Indiana Music: Bobbie Lancaster readies new album, more shows

While Bobbie Lancaster may not tell you herself, her self-titled, debut album from last year contained some of the prettiest, gospel-tinged and heartfelt pieces of Americana music released in 2010. Instead, she’s more likely to look forward than back. Though you might catch her pride of performance on that first album when it whispers into her conversation, she’s a woman who lives in the moment as best any of us can, and takes the now and applies it, with a spiritual flair, to her future.

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NPR, PBS continue rootsy music dominance w/ Mellencamp, Prine; New Americana music from Mic Harrison

NPR and PBS continue to be among the best at chronicling live music and singer/songwriters.
AUDIO: Hear John Prine (with Indiana’s Jason Wilber on guitar) – Live at Newport Folk Festival.
Listen Here
VIDEO: John Mellencamp has been on the PBS Tavis Smiley program all week, talking Monday about his new album and playing music on each of the next four nights. Mellencamp.com has put together a very nice compilation of the apearances. And what’s the connection between Mellencamp and the host? Smiley went to IU, and used to go to the early John Cougar shows.
Watch video (interview and performances) here
AMERICANA ROCK BAND ALERT: Mic Harrison and The High Score have a new album, Great Commotion. The word is that the Tennessee guys all have day jobs, and took a six month break to write and record the new album. The cut below hits into an Elvis Costello-ish vein, with jangly, rootsy, midwestern guitars and REM drums.
Harrison, a native of Bradford, Tennessee native was a member of the twang/roots-rockers V-Roys, joining just as the band was being signed by Steve Earle’s label. He hung with Scott Miller and the rest of the band for three albums, and toured everywhere before they disbanded in 1999. Mic released two solo albums, and then hooked up with The High Score in 2007.
Great Commotion is the first release totally recorded and produced by the band, and was mastered by Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (Dan Baird, Bottle Rockets) – roots rock with power pop.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gStlgPv-xe0]

Backstage at Letterman: Indiana guitarist Jason Wilber’s night in NYC with Dave, Don Rickles and Paul Shafer

Wanted to follow up on our post earlier this week about Hoosier guitarist and singer/songwriter Jason Wilber playing on Late Night with David Letterman. Wilber, fresh from the performance backing John Prine on Letterman Wednesday night, posted to his blog/website a number of behind-the-scenes moments he experienced as the guitar player, both on stage and off.

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Indiana's Jason Wilber to Join John Prine on "Letterman" Wednesday

Indiana’s Jason Wilber will join John Prine and Jim James (from My Morning Jacket) on The Late Show with David Letterman this Wednesday night. Jason has played with Prine for many years, is also an Indiana-based Americana singer/songwriter, and has been part of the Hoosier Dylan/Springsteen/Hank/Johnny shows that have been rolling through the the state. Good guy who plays a tastefully dirty guitar. And that is a good thing. So is having James join the mix.
Prine’s performance is to push the upcoming album Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine album. Prine is playing shows the next weekend in Little Rock, AK, and Memphis (with the legendary-in-Memphis Keith Sykes opening up, before heading to Bonnoroo June 12. He also has a live album out, In Person & On Stage.
John Prine website
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Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows
Twelve newly-recorded versions of classic Prine songs
tracklist:
1) Justin Vernon of Bon Iver — “Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow)”
2) Conor Oberst And The Mystic Valley Band — “Wedding Day In Funeralville”
3) My Morning Jacket — “All The Best”
4) Josh Ritter — “Mexican Home”
5) Lambchop — “Six O’Clock News”
6) Justin Townes Earle — “Far From Me”
7) The Avett Brothers — “Spanish Pipedream”
8) Old Crow Medicine Show — “Angel From Montgomery”
9) Sara Watkins — “The Late John Garfield Blues”
10) Drive-By Truckers — “Daddy’s Little Pumpkin”
11) Deer Tick featuring Liz Isenberg — “Unwed Fathers”
12) Those Darlins — “Let’s Talk Dirty In Hawaiian”

Roots Twang News: Jethro Easyfields, Henry French, John Prine Opera

Americana (and other) artists Bobbie Lancaster, Tim Grimm, Jan Lucas, Tim Brickley, Michael Shelton, and Jenni Gregory will perform in the show Positively Prine at the Phoenix Theater May 7-9 and 13-16. It’s the stories of six characters told through the music of John Prine. Worth a look for fans Prine fans I’m certainly one. His debut is one of the best in rock and folk history. Bryan Fonseca directs this production, which they are calling an “operetta”. And anything Tim Grimm touches is usually really good, just so you know…

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Roots rocker Jethro Easyfields is taking a break from recording his new album “Bloodletting” to play Spencers Stadium Tavern on April 24th with “some very special guests”.
Finally, Henry French is set to rock Friday, May 21 at Radio Radio.