the velvet rut

Upcoming :: Justin Townes Earle & Joe Pug @ The Southern [TONIGHT]

2010-03-08T11:00:00.006-05:00

Justin Townes Earle and Joe Pug at The Southern in Charlottesville TONIGHT! To see one of these guys live is like being dealt a high pair in a game of stud. To see them both on the same stage (on the same night!) might as well be a straight shot of aces full of kings. My advice would be to just go ahead and push all your chips in the pot and let 'em ride.

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For Justin Townes Earle, he may be Steve Earle's son, but if you're judging the man simply on his brief body of work, it wouldn't matter if his last name was Smith or Jones. With three stellar records under his belt (Yuma in 2007, The Good Life in 2008, and Midnight at the Movies in 2009), JTE has already established himself as one of the brightest stars on the country horizon. I caught his brief set last August in C'ville as part of the rollicking Big Surprise Tour but the real highlight of 2009 was the intimate, songwriting workshop set Earle delivered at last year's Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival. It was the kind of classic intimate performance that re-affirms everything I love about the art of a great song.

MP3: Justin Townes Earle--What I Mean to You (from Midnight at the Movies)

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As for Joe Pug, not much has changed since I first discovered the songs from Pug's debut EP Nation of Heat back in 2008. As I later wrote back in May of last year: "It didn't take multiple listens for me to be immediately be drawn to his music; it all happened from the instant he began to sing. And as the songs unfolded I knew that I had stumbled upon a true talent. PERIOD." Joe Pug has at long last released his full-length debut Messenger, which hit stores on February 16th via Lightning Rod Records. Last June I finally had my first chance to see Joe live when he opened for Steve Earle at the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville and for my money it was the opening act who provided the evening's biggest highlights.

MP3: Joe Pug--The Sharpest Crown (from Messenger)

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Doors at The Southern open at 8pm this evening. Day-of-show tickets are $14. This would not be the time to step away from the table. Ante up and get ready to take this pot down. It's a guaranteed winning hand.

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Purchase: Justin Townes Earle--Midnight at the Movies [vinyl]
Purchase: Joe Pug--Messenger

A Sad Passing :: Mark Linkous [1962 -2010]

2010-03-07T15:00:00.002-05:00

Sad news arrived early this morning that Sparklehorse frontman Mark Linkous committed suicide yesterday (March 6). A statement from Linkhous's family reads:

"“It is with great sadness that we share the news that our dear friend and family member, Mark Linkous, took his own life today. We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts. May his journey be peaceful, happy and free. There’s a heaven and there’s a star for you.”

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Sadness. And in his songs, so much beauty.

Phillip St. Ours :: So This Is Heaven [Video]

2010-03-04T12:12:00.001-05:00

This one has been out there for a few weeks now, but I thought I'd share it because not all circles neatly overlap. "So This is Heaven" is your first look and listen into the forthcoming solo debut album from Phillip St. Ours (of C'ville's Pantherburn). [album title and release date not yet known].

Video shot and edited by Johnny St. Ours (who has also been behind the camera on videos for Dave Matthews Band, That 1 Guy, Infamous Stringdusters, and JD Souther).

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Pantherburn :: MySpace
Piraeus Picture Company :: Official Site

Damien Jurado :: Arkansas [New MP3]

2010-03-03T14:11:00.001-05:00

Damien Jurado [photo by Sarah Murphy Jurado]

The day is shaping up to be a musical journey through the South in song. Following up today's early post for Phosphorescent's "It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)", comes this gem from another artist who definitely has to be included on my ever-growing list of personal faves. The song "Arkansas" will be appearing on Damien Jurado's forthcoming full-length album Saint Bartlett which is due to hit stores in the U.S. on May 25th via Secretly Canadian.

No two ways about it, I'm loving what I hear so far. I can't wait to give a listen to the whole damn thing. Damien Jurado will be touring in North America and Europe later this year so be on the lookout for further details in the coming days and weeks. For now enjoy your first sneak peek into the arrival of things to come. [And keep stopping by Jurado's MySpace page, where he promises a "new song every week, until my new record comes out!"]

MP3: Damien Jurado--Arkansas
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Purchase: Damien Jurado--Caught in the Trees (2008)

Phosphorescent :: It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're From Alabama) [New MP3]

2010-03-03T11:40:00.001-05:00

Matthew Houck [photo by Amanda Yates]

Following up on last year's Willie Nelson tribute cover album To Willie, Matthew Houck [aka Phosphorescent] is set to release Here's to Taking It Easy, his first album of original material since 2007's debut Pride. Joining Houck on Here's to Taking It Easy is the current live line-up that also appeared as part of the To Willie recording sessions (Scott Stapleton, piano; Jeff Bailey, bass; Chris Marine, drums; Jesse Anderson Ainslie, guitar; Ricky Ray Jackson, pedal steel).

Here's to Taking it Easy hits stores on May 11 via Dead Oceans. Below you can give a first listen to the track "It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)" from the forthcoming release. And if you haven't taken the time to check out To Willie, it is as fine a tribute to the "red headed stranger" that you're likely to hear.

MP3: Phospherescent--It's Hard to Be Humble (When You're From Alabama)
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Purchase: Phosphorescent--To Willie

Scott Avett :: Where Have All the Average People Gone? (Roger Miller cover) [Video]

2010-02-27T20:12:00.005-05:00

The latest video offering from the fine folks at Crackerfarm, this one was shot during a recent return trip to North Carolina. The Avett Brothers, as one would expect, have a slew of upcoming announced tour dates in the U.S., Europe, and Australia [complete tour dates listed HERE]. If for some strange reason you still haven't seen these guys live, find a show near you and GO! The Avetts bring it every night and they are quite possibly one of my favorite live bands touring today.

And while we're on the subject of tour dates, I'm still holding out for a Charlottesville return trip sometime this summer or fall. I kinda feel that we're about due, don't you?

Enjoy the new vid. I like how Scott always seems to take a few quiet moments to tip his hat to the great songwriting troubadours and this Roger Miller number is no exception.

Related Post: Decade Songs (2000 - 2009)::The Avett Brothers--"Salvation Song"
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Purchase: The Avett Brothers--I and Love and You [vinyl]

Keep an Ear Out For :: April Smith and the Great Picture Show

2010-02-24T15:34:00.005-05:00

April Smith and the Great Picture Show are the latest band to have a caught my ear in recent hours (I'd love to say in recent days, weeks, or months but it just ain't so). To be honest, I don't mind being a little late to the party. The group's sophomore album Songs for a Sinking Ship just hit stores yesterday and it wasn't long after hearing their latest song offering from the new record ("Movie Loves a Screen") that I knew immediately I needed to hear more. You can give a listen to "Movie Loves a Screen" below.

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It's the roots of music that draw me...it's not all about generational experimentation or fleeting period genres that sometimes appear as late branches on music's path. I want to the hear the jazz, the swing, the blues. Country foundations made of rock. The absence of overdubs and production wizardry. No smoke and mirrors. I want to hear the exuberance of making live, real, honest music. I want the power to be all raw and sinewy. I want to jump to that which tips its hat back in time. Ultimately, it's the roots that will always bubble up through indie pavement and all the Top 40 haze and white noise. The sweat is real. You could unplug all the wires and cables, all the amps and sound boards and it should still make you jump. When I hear it, I immediately need to hear more.

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April Smith and the Great Picture Show are currently on tour in support of Songs from a Sinking Ship. [check for recently announced tour dates after the break]. The band's Daytrotter session debut, recorded back in August of last year, premiered earlier this month. Give a listen and a read here. And for good measure, every moment of discovery needs some kind of affirmation. After watching a couple of repeat viewings of April Smith and the Great Picture Show's live performance of "Wow and Flutter" on Fearless Music, I know for sure that these cats are deserving of both my ear's attention. [check out the video for "Wow and Flutter (which also appears on the new record) after the break].

MP3: April Smith and the Great Picture Show--Movie Loves A Screen
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Purchase: April Smith and the Great Picture Show--Songs for a Sinking Ship

[article continues after the break--click "read more"]

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April Smith and the Great Picture Show Announced 2010 Tour Dates

2/24: Crocodile Cafe---Seattle, WA #
2/25: Knitting Factory---Spokane, WA #
2/27: Urban Lounge---Salt Lake City, UT #
2/28: Larimer Lounge---Denver, CO #
3/10: Mercury Lounge---New York, NY
3/13: Rock N Roll Hotel---Washington D.C. *
3/15: The Earl---Atlanta, GA *
3/19: Ale House (SXSW)---Austin, TX
3/22: Off Broadway Nightclub---St. Louis, MO
3/23: Schuba's---Chicago, IL
3/24: Beachland Ballroom---Cleveland, OH
3/25: Club Cafe---Pittsburgh, PA
4/11: WVU Creative Arts Center (NPR Mountain Stage)---Morgantown, WV

# w/ Fanfarlo
* w/ Here We Go Magic
[recently announced tour dates in bold]

Shipwrecked in C'ville::With Van Morrison ( [Re-post]

2010-02-19T10:23:00.004-05:00

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[The Rut Says: The first in a number of re-posts highlighting last year's Shipwrecked in C'ville essay series. The following was authored by Keith Morris, Charlottesville songwriter, musician, singer, and Mayor of Candyapolis. Originally published 04.09.09]

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Van Morrison
Astral Weeks
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Keith Morris

"If I ventured in the slipstream / Between the viaducts of your dream / Where immobile steel rims crack / And the ditch in the back roads stop / Could you find me? / Would you kiss my eyes? / To lay me down in silence easy / To be born again, to be born again"

I first heard Astral Weeks at the perfect time. I was 18, spring break of my freshman year of college. I'd driven from Nashville, where I'd spent a thoroughly alienating year at the yuppie breeding ground of Vanderbilt University, to Macon, Georgia to visit an old friend at Mercer for the weekend. Growing up, we'd always been pretty bright kids, good students, very questioning in our nature. Then, senior year of high school, we discovered the wonders of THC and pursued its wisdom with nothing short of Pentecostal zeal. Cutting loose from the ways of a conservative Southern upbringing, it was like being catapulted into the universe, like breaking through immediately to a new level of consciousness. We discovered Bob Dylan and Neil Young, read Thoreau, Whitman, Salinger--talked about them pretentiously, I'm sure--spent many weekends not unlike the dreaming characters in Astral Weeks:

"And I shall watch the ferry-boats / And they’ll get high / On a bluer ocean /Against tomorrows sky / And I will never grow so old again...."

[Essay continues after the break. Click "read more"]

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I'd arrived that weekend on a Friday night, if I remember rightly, only to be greeted with two tabs of very strong LSD. What followed was a mess, of course. I hadn't met his new set of friends and had the distinctly unenviable experience of trying to get to know them while on acid. No easy task when you can't even string together a coherent sentence. Not to mention his friends' taste in music was prototypically freshmen-on-drugs: The Moody Blues, The Doors, and Yes. I kinda liked the Yes I heard, the drugs must have helped, but the rest was dreadful--they insisted on listening to An American Prayer for christsakes. I recall my mind being under a siege I was in no way prepared for. We sat around in a dorm room, lights out, music cranked, passing around a bong. There were de rigeur Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix posters lit up in day-glo from black lights. All in all, my greatest revelation from that night--other than just how bottled up and freaked out acid could make me--was that I probably would never have chosen these people as friends, myself.

I woke the next morning to a prototypically gorgeous Spring day with that weird, hollowed-out hangover acid leaves one with. My friend soon loaded a pipe--one we’d named Cortez, for it was a killer indeed--and handed it to me, explaining that I had to hear this new album he'd discovered. Not new actually. It was from 1968. Then, as he was fiddling with the turntable and cleaning dust off the album, he said something almost to himself: "This is where I'm at now." The needle thudded onto the vinyl, bees buzzed outside the open windows, azaleas lit up the lush Georgia landscape, and, between the music and the rush of Cortez, I could feel myself rising immediately. Holy Shit! What is this?

First comes that bass line, ushering in those elegiac first verses. Astral Weeks is a look back at youth, at an eden of innocence before the flood of years conspire to take it all away. It's an album centered in the intense spiritual longing of alienated youth. It sounds like nothing you've ever heard before, and yet the sound embodies precisely that youth and that longing. The rumbling jazz guitar always reminds me of the rush of memory and desire, and the ceaseless movement of time rolling on. The chiming you hear is, to my ears, the dawning of spring and personal awakening.

There is something about that age, from 17 to 20, that never comes again. The world opens up to you. You can feel the energy of Creation--the Blake-ian waves coursing through the veins--in a way that's lost on us in time. That first taste of freedom ushers in a world of possibilities, and, for me, it was a metaphysical search, a full-on plundering of all the elemental questions. When you're searching at that age, when your mind is focused solely on discovering what there is to life, when you're maybe taking whatever drugs you can, and reading whatever books to discover these things, you frankly run across some strange and compelling territory. These were my first brushes with synchronicity, which I still experience in ebbs and flows, and am still fascinated by.

If Astral Weeks is anything, and it's a lot of things (no doubt, the template for Nick Drake's Bryter Later), it's the document of that age of awakening. I put it on now and it conjures all the old emotions. Above all, the album documents both the experience of that youth and the simultaneous observation of its inevitable passing. The girl "with rainbow ribbons in her hair" and "the champagne eyes" will become the same sad soul "with [her] brand new boy and her cadillac" about whom Morrison says, "I know you're dying, babe, and I know you know it too." Transcendence traded for security, an old story told anew. Nothing I've heard before or since has captured so vividly the beauty and sadness of those days.

Most Honorable Mention: It would be something of a crime not to mention a few other albums here, in hopes that others discover them as well. Albums that are as formative to me as Astral Weeks. Most are too dark to want to listen to very often anymore, but I spent years with these albums as constant companions. Vic Chesnutt's Little and West of Rome spring to mind immediately. If Astral Weeks embodies that age between 17 and 20, these albums embody the more despondent terrain of the years that followed--22 to 25, for me--when one is coming to grips head on with the world in all its squalidness. Like another favorite, Neil Young's Tonight's the Night, these albums showed that there can be moments of terrible beauty and deliverance in the darkest of songs. And with Vic, humor as well.

Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited must be mentioned, of course, as it's the one that blew the doors wide open for all that has followed. John Wesley Harding is like walking amongst ghosts through some haunted, Biblical American West landscape. And far be it from me to overlook Exile on Main Street, which is a rollicking, freewheeling masterpiece if ever there was one.

Related Post: Van Morrison on CBS Sunday Morning [Video]
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Amazon: Van Morrison--Astral Weeks

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[Editor's Note: This is actually the first of two essays submitted where the individual writers chose to celebrate Van Morrison's Astral Weeks as their "desert island album" of choice. The second such essay will be posted in the coming days]

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Keith Morris, in addition to being a singer-songwriter, is the mayor of the entire kingdom of Candyapolis. His most recent album, Songs from Candyapolis, was released in December of 2007 and you can read my review of that album HERE. Keith lives just outside of Charlottesville with his wife Jennifer , who also joins her husband onstage and on his record as a lead and background vocalist. When he's not performing around C'ville for us big kids with his band The Crooked Numbers, you can find him performing shows for kids of all ages as part of his Candyapolis Revue. I also have the good fortune to call Keith Morris one of my really good friends.

Keith's is the second in a continuing series of essays highlighting "desert island albums". All the essays submitted in this series were written by folks in the Charlottesville music scene who were kind enough to lend their talents to this little project. The first essay in this series was written by Paul Curreri who chose The Staples Singers' Pray On, My Child. You can find Paul's essay HERE. There are plenty more on the way...so keep checking back.

Snapped or Shot:: Winter -- 2010

2010-02-18T17:52:00.006-05:00

out into white::hevenerlee (2009)

Winter -- 2010. The picture above was taken during our first storm, dubbed by some intrepid weatherman as the Holiday Punch (at last check I thought that was supposed to have some kind of sherbet in it...I saw no sherbet. Someone else needs to make the punch next year).

hevenerlee and I spent a number of days in the dark during Snowpocalypse and the subsequent Snowmaggedon. Seems appropriate don't it? I had to see the thought written down before the lights came on. There were days when we didn't see much more than the burning end of a candle...in others it felt like we saw every moment.

out into white was shot on a Saturday afternoon. Already over 20 inches and more snow falling. When the snow from that first storm had finally melted, the tepee melted with it. But we could have built a fire that night. We could have sleep in there. We would have been warm. I didn't know that hevenerlee had taken this one. Maybe that's why I love it so much. It also makes me wonder...what was I really seeing out there?

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The snapshots after the break were taken during our second storm in February. We took a lot of walks throughout both storms. During the heaviest snow. When the wind was blowing hardest. Underneath bending limbs of pine that we would discover the next morning had finally snapped. The most glorious were those walks the day after...that first full day when there's nothing but sunshine on snow...everywhere. There was a camera with us at all times. There are close to a hundred photos of Winter -- 2010. As I look out at the snow still laying on the ground, I'm glad hevenerlee chose the glories of winter mornings.

[additional photos after the break - click "read more"]

glories of winter mornings
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artist's workshop::hevenerlee (2010)

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brokedown::hevenerlee (2010)

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cornerstone::hevenerlee (2010)

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hint of green chair::hevenerlee (2010)

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red barn::hevenerlee (2010)

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rune::hevenerlee (2010)

Decade Songs (2000 - 2009)::Neko Case--"Porchlight"

2010-02-17T17:12:00.010-05:00

Thinking about music and songs...all these songs I've been listening to...for the past DECADE...a decade that I lived and loved in, rose up in and shouted...out loud..."sing me that song that I want to hear"..."sing it for me would you?"..."and please don't mind me, I'll just sit here and listen". All these songs in no particular order...served up one a day.

Neko Case--"Porchlight" (2000)

[article continues after the break]

Neko Case has a voice that can cross thousands of miles and still stop you dead in your tracks. The first time I ever heard that sound was in late summer or fall 2000. One night the phone rang. Midnight or maybe one a.m. I knew immediately it was either my buddy Will or bad news. It wasn't bad news. My old farmhouse roommate Will had moved out West (I can't remember if he was living in Portland, OR or had already moved down to San Fran at the time). Either way he had went Westward Ho! and all that jazz. On the West Coast it was night, back East it was late night...and Will almost always called late night.

Will was a brother in many ways. We knew each other well. It was immediate. We shared a fondness for Hank Williams, the early Smithsonian Folkways' recordings of Lucinda Williams, claw hammer banjo tunes, and Roscoe Holcombe. The writings of Chuck Bukowski. The poetry of Charles Simic. We'd drink our share of bourbon and whiskey. From Old Granddad to Maker's and back again. And while I haven't talked to him in eight, is it nine years now?...I still have to say that he's still the greatest damn writer I've ever known (personally).

I don't remember what we talked about that night when he called...all I remember was Will asking me if I'd ever heard of Neko Case. I had not. Hold on he said. Listen.

He held his phone to a stereo speaker. My ear to the phone. At first there's Kelly Hogan..."So far away /Curses wild upon you / Hungry and gaining / Porchlight burns so far away". Then Neko breaks in with "Miles away". A red-velvet twang, crackling, buzzing, and burning across the long distance connection. Three thousand miles miles away. Stopping me dead in my tracks.

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"Days have gone by and I've barely gone
Safe on the road that speeds from your front door
I can't turn around 'cause I long to be forgiven

It hangs in my hair and the hems of my clothes
I thought in the madness my arms could not hold
I can't tell you why 'cause I long to be forgiven"

Miles away.

I've always thought of Neko Case as a country singer first and foremost. Maybe it's because the Neko Case I fell in love with was shimmering all across Furnace Room Lullaby. Shimmering like some fiery, modern version of Patsy Cline that was until that moment of discovery entirely unthinkable. "Porchlight" was the opening. A single 40 watt light bulb hanging down in front of a screen door in the middle of night...yellow pale and softly illuminating.

Maybe Fox Confessor Brings the Flood is the darling. Maybe Blacklisted is the often overlooked masterpiece. But I'm drawn to this root of my affection. The deep, pounding rumble of "Twist the Knife". The swaying country waltz of Case and Ron Sexsmith on "We've Never Met". The "spooky ooh's" of Kelly Hogan providing atmosphere on the album's title track as Neko gives words to the same black and white Western landscape reminiscent of a Dead Man soundtrack.

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As I listen today, in my mind I imagine the faint outline of a telephone wire carrying that voice across the continent to where my ear is pressed to the receiver. Will and I sit silently still on opposite coasts...listening.

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Purchase: Neko Case & Her Boyfriends--Furnace Room Lullaby [Vinyl]

Notebook Sketches::Winter Storm Haiku

2010-02-16T21:53:00.000-05:00

the hash mellow of morning--

watching falling snow

dress bare trees in cold, white gowns.

The Flaming Lips::Suspicious Minds, 2002 (Elvis Cover) [Video]

2010-02-16T15:42:00.001-05:00

[Taken from the BBC Live's Elvis Cover Story in 2002].

It was just announced that The Flaming Lips will be performing in Charlottesville at the Charlottesville Pavilion on April 15th. Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 19th at 10am. The Lips are one of my favorite bands to see live and if you happened to catch their last run through town back in 2006, you know you won't want to miss their return trip.

The Flaming Lips will also be heading back to Bonnaroo this year where they'll team up with Stardeath and White Dwarves to present a reprise of their cover-to-cover take on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. The Lips last performed the Dark Side set at the band's New Year's Eve show in Oklahoma City a few months ago and afterward had said that it would be the first and only time the band would be covering the entire album. Bonnaroo takes place June 10 - June 13 in Manchester, TN.

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Purchase: Flaming Lips--Embryonic [2 LP Colored Vinyl]

Punch Brothers::Morning Bell (Radiohead Cover) [Video]

2010-02-15T15:41:00.002-05:00

Punch Brothers return to Charlottesville tomorrow night (02.16) when they perform at the recently renovated Jefferson Theatre on the Downtown Mall. Show time is 7pm and it will be a seated General Admission event. Purchase tickets here. Genres and strings will be bent.

After the break you'll find a live video performance from Punch Brothers (who at the time were known as Chris Thile and How to Grow a Band) that never ceases to amaze. It's eight plus minutes that smokes and burns. [click "read more" below to check out Punch Brothers' live version of Radiohead's "Morning Bell".]

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Purchase: Punch Brothers--Punch

[Taken from the band's appearance on Woodsong's Old-Time Radio Hour, the line-up for the one is as follows: Chris Thile on mandolin, Gabe Witcher on fiddle, Noam Pickelny on banjo, Chris Eldrige on guitar, and Greg Garrison on bass (Garrison has since left the band to be replaced by Paul Kowert).]

The Young Rascals::Groovin', 1967 [Video]

2010-02-14T14:08:00.003-05:00

Sunday afternoon. Valentine's Day.

I spent a good part of the late morning listening to the warm, soul of Booker T. and the MG's on the turntable. Church is different for us all. The choice of vinyl albums for the morning were decided upon by the usual, random pull from the stacks but in this particular case I can't help but think that my choice of Booker T. was also somehow influenced by the recent laughter and talk of old friends and by the records heard spinning before, during, and after Birdlips farewell show at The Southern this past Friday. How far apart are random and coincidence anyway?

Booker T and the MG's 1967 recording of The Young Rascal's hit "Groovin'" was one of the first cover versions to drop after the song's original release in April of that same year. I'm hoping you don't have to hear the lyrics to know them.

From there it just became Eureka! A perfect song for this day. Soulful whimsy against the sunshine. Above are The Young Rascals' for your listening and viewing pleasure. With a tip of the hat to DJ's Shay Shay the Wulf Baby and Smooth Jones, Booker T., and Eros.

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Purchase: The Young Rascals--Groovin' [CD]
Purchase: Booker T. and the MG's--Hip-Hug-Her [CD]

Decade Songs (2000 - 2009)::Solomon Burke--Valley of Tears"

2010-01-28T16:05:00.010-05:00

[article continues after the break]

When the Americana Music Association moved its awards show from the Convention Center to the Ryman Auditorium back in 2005, the whole atmosphere around each and every performance was enhanced tenfold. The move quite simply added a touch of country soul. I'm not sure there's a better venue in all of America to experience live American music than the Ryman. And while I have only attended two such awards ceremonies at the Mother Church, from those two nights I was given a handful of moments that are among the best musical snapshots of the past 10 years.

I have already previously mentioned Mary Gauthier's poignant performance of "Mercy Now" in 2005 but that same year there was Arlo Guthrie closing the show with the Steve Goodman classic "City of New Orleans" just weeks after Hurricane Katrina. In 2006, I watched Allen Touissant and Elvis Costello take '"The Sharpest Thorn" to the rafters and raised a defiant fist alongside James McMurtry's politically pounding "We Can't Make it Here Anymore". But the one moment that trumps them all has to be sitting in the pews of what once was Union Gospel Tabernacle and watching the legendary Solomon Burke lead the congregation through a set closing performance of "I'll Fly Away". It was truly an unbroken circle.

The past decade brought with it a revival of sorts for Burke, who many often refer to as the King of Rock and Soul. In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his pioneering work during the infancy of the genre. The following year, in 2002, Solomon teamed up with producer Joe Henry to release Don't Give Up on Me which has to be considered as one of the Top 100 albums of the past ten years. Artists such as Van Morrison ("Fast Train" and "Only a Dream"), Tom Waits ("Diamond in your Mind"), and Bob Dylan ("Stepchild") all contributed their songs to be a part of the project and if there was ever any doubt as to whether Burke still possessed his soul chops, just cue up "None of Us Are Free" (with special guests The Blind Boys of Alabama) and you'll soon learn that Solomon Burke has chops a-plenty. Don't Give Up on Me would go on to win a Grammy the following year for Best Contemporary Blues Album

When I saw Burke perform "I'll Fly Away" at the Ryman the year was 2005. In 2006 he would return to Music City to record and release his follow-up album, the aptly named Nashville. With celebrated recording artist / guitarist Buddy Miller producing and an A-list of Americana artists joining in (Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Patty Griffin, Sam Bush, Al Perkins), Burke mined through the roots and branches of country music by covering songs from old and new artists alike. Tracks penned by Dolly Parton, Don Williams and Tom T. Hall appear alongside those of Buddy and Julie Miller, Patty Griffin, and Kevin Welch. But the real stand-out for me, is Burke's take on Gillian Welch's never before released "Valley of Tears" (which also features appearances by both Welch on vocals and longtime performing partner Dave Rawlings on guitar).

I can't even honestly say that "Valley of Tears" is the best song from either of Solomon Burke's two releases from the past decade. What I can say is that I'm drawn to "Valley of Tears" for it's sad beauty. The sparse acoustic accompaniment of Rawling's guitar. The whisper of Gillian's backing vocals against the fullness of Burke's lead. "I need someone to help me sing...I can't help myself, I want to say it again" shouts Solomon Burke's voice towards the song's conclusion on the album. I can't help myself either...I'm just drawn to that country soul.

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Amazon: Solomon Burke--Nashville [CD]
Amazon: Solomon Burke--Don't Give Up on Me [CD]

Decade Songs (2000 - 2009)::The Avett Brothers--"Salvation Song"

2010-01-24T13:13:00.019-05:00

Thinking about music and songs...all these songs I've been listening to...for the past DECADE...a decade that I lived and loved in, rose up in and shouted...out loud..."sing me that song that I want to hear"..."sing it for me would you?"..."and please don't mind me, I'll just sit here and listen". All these songs in no particular order...served up one a day.

The Avett Brothers--"Salvation Song" (2004)

[article continues after the break]

The Avett Brothers [photo by hevenerlee]

There's not another band from the past decade that has captured so much of my constant listening, so much of my live music attention, than The Avett Brothers. Beginning with Merlefest in 2004 and winding my way through the six years that have followed, I have told as many people as I possibly can to check out this band. I'm not alone. Nearly everyone who has ever seen the Avetts live has done the same. Like some kind of "Eureka!" light bulb moment instantly blazing in kilowatts, the Avett Brothers always find a way to plug you in.

I have shared the sidewalk of Thomas, West Virginia with the Avetts Brothers. I've stood on a stage and introduced them one warm July night at the Pocahontas County Opera House. All in all, I have seen them live close to twenty times over the last six years. I've penned reviews of albums and shows, I've traveled with friends and strangers to see them play, and I've plugged their songs into countless morning drive play lists during my radio days. It's somewhat safe to say that The Avett Brothers have been one of my favorite bands.

Much has been made about these guys over the past six years...starting out as a hard-driving, sweating, screaming, soaring, pounding-it-out every night, regional touring trio from Concord, North Carolina to standing on the Letterman stage with their Rick Rubin-produced, major label debut I and Love and You burning buzz around every corner, The Avett Brothers dared to be a rock n roll band with a banjo and a guitar, a cello and a bass. They have succeeded with a whole lot of heart and a head full of songs. Hard work. Good people. Good intentions. Family.

---

Saturday morning I watched the final episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. Just before the show's closing performance of "Freebird", O'Brien said something that stuck with me. It has also resonated with many others: "I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen. I'm telling you, amazing things will happen." Amazing things will happen...

---

"And they may pay us all in fame
But that is not why we came
and if it compromises truth, then we will go--"

"We came for salvation, we came for family,
We came for all that's good, that's how we'll walk away.
We came to break the bad,
We came to cheer the sad,
We came to leave behind the world a better way--"

---

You may have your own favorite Avett Brothers song, but if I had to chose just one to remembered in a decade of songs, one that sums up the meaning of success, one that justifies all the miles and shows, one that speaks to self, audience, and family alike...a song that is a single raised fist in the air against cynics...then it has to be this gem from The Avett Brothers' 2004 release Mignonette. This is the one to be celebrated. It's track 18...I've cued it up enough to know.

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Amazon: The Avett Brothers--Mignonette ($5 MP3 album)

Notebook Sketches::Old Man Winter Time Blues

2010-01-22T12:46:00.008-05:00

Snowy Mountain [photo by Sandy Hevener]

Snowy Mountain stands and watches over the Blue Grass Valley. It's a place that is often times referred to as being a part of "God's Country". If so, then God is fully aware the he shares that country with Old Man Winter.

Snowy Mountain sits at what I imagine once was the foot of a frosty throne. To the north and beyond lies the heart of his kingdom. Old Man Winter sitting atop Snowy with his army of wind at his back, waiting for the whistle's blow to be let loose.

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January 2010

winter; aught seven and thirty-six

he arrives like some devious demon spirit
blowin' through the valleys
and across the mountains of Spruce and Snowy--

down into the hollered cluster of Mouth of Seneca
where he fills the lungs with a collapsing cold breath--

on his back he bears the snows from lake Erie
and Ontario, the deep bone chill of Alberta
and all points west and north--

barreling through the Appalachians
with shotgun and powder plenty--

here comes Old Man Winter with splintered lip
and the cold wind perched precisely
on the tip of his tangled tongue--

---
December 2007

Decade Songs (2000 - 2009)::Mary Gauthier--"Mercy Now"

2010-01-20T14:12:00.015-05:00

Thinking about music and songs...all these songs I've been listening to...for the past DECADE...a decade that I lived and loved in, rose up in and shouted...out loud..."sing me that song that I want to hear"..."sing it for me would you?"..."and please don't mind me, I'll just sit here and listen". All these songs in no particular order...served up one a day.

Mary Gauthier::"Mercy Now" (2005).

[article continues after the break]

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I first saw Mary Gauthier perform live at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival back in 2001 and I fell in love with her music and her songs right from the start. I picked up a copy of 1999's Drag Queens in Limousines that very first day I heard her play. I haven't stopped listening since. The year following that Telluride performance Signature Sounds Records would release Filth and Fire (2002), an album which remains my favorite of Gauthier's releases. Without question, in making any list of essential albums from the past decade, the list would have to include Filth and Fire. Songs like "Walk Through Fire", "Long Way to Fall", "Camelot Motel", and "The Sun Fades the Color of Everything" were fully formed songs that signaled to all who heard them that here was a truly gifted songwriter, a songwriter that was unburden by cliche..the album was raw, honest, and gorgeous, the voice was unadorned except for its maturity.

Mercy Now (Gauthier's major label debut on Lost Highway) came along in 2005, and it arrived right smack in the middle of the Bushies...Iraq...and all the rest...and yet to listen to the album's title track in 2010 I am reminded that the song is just as relevant now as it was then. I watched Mary perform "Mercy Now" from the stage of the Ryman Auditorium just moments before she won the New/Emerging Artist Award at the AMAs in Nashville back in 2005 (she was also nominated that year for Song and Album of the Year). The Mother Church knew it was hearing a hymn that night and on a personal level that moment has to be remembered among the collection of my favorite musical highlights of the decade.

The video performance of "Mercy Now" included above is taken from Gauthier's live appearance on the Grand Ole Opry Live from February of 2006. Joining her onstage is Marty Stuart and his unbelievably brilliant band The Fabulous Superlatives. 1 song down, plenty more to go.

Amazon: Mary Gauthier--Filth and Fire [MP3 album]
Amazon: Mary Gauthier--Mercy Now [MP3 album]

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Festival 2009::Photo Diary

2009-09-23T17:52:00.008-04:00

The Hackensaw Boys - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009 [photo by Amanda Hevener]

If you have been wondering what is going on with The Velvet Rut, well Shaun is currently recovering from a terrible bout with the flu. So I am stepping in for a moment to help out. I have been spending this week taking care of him, making homemade chicken noodle soup, replenishing the empty glass of ginger ale, delivering hot tea, and trying to make Shaun comfortable.

We had a wonderful time at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival. We saw some great music and enjoyed the company of some great friends. Shaun has the talent for words so I will keep this short because when he regains his strength I am sure he will be able to update you on the festival, its sights, its sounds, etc. I am simply going to share a few snapshots I captured at the festival (I'm saving up for a better camera). I hope you enjoy. Send well wishes his way!! Shaun will be back soon. [more photos after the break]

---Amanda

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Bristol Rhythm & Roots Festival 2009 [all photos below by Amanda Hevener]

The Hackensaw Boys - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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1950's Throwback - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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Trampled by Turtles - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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Ian Thomas Band - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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Ian Thomas Band - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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Justin Townes Earle - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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Justin Townes Earle - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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Justin Townes Earle - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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Spectator - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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Virginia Tennessee Divide - Bristol Rhythm & Roots 2009

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Locals Only::Concert Calendar (September 16 - September 22)

2009-09-16T14:31:00.007-04:00

Bentley Rhodes (of Earl Knox)

Plenty to talk about this week on the Locals Only Concert Calendar so I'll get right to it:

Singer-songwriter Peyton Tochterman is at Enoteca on Thursday at 8:30pm. Bentley Rhodes (of local favorites Earl Knox) goes solo at Mudhouse in Crozet on Friday at 7pm. And Straight Punch to the Crotch hits The Box Friday at 10pm (that's a great one-liner right there). All three of the aforementioned listed shows are FREE.

Veritas Vineyard follows up this past weekend's end of summer bluegrass blowout with the winery's first ever Blues Under the Stars concert featuring Charlottesville's Chickenhead Blues Band opening up for New Orleans blues artist Little Freddie King. $15. And Keith Morris & the Crooked Numbers welcome Nashville singer-songwriter/poet Tom House to their bi-weekly concert series at Mono Loco on Saturday. If you don't know the Tom House name, I'll let noted music critic Greil Marcus provide an introduction [read Greil Marcus's 1998 Esquire piece on Tom House HERE]. 10pm. FREE.

Also, with the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion coming up this weekend in Bristol, Tennessee / Virginia, I thought I'd give you a special Locals Only extra by running down the dates and stage times for the Charlottesville-area artists performing at this year's festival (Sons of Bill, Hackensaw Boys, and Corey Harris among them). You can find that run-down along with all of this week's upcoming Locals Only concert happenings after the break.

Locals Only Concert Calendar (September 16 - September 22)

-Wednesday 09/16-
Jim Waive @ Blue Moon, 8pm [FREE]
Carlton James & Co. @ Fellini's, 9pm [FREE]

-Thursday 09/17-
Peyton Tochterman @ Enoteca, 8:30pm [FREE]
Barling and Collins @ Blue Moon, 8pm [FREE]
Thompson / D'Earth @ Miller's, 10:30pm [$3]
The Rogan Brothers @ Bel Rio, 9pm [FREE]

-Friday, 09/18-
Bentley Rhodes (of Earl Knox) @ Mudhouse (Crozet), 7pm [FREE]
The Pollocks @ Maya, 10pm [FREE]
Straight Punch to the Crotch @ The Box, 10pm [FREE]
Chickenhead Blues Band (opening for Little Freddie King) @ Veritas, 7pm [$15]
Eli Cook @ Rapunzel's (Lovingston), 7:30pm [$5]

-Saturday, 09/19-
Illville Crew @ Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar, 9pm [$5]
Jolie Fille @ Bel Rio, 9pm [$5]
Mariana Bell @ Rapunzel's (Lovingston), 7:30pm [$5]
Jeebus @ Durty Nelly's, 9:30pm [$5]
Keith Morris & the Crooked Numbers w/ Tom House @ Mono Loco, 10pm [FREE]

-Sunday, 09/20-
Hogwaller Ramblers @ Fellini's, 10pm [FREE]
Barling and Collins @ Miller's, 11pm [FREE]
Olivarez Trio @ Bel Rio, 6:30pm [FREE]

-Tuesday, 09/22-
Olivarez Trio @ C&O, 10pm [FREE]

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Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Locals Only

-Friday, 09/18-
Corey Harris & the 5x5 Band @ The Cameo Stage, 10:30pm

-Saturday, 09/19-
Sons of Bill @ The Piedmont Stage, 1pm
The Hackensaw Boys @ The State Street Stage, 1:30pm
Corey Harris & the 5x5 Band @ The Piedmont Stage, 7pm
Hogwaller Ramblers @ O'Mainnins, 7:30pm
Trent Wagler & The Steel Wheels (from Harrisonburg) @ The Cameo Stage, 8:30pm
The Hackensaw Boys @ The Piedmont Stage, 11:45pm

-Sunday, 09/20-
Sons of Bill @ Theatre Bristol, 12pm
Trent Wagler & The Steel Wheels (from Harrisonburg) @ Machiavelli's, 12pm

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James McMurtry::Freeway View [New Video] / Performing at Fry's Spring Beach Club in C'ville This Friday

2009-09-16T10:53:00.005-04:00

James McMurtry, the Texas-based singer-songwriter who has made a name for himself in recent years with a string of critically praised albums, returns to Charlottesville this Friday, September 18th, when he performs at Fry's Spring Beach Club. With special guest Johny Burke. 8pm. $15. Purchase tickets HERE.

James McMurtry is currently touring in advance of the release of his forthcoming album Live in Europe. The new live album captures the highlights from McMurtry’s first ever European tour from earlier this year, on which he was joined by keyboardist Ian McLagan and fellow Texas songwriting legend Jon Dee Graham. The set will be available via Lightning Rod Records as a CD with a bonus DVD, or as a deluxe vinyl LP package with a CD and DVD insert. The video for "Freeway Video" was recorded in Amsterdam and will be included on the bonus DVD. Live in Europe hits stores on October 13th.

I've seen James McMurtry on three different occasions and I have to say that he has never failed failed to impress (twice in Charlottesville at Gravity Lounge and once in Nashville back in 2006 at the Americana Music Conference). A long time fan, I'm pretty sure I own everything he's released since 1997's It Had to Happen and I've also got McMurtry's 1989 debut album Too Long in the Wasteland on original vinyl. If you can find it as a re-issue, definitely check it out.

Of course if you really want to hear what the James McMurtry live experience sounds like, then pick up a copy of 2004's Live in Aught-Three. One of the finer live albums of the past decade, Live in Aught-Three includes some of my all-time McMurtry favorites, including "Choctaw Bingo", "Lights of Cheyenne", "No More Buffalo", "Levelland", and the title track from Too Long in the Wasteland. I generally approach live albums with a great deal of trepidation, but Live in Aught-Three is a definite winner! The same could be said for James McMurtry's body of work as whole.

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Pre-Order: James McMurtry--Live in Europe (Vinyl LP w/CD + DVD inserts)
Purchase: James McMurtry--Live in Aught-Three

[Note: The James McMurtry show, along with upcoming shows by Ingrid Michaelson on Saturday (09.19) and Jolie Holland on Sunday (09.20) were all originally scheduled to take place at The Southern as part of the venue's Grand Opening weekend, but due to unforeseen construction delays all three shows have been moved to Fry's Spring Beach Club. For those of you not familiar with Fry's Spring Beach Club I have to say it's one of the coolest venues in town and if you have yet to check out, it's a must! Google Map for Fry's Spring Beach Club HERE]

Just Announced::Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros @ iS Venue, Nov. 14th

2009-09-16T09:54:00.005-04:00

This fall is shaping up to be jam-packed with great concerts coming to Charlottesville, what with The Decemberists and Lucinda Williams at the Pavilion next week, U2 at Scott Stadium on October 1st, and The Southern's already stellar string of announced shows that will includes a sampling of personal faves from the likes of Southern Culture on the Skids, Califone, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Blind Pilot, Low Anthem, Langhorne Slim, The Bowerbirds, and Dr. Dog (to name a few).

And now it looks like I'll soon be adding another must-see concert to that list as iS Venue will be hosting Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros in C'ville on Saturday, November 14th. While the venue has yet to announce the show officially, word came my way this morning when the show popped up on the band's list of newly announced fall tour dates. [complete list of added fall tour dates after the break]

If you've been reading along the last six weeks or so, you already know that I've been riding high on the music of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros thanks in large part to their recently released full-length debut album Up From Below. The L.A.-based ten piece has become a true buzz sensation in recent months and as I've previously stated these guys have in short time become "one of my new favorite musical obsessions". I first let you know to "keep an ear out for" these guys back in early August and now it looks like we should be keeping our eyes peeled for them as well. They've been selling out shows across the U.S. this summer and I'm hoping that trend continues with their Charlottesville appearance in November. The more the merrier the mayhem will be!

Related Post: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros::Home [Live on the Late Show]
Related Post: Keep an Ear Out For::Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

MP3: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros--40 Day Dream
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Purchase: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros--Up From Below

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros Announced Fall 2009 Tour Dates

10/17 - San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Music Festival
11/3 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
11/4 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
11/6 - Austin, TX - The Independent
11/7 - Dallas, TX - The Loft
11/9 - Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay Theatre
11/10 - Nashville, TN - 3RD & Lindsley
11/11 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
11/12 - Kent, OH - Kent State Folk Festival @ The Kent Stage
11/14 - Charlottesville, VA - IS VENUE
11/15 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
11/16 - Washington, DC - Black Cat
11/17 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
11/23 - Montreal, QB - Petit Campus
11/24 - Toronto, ON - El Mocambo Club
11/27 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
11/28 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
11/29 - Minneapolis, MN - The Varsity Theatre
12/1 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theatre
12/2 - Telluride, CO - Sheridan Opera House
12/5 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
12/8 - Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret
12/9 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
12/10 - Eugene, OR - WOW Hall
12/12 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall

Paul Curreri::Down By The Water (from the forthcoming album California) [New Video]

2009-09-14T11:05:00.006-04:00

Here's the latest video from Charlottesville's own Paul Curreri. The song "Down by The Water" is taken from Curreri's forthcoming album California (which will be his sixth full-length album). California will also serve as the follow-up to Curreri's critically-acclaimed 2007 release The Velvet Rut.

California is set to hit stores in the UK on October 27th via Tin Angel Records with a U.S. release date arriving sometime in February or March of 2010. The track "Down By the Water" is to be included as the B-side to a single being issued overseas on Tin Angel for the new album's title track "California". Watch the video for "California", directed by Devon Sproule, HERE.

The "Down by the Water" video includes footage from Curreri and Sproule's recent trip to Kenya, along with home movie footage of Paul along with his brother and sister as kids, the rolling view from the front of Curreri's motorcycle, and a train of dancing guitars in stop-motion action. Directed and edited by Paul Curreri.

Related Post: Paul Curreri::Fat Killer at Dawn (March Rosetta remix)
Related Post: Devon Sproule::Good to Get Out [New Video]
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Purchase: Paul Curreri--The Velvet Rut

WNRN Interviews::The Hackensaw Boys [MP3]

2009-09-11T15:33:00.004-04:00

The Hackensaw Boys [photo by Aaron Farrington]

After rolling back into C'ville around 5am from their show last night in Baltimore, Baby J., Ferd IV, and Plang Tang of the Hackensaw Boys kept things going well past the break of dawn by heading into the WNRN studios for a live interview and performance with Ann Williams on this morning's Acoustic Sunrise. [listen to the complete audio from today's appearance below]

The Hackensaw Boys are in Richmond tonight (09.11) supporting The BoDeans for the Grand Opening of The Hat Factory (formerly Toad's Place) and then bring all back home tomorrow night for a can't miss show with Jim Waive and the Young Divorcees at Veritas Vineyard and Winery. Doors for tonight's show in Richmond open at 8pm and things kick off tomorrow at Veritas at 7pm.

Related Post: Upcoming Concert::The Hackensaw Boys w/Jim Waive @ the Young Divorcees

MP3: WNRN Interviews--The Hackensaw Boys

Or, The Whale To Release Sophomore Album on Sept. 15th / Perform in C'ville on Oct. 16 [2 MP3 Tracks]

2009-09-10T16:11:00.014-04:00

Or, The Whale

Set to release their sophomore, self-titled album on September 15th via Seany Records, San Francisco's Or, The Whale has only in recent weeks popped up on my musical radar screen. Their sound is a blend of indie-folk and alt-country that plays right into my love of steel guitar, warm vocal harmonies, and the dusty country-rock sound of Neil Young.

After giving a listen to the first two tracks to be made available from the soon-to-released Or, The Whale I can't help but wonder how I ever missed the group's debut album Light Poles and Pines from 2007 (which was re-issued back in January of this year). Note to self: Pick up a copy ASAP. You can give a listen to "Datura" and "Rusty Gold" from Or, The Whale's newest full-length offering below.

Or, The Whale is set to embark on a a five-week, 27 city U.S. tour in support of the new album beginning on October 1st. The upcoming fall tour will also include a local performance at the Tea Bazaar in Charlottesville on October 16th. With special guests Grooms from Brooklyn, NY. Ticket price TBA

MP3: Or, The Whale--Datura
MP3: Or, The Whale--Rusty Gold
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Purchase: Or, The Whale--S/T

Or, The Whale Announced Fall 2009 Tour Dates

10/01 St. Louis, MO - Billiken Club *
10/02 Rock Island, IL - Rock Island Brewing Co. *
10/03 Chicago, IL - Chicago Country Music Festival *
10/04 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry %
10/07 Chicago, IL - Subterranean %
10/08 Pittsburgh, PA - Lava Lounge
10/09 New York City, NY - Piano's
10/10 Brooklyn, NY - TBA
10/11 Burlington, VT - Metronome
10/12 Boston, MA - Middle East
10/14 Philadelphia, PA - Milcreek Tavern
10/15 Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong
10/16 Charlottesville, VA - Tea Bazaar
10/19 Winston/Salem, NC - The Garage
10/20 Nashville, TN - TBA
10/22 Chattanooga, TN - JJ's Bohemia
10/23 Athens, GA - Caledonia Lounge
10/24 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
10/26 Mobile, AL - Alabama Music Box
10/27 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks
10/30 Bryan, TX - Revolutions
10/31 Austin, TX - Hole In The Wall
11/02 Albuquerque, NM - Burt's Tiki Lounge
11/04 Flagstaff, AZ - Hotel Monte Vista
11/05 San Diego, CA - The Casbah
11/06 Los Angeles, CA - Hotel Cafe
11/07 Los Angeles, CA - Echo Curio
11/14 San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord

* = w/ Joe Pug
% = w/ These United States