The 2010 Americana Music Association nominations were announced this week, and for fans of the Americana/alt-country rock-and-twang genre (like me), it’s an interesting little list:
Album of the year nominees:
The List – Rosanne Cash (…gonna win because Johnny gave his daughter aformentioned “list” – and Springsteen duets on one of the songs)
A Friend of a Friend – Dave Rawlings Machine (…co-writers and performers include Old Crow Medicine Show, Bright Eyes, and members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
Downtown Church – by Patty Griffin (…most beautiful voice of the four – and many more)
A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There is no c) – Ray Wylie Hubbard (…legend, but not the best album)
Artist of the Year
Ryan Bingham (…wrote two tunes – and sang them – for “Crazy Heart”, the Jeff Bridges film = winner)
Patty Griffin (…see note about her from above)
Levon Helm (…still has the great foghorn voice of the Band days)
Steve Earle (… tribute album, Townes, with 15 songs written by his late friend and musical mentor Townes Van Zandt. Interesting that the album is not nominated but he is)
Ray Wylie Hubbard (…well-loved in the alt-country field, but not gonna win)
Duo/Group of the Year
The Avett Brothers (…how can they not win? One of the hottest bands of the past year)
Carolina Chocolate Drops (…too new to win, but are playing a folk festival in Madison in a little more than a week, so that counts for some love here)
Band of Heathens (…I really like the way they rock = but not enough of a widespread buzz for them just yet)
Dave Rawlings Machine (…underdog)
Song of the Year
“The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)” Written by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett-performed by Ryan Bingham
“Drunken Poets Dream” Written by Hayes Carll and Ray Wylie Hubbard – performed by Ray Wylie Hubbard
“Ruby” Written by Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch – performed by Dave Rawlings Machine
“I and Love and You” Written and performed The Avett Brothers
Ryan Bingham
Twang Rock News: Louisville legend Tim Krekel dies, New Charlie Robison album rocks, U2 gets loud, Ryan Bingham coming to Indy
Though not a name familiar to many music fans in Indianapolis, Tim Krekel is one you should have known about. Krekel died of cancer Wednesday afternoon at his Louisville home. He was a great roots-rock artist, melodic but crunchy guitar player, and put out some great records. He was 58.
A Louisville native, Krekel’s career started in local clubs before he was a teenager and eventually gained him a spot in Jimmy Buffet’s band.
His 1986 album, Over The Fence, with his band The Sluggers, was called by Rolling Stone “roots-based guitar band that matters”. The Louisville Courier-Journal said “Krekel
work(ed) the roots-rock territory with an authority gained from 25 years in the business”.
The Italian record company, Appaloosa Records, released his Out Of The Corner in 1991. It received a four star rating from CD Review, which also touted Tim as “One of American Rock ‘N Roll’s great unknowns.” By 1991, Tim had acquired a dedicated following in the U.S. and in Europe.
He moved back to Louisville in 1993 and started a new band. Tim Krekel & the Groovebillys first release, L&N, became the best-selling record in Louisville–outselling national releases. The band’s next release, 1999’s Underground, hit number one in local sales its first week.
His last full-length record was 2007’s Soul Season.
Monday night (6.22.09) U2 began rehearsing for their U2360 World Tour. They are set up at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, where they will open the tour on June 30. Among the highlights included “The Unforgettable Fire” played live for the first time since 1990. Absent were songs from the band’s first 3 albums, as well as all of their 1990s albums with the exception of “Ultraviolet”.
Monday’s Set:
Magnificent
Get On Your Boots
Elevation
Beautiful Day
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Drowning Man
Breathe
In A Little While
Angel Of Harlem / Suspicious Minds (snippet)
Unknown Caller
The Unforgettable Fire
City Of Blinding Lights
Pride
MLK
Where The Streets Have No Name
Ultra Violet
With Or Without You
Vertigo
Crazy Tonight
No Line On The Horizon
Moment Of Surrender
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKrQVrmW0SA]
Ryan Bingham Coming to Radio Radio
Ryan’s early self-released albums were brought to the attention of Nashville heavyweight Lost Highway Records, who signed Bingham and issued his major-label debut, Mescalito in 2007. Now, Bingham has teamed with that record’s producer, Marc Ford (ex- Black Crowes guitarist), to make 2009’s Roadhouse Sun, and is coming to Indianapolis in July to support the record with a show at Radio Radio.
Indianapolis Songwriters Cafe Presents Ryan Bingham and The Dead Horses w/ special guest Jesse Dayton at Radio Radio on Friday, July 10th @ 9pm
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwrOTueaDWA]
New Charlie Robison Album – “Beautiful Day” – released Tuesday (6.23.09)
Interview excerpt from lonestar.com
“If I give it to someone while I’m driving or something, people that maybe don’t know me real well will go through it and be like, “Man, I would have never, ever thought that you’d be into this stuff.” I consider myself a country artist, I consider myself a rock artist, I consider myself an Americana artist.
Read entire interview here
“I was … I keep going back to influences, but how would you classify him? I think being somewhat unclassifiable is probably the greatest compliment I could get as a musician. So I kind of like that, and I certainly can’t classify myself, because I never know what’s coming out next.”