I’ve been fortunate enough to have attended quite a number of multi-day music festivals over the years, from the Veiled Prophet Fair to the Monterey Jazz Festival and Telluride to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.  For my money, though, it’s really hard to beat the Old Settler’s Music Festival.  Held 20 miles or so outside of Austin in mid-April, it has an unparalleled selection of music, a reasonable size crowd, and a solid enough vibe to keep everything together even if the weather turns bad.  This year was no exception, and here are a few of my favorite moments from the 25th annual celebration.

The Blue Hit

 Eating From the Palm Of His Hand Award.  The last few years Old Settler’s has branched out some from its historic focus on Americana, and organizer Jean Spivey has been brilliant at bringing in indie acts that keep things fresh without leaving you scratching your head on the line up.  Local up-and-comers The Blue Hit and Lissie are examples, but better still Saturday night main stage closer Iron and Wine.  But for the sheer number of “I Love You Amos” shouts, the Philadelphia native was no doubt an honorary Texan for at least one Friday night.

Brian Henneman of the Bottle Rockets

 Back To My Roots.  There’s always a healthy dose of roots rock at OSMF, and this year was no exception.  James McMurtry blistered the stage Friday night.  Ozark dwellers Ha Ha Tonka did a cover of the Leadbelly song made famous in the 70’s by Ram Jam, Black Betty.  Three hours later walking back to my car people were still singing it.  For outright magnetism, though, the prize has to go to The Bottle Rockets, who did a pied piper number on anyone in the common area about dinnertime Saturday night.

 Audience Participation Award.  You have to give kudos to the Steep Canyon Rangers for their campground set on Thursday night.  What had been an engaged, but slightly sedate, audience for the earlier acts was stirred into a frenzy with the traditional bluegrass and awesome picking of the North Carolina quintet.  And their rendition of The Weight, the night after Levon’s passing, was clearly the best of the many covers honoring the man done over the weekend.  However, for the second year in a row this award has to go to Gaelic Storm.  They don’t just get people singing and dancing, they have people waving their arms, trying to outdo each other shouting, and, last year, riding a donkey (you had to be there).

Kimberly Zielnicki

 Youth Talent.  One of the things that sets OSMF apart from many larger events is the youth talent competition on Saturday morning.  This being Austin, the bar is pretty high, and past winners have gone on to their own recordings and performing with national acts in short order.  This year’s winner was fiddle player and singer Kimberly Zielnicki, who got a cheer from the crowd with her comment before the last song of an encore set, “you can never have enough fiddle songs”.  Tradition is that Miss Zielnicki will get a slot on the main stage next year, and I’ll look forward to seeing her with another year’s experience and some notoriety under her belt.

Sarah Jarosz with Darrell Anger

 Best Festival Moment.  This was sort of the year for NPR darling Sarah Jarosz, what with her main stage return playing to a clearly partisan crowd, and her mandolin workshop with Joe Walsh (not that one, the other one) that drew hundreds of people, most of whom have never even picked up the instrument.  For the real feel of the event, though, my vote goes to the kind of impromptu moment that’s the heart of a festival, yet witnessed by very few.  Woody Platt and a couple of his Steep Canyon Ranger mates were jamming with mandolin virtuoso Frank Solivan (who turned in a really, really sold set with his band Dirty Kitchen earlier in the evening) behind the bandstand long after the lights were off and most people had gone to their campsite.  The minstrels decided they needed a banjo and so walked over to the car where Frank’s banjo player, Mike Munford, was asleep.  They lit into a tune and before they were halfway through, Mike had his instrument out and had joined the fun.  You couldn’t help but grin as wide as the band was.

The Burgoo’s first album, Soul Bucket, had a heavy influence of jazz, with Melissa Wright’s steamy vocals complementing Rudy Bzdyk’s horn playing over the top of pure bluegrass that delivered a New Orleans meets Deep Gap, NC, style.  Their latest album, Word, brings the Appalachian sound of their origin in Round Hill, VA, more to the fore.  When they veer off course this time it leans more to roots and rockabilly.  Take, for instance, Here Kitty Kitty that’s a natural for busking with a skittle band at the farmers market.  Or ’66 Corvette, where Wright channels Wanda Jackson in her prime.

Primarily, though, this is a bluegrass and old-timey music collection.  The disc starts with Uncle Pen, a Bill Monroe number, then picks its way into a Burgoo arrangement of the traditional Ida Red.  After a quick roots break, they then cover Flatt & Scruggs with Some Old Day.  Further down the set list Wright does her take on the Patsy Cline classic, Walkin’ After Midnight.

Although the band certainly handles their instrumental choices with a tightness that belies the fact they’re going to different colleges and can’t possibly play together day in and day out, I found I missed the richness the horns added on their first album.  Thankfully, Rudy gives us a good blast of trumpet on WD-40 and a subtle bit on Frozen Winter Sound.

It feels a little like the band is still feeling its way through stylistic variations on their way to finding their core musical sound.  It would be a serious mistake, though, to wait for things to settle down.  Take the journey along with them and you’ll be rewarded with many a trip down delightful side roads.

Update: The Acoustic Burgoo are such fans of Twangville readers they’ve offered up a special deal.  Just go to their page on Bandcamp, enter shawnstwangers as the discount code and you can get the full album and artwork for just two bucks.  How sweet a deal is that!

 The record starts off with the title track, a sort of feminist viewpoint on being a female in California in the 1850′s.  ”Just shaking what God gave me, so feel free to stare” probably wasn’t the prevailing attitude of the times.  Next up is Family Band, a nice ditty about choosing who you hang with, or at least knowing what you prefer.  There’s also the closer, a cover of Blondie’s Dreaming, where the protagonist observes wistfully over a cup of tea that “dreaming is free”.  My favorite, though, is Do What You Love Blues.  It starts with a gospel-tinged chant that manages to quickly equate life in a cubicle to a modern day chain gang, where Walker later proclaims “life’s about freedom, and it ain’t cheap”.  Amen sister!

Musically, Gold Rush Goddess stretches across a number of genres.  The majority of tunes clearly fall into an indie-grass kind of feel with Melody’s vocals, guitars and keyboards matching well to partner Jacob Groopman’s harmonies and more-than-solid bass, mandolin and guitar accompaniment.  A couple of songs fall more towards a simple folk arrangement, but in yet another direction Gotta Write Love Songs has a pop sound and hook that could just as easily be Gaga or Adele as an unknown singer-songwriter from San Francisco.

No one can really predict what will catch the attention of an NPR producer or the hipster crowd.  But Melody Walker clearly has the chops to support indie/Americana singer-songwriter stardom.  You can’t go wrong checking out her debut album.

Go Fly a Kite, by Ben Kweller
Kweller’s last outing was a more moody affair, however that comment can’t be made of his latest release.While there are some acoustic moments, Kweller has brought the rock. And damn it sounds good.

“Time Will Save the Day” is the song Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo wishes that he wrote; spit-fire lyrics set against bombastic guitar chords. “A problem’s a wave you gotta ride to the other side and wave bye-bye-bye.”

“Mean to Me” leads with muscular guitars, punctuated by sharp horn blasts. Yet the song also finds Kweller staying true to his power pop heritage with a quiet, harmony-soaked chorus. Meanwhile “Free” has a musical vibe that recalls the Steve Miller classics. The song has a groove-heavy beat propelled by chugging guitars.

“The Rainbow” finds Kweller in a reflective mood. “Why do I sing these songs, all of these mixtures of pain,” he sings. Piano and strings join as the song builds towards the chorus, “still I can’t figure out why I act this way, just trying to live my life day by day.” It is this moment of reflection that illustrates the strength of Kweller’s songwriting – an innate ability to be introspective and a musical restlessness that finds him constantly searching for emotional clarity in song.

Audio Download: Ben Kweller, “Mean To Me”

Sugar & the Hi-Lows, by Sugar & the Hi-Lows
The first thing that you’ll notice about the debut release of Nashville duo Sugar & the Hi-Lows is the timeless quality of their songs. These are immaculately crafted pop songs that are beautifully packaged, deftly balancing a contemporary feel with a retro-sheen.

The second thing you’ll notice are the handsome harmonies by principals Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup. Their voices blend magnificently.

I was hooked at the gentle sway of opener “Show and Tell.” It is nearly impossible to not get lost in the song as Dabbs and Stroup let their voices glide effortlessly across the melody. A string arrangement adds an extra flourish.

“See It For Yourself” is edgy yet alluring. “You spend a life time looking when a life time is in front of your eyes,” sings Stroup while Dabbs lets loose with some jagged guitar riffs. When Stroub lets loose a wail during Dabbs guitar solo, you know that you are hearing one of those magical moments when two musicians are totally connected with the song.

“Think I Said Too Much” is noteworthy for its simplicity. A heavy beat propels the song while Dabb’s guitar sets the stage for the duo’s glossy vocals. The groove continues on “This Can’t Be the Last Time,” which finds Stroup chastising a lover.

Dabbs and Stroup announce their arrival with a release that is both fresh and inviting. Mark this down as the first stand-out debut of 2012.

Audio Download: Sugar and the Hi-Lows, “See It For Yourself”

THE PLAYLIST
Country Girl, Carolina Chocolate Drops (from the Nonesuch Records release Leaving Eden)
I have to admit that I’m late to the Carolina Chocolate Drops party. I’m finally arriving with a proper listen to their latest release. It is filled with moving acoustic music that is filled with a welcoming down-home warmth and authenticity. Some may say that it is about damn time, but I prefer to say better late then never. (See Bill’s review here.)

Audio Download: Carolina Chocolate Drops, “Country Girl”

When I Was Young, Nada Surf (from the Barsuk Records release The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy)
Matthew Caws just has a knack for sublime power pop hooks. While most of the band’s latest release is filled with concise rock gems, this track is a more sprawling affair. It starts as an acoustic ballad but then shifts into a mid-tempo rocker. “Now I’ve grown up, I wonder what was that world I was dreaming of,” sings Caws in a wistful reflection on the freedoms and ambitions of youth.

Audio Download: Nada Surf, “When I Was Young”

It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue, Bad Religion (from the Amnesty International release Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan)

I know that some will take offense to this take on the Dylan classic. To me, however, it is a real treat. I love how Bad Religion stay true to both themselves and the song – a straight-forward rendition with the electric punch that is all Bad Religion. Note to self: listen to more Bad Religion.

Audio Stream: Bad Religion, ” It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue ”

Soul Power, Ray Ganucheau (from the self-released Ray Ganucheau and the Bande Le Rois)
What is it about New Orleans? The city just oozes with musical talent. I’ve had Ganucheau’s 2010 release in my queue for quite some time and finally gave it a spin. The interplay and balance between the instruments on this track, from the crispness of the drums to the simmering organ to the jazz-influenced piano, create a brilliant musical palate. Soul power indeed.

Audio Download: Ray Ganucheau and the Bande Le Rois, “Soul Power”

 The album starts out with Uncle John, a western swing number that if not for Glassman’s silky vocals, would be immediately pegged as an Asleep At the Wheel classic.  Then comes the title track, a jazzy number that would be perfectly at home in a sharp Vegas lounge in the 50′s.  Next up is Devil’s Plea that starts with a breathless vocal part that builds the suspense on what direction the song will take: will it be bluegrass, will it be jazz?  Ahh, who cares, it will be a good listen.

Earlier in her career Glassman won a bazillion awards for her fiddle prowess.  But like any good musician she used that to springboard into other genres and styles.  On the whole, I’d say Snapshot is more of a jazz project than anything, but that categorization is more about picking the biggest minority.  Personally I found myself drawn to several tunes with more of a bluesy tinge: Rain, Rain; Long White Dress; and a Billie Holiday-soaked 1000 Shades Of Blue.

I don’t really know how to wrap up this review, since Snapshot covers such a wide variety of music.  Somehow, though, it all flows together and fits nicely.  So whether you want a little twang in your jazz, or some sultry vocals in your bluegrass, Katie Glassman comes through on this disc.

Initially formed in 2005 after meeting at the Black Banjo Gathering at Appalachian State University in North Carolina, the Drops have changed personnel but maintained that raw, old-timey flavor with multi-instrumentalists Don Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens and Hubby Jenkins playing a variety of banjos, fiddles, guitars, jugs and bones.  In performance, the presence of vocal percussionist Matta creates a deceptive aural cue - listening, one keeps expecting to see someone on stage with a drum set (I saw the Drops open for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones last year, which, with Futureman tapping his drumitar, creates a similarly deceptive sound vs. appearance).  

The musicians are all excellent, but it is Giddens that puts the attitude into the music.  On Genuine Negro Jig, their Grammy-award winning 2010 release, Giddens’ singing on “Hit ‘Em Up Style” was a highlight of that recording.  On Leaving Eden, she belts out lead vocals on “Ruby, Are You Mad at Your Man?,” ”Country Girl,” and “West End Blues” with the verve of a Janis Joplin.  But she is not a hoarse torch singer – the crisp, clear musical quality of her voice is steady throughout her excellent solos.  

 The Drops were formed as a traditional-style string band like something John or Alan Lomax might have stumbled upon during the Depression, but with the inspiration of their mentor Joe Thompson they have taken their music to a place all its own.  Leaving Eden, which was produced by Buddy Miller, is another special record by a special group of young people.

Audio Download: The Carolina Chocolate Drops, “Country Girl”

 1) R.E.M. – Collapse Into Now

 2) Old Californio – Sundrunk Angels: I keep coming back and listening to this album.  It’s rock ‘n’ roll, and twangy, and a little bit funky.  There are slide guitars and harmonicas, ballads and ditties.  It’s a veritable jambalaya of Americana music.

 3) Suzanna Choffel – Steady Eye Shaky Bow: Choffel, a guitarist as well as singer, manages to put a very jazzy spin on some tunes that are otherwise more country and pop, all while maintaining an Austin sensibility to the production.  Normally when someone says music is hard to classify it’s because the music is all over the map.  In this case, the songs are in a consistently similar vein, albeit not something you hear very often.  Undoubtedly the best Americana album of the year to play for someone who says they don’t like country and twangy.

 4) Gillian Welch – The Harrow & the Harvest: I was a little bit meh about this record when I first heard it.  But it’s grown steadily on me since it came out.  I think what I like most is that it’s so different from just about anything else I heard all year, and yet it’s still so essentially Gillian.  If you just listened to this once or twice and then put it away, go back and listen again 6 months later.  You’ll see.

5) Sons of Fathers – Sons of Fathers: And speaking of great harmonies in the vein of Welch & Rawlings, check out the debut release of David Beck and Paul Cauthen, otherwise known as Sons of Fathers.  These guys have a crack set of musicians behind them and give a vocal performance that is mesmerizing.

6) Milk Drive – Road From Home: Sometimes there’s no substitute for the ability to shred.  Milk Drive consists of members who collectively have probably won more picking awards than any band in existence.  They’ve put a jazz spin on a bluegrass sound and are seriously pushing the envelope of how sophisticated Americana music can sound.  Not to mention that instrumental virtuosity.

7) The Bottle Rockets – Not So Loud: An Acoustic Evening: Just as the unplugged MTV performance by Pearl Jam defined the very plugged-in sound that was grunge, this acoustic performance by a normally loud band shows why they’ve been so successful.  With all the amplifiers stripped out, the songs are still well written and well performed and stand the test of time.

8 The Decemberists – The King Is Dead: Lots has been written about the early 2011 release by one of the darlings of the indie crowd.  For me, this album showed how wide ranging they can be with its twangy influence that simply presents Colin Meloy and his mates in a new light that’s an easy extension to their previous catalog.

9) Dave Alvin – Eleven Eleven: No real surprises here, it’s another solid effort from Alvin who proves that, first, he can without fail drum up a supporting ensemble that’s so incredibly tight you’d swear they’ve played together for years.  And second, he keeps writing songs that convey such a sense of time and place that you’re transported with him to the moment in time so carefully documented in the lyrics.

10) Sarah Jarosz – Follow Me Down: Jarosz’ vocals have gained strength and capability on her second release.  Combine that with mandolin (and other strings) chops that may be the best in Texas even though she’s barely old enough to vote and you have a winner.  She just gets better every time you see her.

11) The Band Of Heathens – Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster’s Son: I liked this album as a follow up to their two previously acclaimed efforts, but the real reason it’s in the years top was that it provides new material for them to perform live.  You have to catch them in a club to experience the full joy of TBOH.

12) Robert Earl Keen – Ready For Confetti: Another album that’s here because it’s just full of good songs.  Keen has his sound and his fans and no one’s going home disappointed from this.

13) Sinful Savage Tigers – The Last Night Of The Revels: A really solid effort from a group that’s bound to start gaining more notice.  They’re just too good and the tunes too catchy to fall into some regional bucket where they only play for the locals.

14) Great American Taxi – Paradise Lost: Sort of an Americana supergroup, Great American Taxi is a little retro and a little progressive and someone you need to go hear live.

15) Wilco – The Whole Love: The year off did these guys right.  There’s more excitement in this record than I’ve heard from Tweedy & company in a while.

16) Beirut – The Rip Tide: Another good release from one of the kings of the neo-Balkan indie sound.

17) Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories): Carll continues to craft a unique sound and there are some real keepers on this album.

18) The Gourds – Old Mad Joy: Kevin Russell and his band mates have pushed out the boundaries on what most people would consider “Gourds music”, which was a pleasant surprise.

19) Allison Krauss & Union Station – Paper Airplane: Krauss is back into her groove from the rock-royalty side projects and as much as I enjoyed those, this seems to capture her spirit better.

20) The Wailin’ Jennys – Bright Morning Stars: When it’s all about the vocals, you can’t do much better than the Jennys.  Another group I have to recommend seeing live.

When My Time Comes, Barnstar! (from the self-released C’Mon!)
I somehow missed this song when it was released on Dawes’ debut back in 2009. My bad. I’ve corrected that now thanks to the guys in Barnstar! Even better, they’ve taken an already great song and made it even greater. Even Dawes agrees.

Audio Stream: Barnstar!, “When My Time Comes”

Time Spent in LA, Dawes (from the ATO Records release Nothing Is Wrong)
The best songs do more than catch one’s ear, they create an experience that takes you away from where you are. The fact that this song is about Los Angeles misses the point. The melancholy of melody and lyric becomes a destination of its own. “You got that special kind of sadness, you got that tragic set of charms, that only comes from time spent in Los Angeles, makes me wanna wrap you in my arms.”

Audio Stream: Dawes, “Time Spent In Los Angeles”

More Like Them, Lydia Loveless (from the Bloodshot Records release Indestructible Machine)
If you had any doubts that Loveless was a free — and feisty — spirit, look no further than this song.

Why can’t I be more like them, the kind of people who feel sad when relationships end
Well honey I don’t want you now, but it’s not about him
Why can’t I be more like them

Audio Stream: Lydia Loveless, “More Like Them”

The Understanding, Jones Street Station
If you’re going to release only one song in a year, it had better be a good one. By that standard, this Brooklyn quintet doesn’t disappoint. What starts with some quiet harmonies and an acoustic guitar builds into a pop song of epic proportions.

Turn to a stranger, take her hand, then you’ll understand. Where are my friends who are lost and alone. May they find their way back home.

Audio Download: Jones Street Station, “The Understanding”

Mannequin Man, Kingsley Flood (from the self-released ep Colder Still)

I was born to be a mover, not a mannequin man
Sworn to shake the sugar, not like a mannequin man
I’ll be damn before you take me like a mannequin man

Audio Stream: Kingsley Flood, “Mannequin Man”

Daydrunk, Butch Walker and the Black Widows (from the Dangerbird Records release The Spade)
I went back and forth between this track and “Summer of ’89.” It was a photo finish to say the least. In typical Walker fashion, this song is a power pop slap in the face – loud, brash and totally awesome.

Audio Stream: Butch Walker and the Black Widows, “Day Drunk”

Stopping By, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (from the Lightning Rod Records release Here We Rest)
Isbell is at his best when he explores the thoughts and emotions of troubled characters. He has an innate ability to provide an honest portrayal that captures the tension in both lyric and music. This track is a prime example, the tale of a child making a surprise visit to an estranged father.

I think the best of me’s still standing in the doorway
Counting cars and counting days and counting years
I could say you made me go through life the hard way
But it might’ve been worse if you were here…

Audio Stream: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, “Stopping By”

No Easy Way Out, The Duke and the King (from the So Recordings release The Duke and the King)
I was first enchanted by the sense of wanderlust that permeates this song. Repeated listens, however, showcase the band’s impressively nuanced musicianship.

Audio Stream: The Duke and the King, “No Easy Way Out”

Guilty Girls, Buffalo Tom (from the Scrawny Records release Skins)
From the opening guitar riff to the final fade, the band impeccably combines sparkling harmonies with an edgy rock sound. This is the kind of song that was made to be played loud. And often.

Audio Stream: Buffalo Tom, “Guilty Girls”

Maybe, Paul Collica (from the self-released It’s Not Me, It’s You )
This is a great high-energy power pop song but that’s not the sole reason that it is on this list. Collica infuses the song with a sonic quality that should make many “top 40″ artists green with envy. All the more impressive, he wrote, performed and produced it entirely on his own.

Audio Download: Paul Collica, “Maybe”