was a beloved Martin guitar.

Gayle and Tom and are well-known in Bay twang circles for their work in Gayle Lynn and the Hired Hands, the Shut-Ins, the Brewglass Boys and any number of side projects. The local twang community responded immediately, planning a benefit to help Tom, Gayle, and musician/neighbor Pam Brandon, who also lost everything. The show is scheduled for August 30, at the Cafe du Nord. The bill includes Misisipi Mike and the Midnight Gamblers, the Royal Deuces, the B-Stars, Maurice Tani, the Plain High Drifters (Smelley and Les from Red Meat, Tom Armstrong, Eric Embree and friends), and special guests.

I didn't know Tom and Gayle other than by reputation, until we met at a Kentucky Derby Party at the Riptide. Tom and Gayle's generosity was evident in the shared mint juleps, ham and traditional Derby Day fare. The Shut-Ins (with special guest Misisipi Mike) performed Derby-themed music, including a rousing rendition of "Dead Flowers" by the Rolling Stones ("placing bets on Kentucky Derby Day...").

They gave to us that day, and now it's our turn to give back. More info about how you can help on the 434-436 Waller Fre Relief Facebook page.

Fire on the Mountain, by Bill Monroe:

Hot Burrito Number 1: Gram Parsons Tribute at the GAMH, August 27

2011-08-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

Nearly 40 years after his untimely death, the music of Gram Parsons continues to influence a new generation of musicians. Parsons' legacy will be celebrated locally on August 27 at the Great American Music Hall. Even if you have never heard Gram Parsons sing or play, you have felt his influence.

This is the 10th anniversary of "Sleepless Nights: A Tribute to Gram Parsons." Founded by musician Eric Shea (Sweet Chariot), the show began as a tribute to one of Shea's musical influences. This year, San Francisco's Red Meat will play on a bill with one of my boyhood heroes, Chuck Prophet.

Red Meat needs no introduction, serving up USDA prime cuts of music for almost 20 years. Your head chef, Smelley Kelley, leaves just the right amount of fat in large servings of mouth-watering honky tonk. Assisting in the kitchen are Scott Young, Jill Olson, Les James and Michael Montalto. If you're sitting down at a Red Meat show, it's only because you're too drunk to stand. Otherwise, you need to get off your ass and dance.

East Bay Grease is also playing. While not strictly a twang band, EBG features the guitar playing of Red Meat's Michael Montalto. Montalto is one of the Bay Area's more underrated guitar players, and he easily switches from honky tonk to EBG's early 1970s boogie-rock vibe.

Also on the bill: Sweet Chariot, Big Eagle, the Gypsy Moonlight Band, and Paula Frazer.

In 1985, I bought a copy of "Gas Food Lodging" by Green on Red. My introduction to Chuck Prophet, helped along by a stoned high school teacher who loaned me a bootleg show of Chuck's from Malmo. I was hooked. Still am.

And somewhere, Gram Parsons is swigging Courvoisier from the bottle with Keef Richards, trading licks and girlfriends and god knows whatever else they were doing in France all those years ago.

Sleepless Nights: August 27, 2011 at the Great American Musical Hall. Tickets: $13; dinner: $37.95.