Since appearing at Bonnaroo in 2006 a lot has happened to the Nocturnals. They released their third record This Is Somewhere last year, which popped up on alternative radio station playlists across the country with songs like “Ah Mary” and the piano ballad “Apologies”. Yet another song, “Falling or Flying”, appeared on the hit TV show Grey’s Anatomy. I liked the record quite a bit, though I thought the heavy production may have sapped some of the band’s live energy (a common complaint of mine). Then, earlier this year, the band said goodbye to founding bassist Bryan Dondero and began recording their follow up record with…….T-Bone Burnett (O Brother Where Art Though, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss). The as of yet untitled record is due out this fall. The band, which in addition to Potter includes guitarist Scott Tournet and drummer Matt Burr, then held auditions for a new bass player. The first person to audition was Catherine Popper, a founding member Ryan Adams and the Cardinals who has played with the likes of Levon Helm, Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, and numerous others. Catherine Popper is the new bass player. The band also recruited fellow Vermont native Benny Yurco as their touring rhythm guitarist.

The only downside of catching the Nocturnals at the smaller Solar Stage was that Potter didn’t drag her B-3 over for the performance. Even without the organ, the Nocturnals put on one of my favorite performances of the weekend. They began with the first two tracks off This Is Somewhere, “Ah Mary” and “Stop the Bus”. They then proceeded to play entirely new material, save a single song, for the rest of the set. Potter has described the new record as “a soul record at its core, like the Velvet Underground backing Aretha Franklin”. Needless to say, the show was unbelievable. This is truly one of the best live bands I have ever seen. Catch them if and every time you can.

Next up for me were sets by Robert Earl Keen and Merle Haggard, both elder statesmen of the Americana genre. Keen’s band rocked a little harder than expected as he lead the eager crowd through classic like “The Road Goes on Forever” and other crowd favorites. Merle Haggard started out a little rough (he had an operation for his lung cancer in November of 08), but his voice grew stronger throughout the set, settling in by the time the band laced into “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink”. The Bonnaroo crowd was particularly eager for this living legend. Haggard had been assigned to one of the medium size tents rather than one of the bigger stages, and the crowd seemed to go forever beyond the support awnings and out into the vendor’s stands. That’s was it for my Bonnaroo, though I would catch a little of the Band of Horses (sounding tight as always) as I waited in line at the Comedy Tent. Nothing would match the energy of the Nocturnals set, nor would any group match the confidence of Haggard’s stately performance. I’m sure I’ll be back to the field in Tennessee again and I can’t wait.

One of the best examples of that is Dust of Daylight, a country waltz full of whining pedal steel and dance hall fiddle.  Yet it retains an edge that’s at odds with traditional country music.  With verses like “love is a fog and you stumble every step you take”, it captures the tears and woe of Hank or George or Porter, but in a more current way.  There are some misses, though.  In Pushed Too Far the “conversations turn to metaphors” and the lyrics slump to navel gazing that a well-timed stretch of the strings can’t resuscitate.

There are also a couple of more rock-tinged songs on the disc.  My favorite is Down to the Wire, where the interplay between guitar and keyboard remind you of Richards and Wood in the heyday of the Stones.  Speaking of Keith, you have to chuckle at Cocaine and Ashes, a pleasant little funeral dirge ditty inspired by the tale of, well, cocaine and his father’s ashes.

I was also enjoyed Sultana, the story of a riverboat tragedy shortly after the Civil War.  It owes a lot of its story-telling style to Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, but instead substitutes a piece of history more familiar to a boy from St. Louis.

American Central Dust is a solid effort, with some flashy nods to 60’s and 70’s country music.  But the uneveness makes it a better candidate for downloading your favorite individual tunes over listening cover to cover.

Dollars and Dimes (El Paisano Records), the new disc from Texan Owen Temple is an artful shot of reality, as told through the memory and perspective of a traveler with perhaps more questions than answers. Drawing on the current socio-economical climate, Temple has crafted an album that will remind many that story-telling can be relevant and revealing when looking into times of crisis.

The opening notes of the opening track, “Broken Heart Land”, set the stage for the entire album. Temple’s warm tone is reminiscent of Josh Ritter’s (another great story-teller) when he hits his lower notes. In that vocal tone, Temple begins by asking, “How did your past get stuck in a pawnshop?“. Where Ritter can often spin his yarns through poetry that contains a bit of literate complexity, Temple unfolds his poetry in a more straight-forward, plain-spoken manner. Temple’s tales of plain-folk facing ever-mounting pressure and continuing complication are more subtle and respectful methods of informing the listener on various hardships that are being experienced than the recent, cliched and heavy-handed pandering that the likes of John Rich and Hank Jr. have produced lately. By writing and singing about the assorted issues from a somewhat detached point of view, Temple never reaches the insincere depths of Rich or Hank Jr., as they arrogantly crown themselves champions of the disenfranchised middle and lower class who aim to lead a simple life and possibly stick-it-to-the-man if they can.

From there, we practically go on a tour of the great 48 (and beyond even). “City of The King”, “Memphis” and “Los Angeles” showcase sad and somewhat desperate scenarios. “Making a Life” brings in the hopeful glimmer as it reminds us that actually having anything of real value is indeed rare.

Where Temple’s previous release, Two Thousand Miles, was a true Texas Country album that discussed rodeos, tequila and love that lasts, Dollars and Dimes is a Singer/Songwriter record that leans on folk-rock arrangements to great and appropriate effect. While, at times, the predominant theme and vibe of each individual track can feel a tad redundant, the well-told and developed stories inside of each number helps the album avoid that trap as the cohesiveness of the songs subject matter truly turns into a theme, rather than a random bunch of songs describing various people going through random and various tough times.

Downlaod the opening track, “Broken Heart Land” by going to Owen Temple’s Website.

Murdering Oscar (and Other Love Songs), by Patterson Hood
Patterson Hood’s last solo release was a somber acoustic affair. This one ain’t. In fact, this collection of songs from Hood’s archives is not dissimilar from a Drive-By Truckers release. Sure, I miss Cooley’s guitar and the Truckers triple guitar interplay. But the grittiness of Hood’s songwriting prevails, packaged in songs ranging from the boisterous “I Understand Now” to the tender “Pride of the Yankees.” “Heavy and Hanging” contrasts a dark guitar riff with an aching piano as he questions what drives someone to suicide. “I Understand Now,” mixes a healthy dose of Southern rock with a tasty rhythm-and-blues back-beat while “Walking Around Sense” rings out with a Hood guitar solo that would make Neil Young proud. “Back of a Bible” is an authentic love song to a musician’s wife that was, true to the title, written on the back of a bible. Hood calls on a host of familiar friends and family to assist him with the release. Members of the Truckers – guitarist Jon Neff, drummer Brad Morgan and producer/multi-instrumentalist David Barbe – are the core band with additional support from Will Johnson and Scott Danborn of Centro-matic. This also marks the first proper Hood release that features his father, legendary Muscle Shouls bassist David Hood.

Audio Download: Patterson Hood, “I Understand Now”

Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South, by Ha Ha Tonka
It would be easy to describe Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South as a Southern rock album but that doesn’t quite do it justice. There is an ambition on this album – both musically and lyrically – that stretches the boundaries of traditional Southern rock. “The Outpouring” brings a touch of jazz into the mix while “Surrounded” leans more towards the pop end of the spectrum with its electric piano and airy melody. “Thoreau in the Woods” reflects the album’s wanderlust with a melody that meanders but never loses its way. Kinda like the song’s subject. I’d liken “The Horse in Motion” to a musical drive-by: an introductory fury of Neil Young & Crazy Horse-sounding guitar gives way to an intense and driving rock song that lasts under two and a half minutes. Album centerpiece “Close Every Valve in Your Broken Heart” has an epic quality to it. One minute the song is a tender acoustic ballad, then next it’s a brawny rocker as singer Brian Roberts exclaims, “Only Dostoevsky could kill off a pair like us.” It all adds up to a tremendous musical achievement from a band worth remembering.

THE PLAYLIST:
If It’s Not Love, Rhett Miller (from the Shout Factory! release Rhett Miller)
Exactly what you’ve come to expect from Rhett: jangly guitars, rolling drums and an immensely hummable tale of a guy falling just short in the game of love. “Now my bad reputation is shot and your to blame, I’m the loser in the corner and I’m whispering your name.” (See Kelly’s review here.)

Hang Up and Drive, Matthew Grimm (from the self-released The Ghost of Rock and Roll)
It has been a few years since we’ve heard from Iowa’s favorite social critic but he’s back with a vengeance. To wit: “Hang up and drive, You narcissistic ass, don’t need three tons of steel and glass to call your wife.”

The Killer in Me, Amy Speace (from the Wildflower Records release The Killer in Me)
They say that some of the best music is born of personal tragedy. In that light it is no surprise to learn that New York singer-songwriter Amy Speace’s sophomore release is a ragged reflection on the dissolution of her ten-year marriage. Mott the Hoople’s Ian Hunter joins her on the smoldering title track, singing “Held up the truth with a loaded gun, shot at its feet just to watch it run, the liar you hide has found the thief in me.”

Audio Download: Amy Speace, “The Killer in Me”

Your Control, Crooked Fingers (from the Constant Artists, Inc. / Red Pig release Forfeit/Fortune)
I delayed giving the latest Crooked Fingers release a spin after struggling with Eric Bachmann’s most recent solo release. My mistake. Bachmann is at his best when he explores the negotiations inherent in romantic relationships. Exhibit A is this duet between Bachmann and Neko Case in which two lovers challenge one another’s need for control of their relationship against the backdrop of a happy-go-lucky musical accompaniment.

My America, A Camp (from the Nettwerk Records release Colonia)
Former Cardigans singer Nina Persson is a charmer. You’ll be riding a sugar high when you hear her wrap her voice around a buoyant pop melody like this one. Throw in a healthy dose of horns and it is like getting that sugar through an iv.

Lifeline, Andrew Ripp (from the self-released Fifty Miles to Chicago)
Chicago native Ripp has a blue-eyed soul voice that fits well with this bright, airy song and its immensely catchy chorus.

Cry, Matthew Grimm (from the self-released The Ghost of Rock and Roll)
And lest anyone think that Grimm doesn’t have a sentimental side: “Cry for children dying young and lying down at day’s end hungry, cry for all those sacrificed at despots’ heartless whim, Cry for lovers of young men who won’t see them again, But if he don’t understand what he let through his hands, Don’t cry another goddamn tear for him.”

Take Me Home, Movers & Shakers (from the self-released Larrabee)
If you like your roots rock mixed with a bit of Clash-style punch, Boston’s Movers & Shakers may be the band for you. Pounding drums keep the beat moving while a simmering organ gives the song an added fervor. Heck, the vocals even sound a bit like Strummer and Jones.

Take a Train, Roadside Graves (from the Autumn Tone release My Son’s Home)
Though New Jersey’s Roadside Graves work from an Americana base, they are not encumbered by it. This track bristles with an energy that comes from the interplay of instrument and voice among the band’s seven members.

Don’t Wanna Cry, Pete Yorn (from the Columbia Records release Back & Forth)
Yorn’s latest is a rather mellow affair, including this sorrowful yet endearing song. “Don’t wanna cry for you, but there’s nothing left to lose, if it can make me feel better, then I’m gonna cry for you.” (See Todd’s review here.)

In the City, the Cocktail Slippers (from the Wicked Cool Records release St. Valentine’s Day Massacre)
You can thank Little Steven and his Wicked Cool Records for introducing these five Norwegian women to a broader musical stage. Their sound follows a musical thread from Leslie Gore through the Go-Gos and Bangles, but with a tougher punch.

Pete Yorn/Back & Fourth

I’m a pretty big Pete Yorn fan and was stoked when I was browsing around I-Tunes and saw the pre-order of his new album Back & Fourth a month or so ago.  I didn’t pre-order, but did buy the album the day it came out, June 16^th, burned a copy for the car and uploaded it to my I-Pod.  Sitting here about a week later and 10-12 listens in, I can’t say that I’m as excited as I was before the album actually came out, which is never a good sign.  After the first listen I thought the entire thing was crap, but now, I’ve changed my tune and decided it’s a solid effort.  Not as good as his previous releases, but still a nice listen nonetheless.  The production is great, adding a touch of horns in the background on a number of the tunes and keeps the same crisp Yorn sound fans have come to expect.  It just seems Pete took a turn more towards adult contemporary than rock with this release.  The first single, “Don’t Wanna Cry” may be great for radio, but I prefer the deeper story songs such as “Social Development Dance” and “Last Summer.”  To wrap things up, I guess I was hoping for a “Murray” or “Carlos” song, something with a bite more bite.  And this ain’t it.  Hopefully it grows on me, but for now I’m a bit ambivalent and I’m through wasting your time and mine.  

RIYL:  Josh Rouse, Ryan Adams, cheese puffs

If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change!

I began my day with cellist/songwriter Ben Sollee. Sollee is one-fourth of The Sparrow Quartet that features non-other than Bela-Fleck, Abigail Washburn, and Casey Driessen. His solo work is an intriguing mixture of classical, bluegrass, and most prominently soul music. Sollee also biked down to Bonnaroo on a mini-tour that weaved through his home state of Kentucky and on down to Manchester, Tennessee. He did so to raise awareness for Oxfam International’s work against poverty and to promote the Xtracycle, an extended frame bicycle that allowed Sollee to carry some sixty pounds of equipment (including his cello) with him on the 330 mile trip.

All this was cool and inspirational, but not nearly as cool and inspirational as the 45 minute set he conducted at the Sonic Stage on Sunday morning. Sollee was augmented by light percussion and a tastefully minimalist electric guitarist. The trio dispatched tunes from Sollee’s debut record Learning to Bend as well as several awesome covers including Tom Wait’s “Chocolate Jesus” and a closing rendition of Cat Steven’s “It’s A Wild World.” On the former, Sollee and company were joined by a body painted hippie who took hold of a spare mic stand and began doing his best Tom Waits impersonation. The surprise cameo was gracefully allowed by Sollee and the Bonnaroo security staff, until the hippie decided to examine Sollee’s cello bow. At that point he was forcibly removed from the stage (I spotted him later, no worse for the wear). Sollee finished the song by following the hippie’s lead by standing up and doing his own Wait’s impersonation. The sound of Sollee’s cello and soulful vocals attracted quite a crowd to the small stage by the end of his set. The last day of Bonnaroo 2009 was just getting started.

Next up for me was the Lovell Sisters. The three sisters were joined by a standup bass player and an additional guitarist, however it was the three sisters that fronted the show and held the audience’s rapt attention. I didn’t know much about the Lovell Sisters before heading to this show and was pleasantly surprised by them, which is one of the things that makes each Bonnaroo so special. The undiscovered bands, the unscripted moments, and the unplanned camping adventures are what makes Bonnaroo Bonnaroo. Rebecca (mandolin), Jessica (fiddle), and Megan Lovell (dobro) are the real deal. Though young and pretty, which might cause some to pause, these girls can play and have graced stages from Merlefest to Telluride. They even turned down a deal with one of big record labels in favor of recording their own original songs. However, it was an instrumental cover of “Choctaw Hayride” that was the highlight of their set as each Lovell showed instrumental prowess well beyond their years. This is definitely a band to keep an eye on. Their new record Time to Grow is due out July 7^th.

Todd Snider followed the Lovell Sisters. Full disclosure: I’m a huge Todd Snider fan and had never seen him live. That being said the show was pretty awesome. Back up by Don Was on bass, Snider delivered a set heavy on his excellent new album The Excitement Plan. Several of the songs came across much funnier than the understated arrangements of the record would have suggested. Highlights included rousing renditions of Snider classics “The Ballad of the Kingsmen” and “Conservative Christian Straight White Republican All American Males”. Snider also exhibited his notorious comedic flourishes with a side splitting story about his evolution from a varsity football player in high school to quitting the team and becoming a “burnout”. Dropping acid evidently makes football practice a lot more fun. This lead to one of the standout songs from his new record “America’s Favorite Pastime,” a song about a pitcher who pitches a no-hitter tripping on acid. A more tender note was the reading of Robert Earl Keen’s “Corpus Christi Bay,” which Keen himself joined Snider on stage for, a favor Snider would return during Keen’s subsequent set.

This post was supposed to cover all of Sunday’s activities, but……look for part 3 of Bonnaroo 2009 sometime next week.

Phil Pritchett, hailing from Ft. Worth, Texas is an artist who is just plain…fun. That label may lack the dynamism one would expect from a performer who is as dynamic as Pritchett is, but watch one of his videos or catch one of his video blogs, even. Once you do that, you’ll more fully appreciate the spirit of fun that The Bullfighter Returns record is packed with.

The Bullfighter Returns is one of many recent releases from this fiercely independent artist. “All I Want To Do” is a raucous showcase for Pritchett’s nasally, almost Dylan-esque vocals. The fun continues with the title track, which is the best tune that Roger Clyne never wrote. The Spanish horns give the song it’s personality, but again, it’s Pritchett’s vocal that gives the song its attitude. With “Living Isn’t An Easy Thing To Do”, we see that Southern Rock can possess a strong melodic sense while still rocking out accordingly. Given that many of the songs on this record have been crowd favorites and staples of his live shows, Pritchett is simply giving the people what they want.

While I was certainly familiar with Matsson’s EP and LP “Shallow Grave” from about a year ago, he certainly had a different rather unfolky presence. He looked into the crowd stone-faced, almost casually between lyrics. Then delivered a growling vocal that held the audience at DC’s Black Cat in rapt attention. While the almost banjo-like guitar picking made the immediate impact on record, the rough emotive vocal takes the cake live.

Reviewers compare Matsson to Dylan, but his guitar style and vocal demonstrate a less detached approach. Each rhythmic guitar lick and chopping on the guitar recall hints of Nick Drake (with open tunings) and at times like Iron & Wine. But neither can match the rougher dylan folky vocal. Matsson sings with fearless baritone runs into falsetto seamlessly.

With each spin, layers of meaning trickle out of the speakers. Both literate and beautifully pastoral, Matsson’s lyrics throw down the gauntlet to any current songwriter (regardless of language). The words have a depth and power that demands attention:

“When you mend the patches of my clothin’ / You know every thread goes through my heart / Guessin’ that the river’s gonna dry up / Well, I said that’s not the reason why we part. / Lookin’ ’round the corner where I left you / Wonderin’ whatever led me there / Knowin’ that a quiet, unconscious feeling / Could be bought to drown a memory anywhere.”

Surprisingly for someone so lyrically adept, Matsson rarely spoke during the show. Instead, he stared directly into the audience (almost like a statue). Dressed as an early Dylan, his thin mustache the only sign that he was not a gap model. While his songs sound a bit repetitive, his guitarwork, lyrics and growl demonstrate extreme sonic texture with one instrument and one voice. After all, no one got up on stage with him at all.

Each note played or sung seemed deliberate and exact. Though that may sound stale, it came off as just the absolute control of Matsson, bending each song to his will. He played quite a few tunes from the album with guitar instead of banjo, slowed them down subtly or changed vocal runs; nonetheless, the control and mastery was evident in each distinct singing performance, each guitar break. Like the record, a Tallest Man show left the audience wanting more.