Friday Dose of Awesome: Jamey Johnson

Something Genuine

[mp3] Jason Boland & The Stragglers: "Somewhere Down in Texas"

How many times have you heard "I like everything except rap and country." If you take country music at face value, that cliched adage probably doesn't miss the mark by much. Yet, because there are so many mainstream "hat country" artists muddying the waters, it's extremely easy, almost a guarantee, that you will skip over the new album Rancho Alto from relative unknown (even for this country fan) Jason Boland & The Stragglers. This is an album where you almost don't want to know anything about who's making it. The production here is impeccable. You can hear flashes of Jerry Jeff, Waylon, and Jamey Johnson. To the understandable lament of his publicist, this artist doesn't fit into the Caitlin Rose, Deer Tick, Tristen world of "indie" country music, and similarly doesn't match the gigantic character of a Jamey Johnson or have a ready-made mainstream country radio hit. Yet, despite lacking a clear-cut home in this current music landscape Jason Boland and his crack band made a pretty stellar country album - complete with songs about Woody Guthrie and (presumably) the TVA. Not every song on this album is great, and Rancho Alto is not the next Red Headed Stranger. But it doesn't seem Boland strives for that. As his publicist stated, this is just genuine country -- hard-nosed, fun, and ultimately a very rewarding listen.

Country in NYC

Texan Hayes Carll just announced he will return to New York on December 6 to play at Union Hall. Carll is touring behind his most recent Lost Highway effort Trouble in Mind which has been receiving rave reviews in major music publications. The Americana Music Association awarded him the song of the year for the track "She Left Me for Jesus." Even Mr. Crumudegeon himself, Robert Christgau offered up some praise here...

"...a familiar type-a mushmouthed drawler who's smarter about the beat than his shambling ways would make you think and funnier than shit when he wants to be, which is often." 4 STARS - Robert Christgau, Blender

Trouble in Mind is out now...

Elsewhere in the Universal Music world is fellow country counterpart Jamey Johnson. Johnson's excellent record That Lonesome Song is too good to be lumped in with the other commercial stock that comes out of Nashville these days. Johnson dedicated this record to his ex-wife, without whom most of these songs of heartbreak and loss would not be possible. I'm sure both Johnson and Carll will end up on more than a few year end lists.

Johnson (2nd from right) and some other people at Stark hangout Robert's in Nashvegas