tangelO

The Handsome Family - Honey Moon

The Handsome Family - Honey Moon

Coming straight from the mid- to late-90s alt country scene, The Handsome Family have a reputation for solid laid-back country styles woven with sparse, effective harmonies and gritty, tearing lyrics. Brett’s nasal delivery has enough boom to carry the weight of the lyrics and scratches enough to transfuse the pain directly to the listener, and Ronnie’s harmonies lift the lyrics into stark, empty, starless space. The feeling is truly a grounded, earthly feeling… while stretched hopelessly upward to the heavens.

In a slight change of pace, however, the new album “Honey Moon” treads into a slightly more pop-influenced sound. That is to say, a more regressive-country-pop sound, rather than the realm of modern-country-pop. The songs are lighter on Honey Moon - they are more uplifting and heartworn than on previous albums, but still generally drifting and grounded overall. Of course, the album has been advertised as a celebration of the couple’s 20th wedding anniversary, which certainly accounts for the gentle shift in the content of the lyrics. On the other hand, it might also forecast a shift in what’s to come in future releases. The very idea that the Handsome Family could be moving toward a more commercially-viable theme is not something I necessarily look down upon - “goth-country” is becoming sparse as a genre (I prefer “regressive-country”), and bands are still able to stick to roots Americana by writing love songs instead of murder ballads. I stand by murder ballads at the basis of country music, but there is certainly room for more sweet than bitter in bittersweet. In short, the album contains more of the Everly Brothers’ “Songs Our Daddy Taught Us” than the darker “American” series by Johnny Cash.

Songs like “Little Sparrows,” “A Thousand Diamond RIngs” and “Wild Wood” have a positively upbeat and country-rock feel, which is complimented by the drifting “The Winding Corn Maze” and light-waltz “Darling, My Darling.” My favorite track from the album, “When You Whispered” is also a waltz, but with a breathy bluegrass feel. The world is caught up in the whisper; the private moment between two faceless lovers, paused for a moment and stretched by the listening wind, “when you whispered what you whispered in my ear…”

The Handsome Family - When You Whispered

See them tonight at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA - Doors at 8:00, $15. Currently sold out online, but tickets will be available at the door.

New York City?!?!

I was in New York City last weekend - definitely for a little bit longer than I wanted to be, but that’s ok. I got a chance to see some great music and check out some parts of NYC I hadn’t really been to before. Also, I was introduced to the joys of the Chinatown Bus, something I will try to avoid using for the rest of my life.

And the Moneynotes

The first thing I had a chance to see was at Piano’s Bar & Grille. They have an open mic night (sort of) on Friday nights, and a friend’s band was playing. I had no idea what to expect, but I was very surprised and pleased with what we saw. The band: And the Moneynotes (myspace, daytrotter session) - A pseudo jugband/country-rock/good-time band with heaps of talent and an obvious joy of what they’re doing. They mixed genres throughout their set - bluegrass, R&B, country-rock - it all fit, and was delivered without much effort. Their energy was directed into the crowd, and was generally well-received by everyone I was in elbow-contact with (it was PACKED). Tons of fun, and very impressive musically. They are enormous (at least in comparison to the stage at Piano’s), and carry a sound that is tight and well rehearsed, but slightly unhinged, giving them a sort of “sing-and-dance-around-the-fire-with-your-jug-o-wine” type attitude. Regardless of their low-brow genre, their music is serious, and they play directly to their audience. For country and blues enthusiasts, they are a must-see.

And the Moneynotes - Too Much
And the Moneynotes - A Pirate’s Confession Part III

(both from the most current release “New Cornucopia!” Buy it from iTunes here.)

EDIT - I was immediately reminded of this song from the documentary “Heartworn Highways” when I saw them. It would be great to hear them cover this.
Rodney Crowell - Bluebird Wine

April 4th - East River Bar

The next night I had a chance to see a one-night art show at the East River Bar in Brooklyn. I had never been there before, and it sort of reminded me of Charlie’s Kitchen in Cambridge, or the Uptown Bar in Minneapolis. Dimly-lit, packed, and with an excellent patio where you could still hear the music, but escape the crowded bar scene. Directly underneath the Williamsburg Bridge, it had a strangely non-city and isolated theme going on. I will definitely try to return.

There were several bands playing, but we arrived just in time to catch the last one. They were great, but we primarily came to see the show by the artists that was going on at the same time. They had created “band posters” with fictional bands to showcase their printing and design skills. It was very impressive, and I hope one day to have a “Motor Penis” print of my own. The artists were, for the most part, semi-professional, but the prints were anything but - professional, without a doubt. Sadly, I only have links for one of the artists, but that will have to do (see Circus Fire Design and “Jeff P Does…” for Jeff’s work). Hopefully there will be a central website to view these prints again, because they all deserve more than a one-night showing.