Andrew Combs- Tennessee Time
Andrew Combs is a young kid with Texas roots who moved to Nashville to make it in the music business (sound familiar?). With a sound that straddles Gram Parsons and Whiskeytown, Combs may face an uphill battle, but he’s landed a solid punch with the release of his debut EP entitled Tennessee Time. A sublime six song collection, the record features 5 originals and a cover of the soul classic “Dark End of the Street†all played to perfection by Combs and what has to be the best pick up band operating in Nashville today. The highlights for me are “Tennessee Timeâ€
“I play a little guitar in a rock and roll band/ we sing sad songs and play as fast as we can/ yea the drums are loud and the words don’t rhyme/ but we keep a good rhythm to the Tennessee Timeâ€
and the soon to be classic “Too Stoned to Cryâ€. This is a ridiculously good EP and if Combs keeps delivering like this I suspect he’ll end up on every Americana fan’s radar.
John Moreland- Hope Springs Ephemeral
John Moreland is still toiling away in Oklahoma on his own brand of rock and roll. 2010 was a busy year for him, as it saw both the release of his second self titled EP and the swan song from his Black Gold Band. While I’m sad to hear of the dissolution of the Black Gold Band, the Hope Springs Ephemeral EP seems to be a good sign that Moreland’s gonna soldier on solo. The opening track “Tombstone Bonus†has the same pounding stomp of the Black Gold Band’s best rockers. The follow up “Stoned†is an all acoustic rumination on any number of subjects including, adulthood, mortality, and well….being stoned. Closing the party is another chug along rocker “Dirgeâ€, that could be about any relationship, but it’s hard not to read it as about the dissolution of the Black Gold Band. Regardless, the EP rocks and fans of Michael Dean Damron, Lucero, Jay Farrar, and Two Cow Garage would do well to take notice. It’s currently being offered as one of those pay whatever you want deals here.
Frank Turner- Rock and Roll
Frank Turner is another one of those punk rockers gone folky-ish. However, he’s got a better ear for hooks and catchy melodies than most. I recently caught him opening for Lucero and he blew me away with his uncompromising rock and roll spirit similar to the stage shows of like minded bands like the Hold Steady, Two Cow Garage, and the aforementioned Lucero. His 2009 full length Poetry of the Deed is highly recommended, but this recently released Rock and Roll EP features my favorite song from the English fire brand, “I Still Believe”. It is evidently the only song from the EP that will also make it onto his next full length. Which is not to slight any of the other 4 songs on this EP, as they are all pretty close to top shelf material. In particular the closing “The Next Round”, which feautures plodding piano and acoustic guitar that just rise and rise until you are left with well…..rock and roll.
Horse Feathers- Drain You Single
Horse Feathers are, if nothing else, unique. The band operates somewhere in the Americana-Indie Rock wasteland of a genre. As if to travel further into the either, this 4 piece band, which features at various times banjo, cello, fiddle, acoustic guitar, piano, and the rest of the kitchen sink, decided to cover the late Kurt Cobain’s “Drain Youâ€. While the choice of cover is audacious enough, what strikes me the most about the rendition is that vocalist Justin Ringle manages to sneak in some of Cobain’s vehemence into the vocal. It’s an impressive piece of art, proving, as Cobain did himself, that the songs of Nirvana can survive and even shine in a deconstructed context. The b-side is more typical of Horse Feathers work, featuring some excellent banjo work and Ringle trademark breathy vocals. This is another band to keep an eye (and ear) out for in this new decade.
About the author: Specializes in Dead, Drunk, and Nakedness..... Former College Radio DJ and Current Craft Beer Nerd