Sunday, March 14, 2010

Eddie West: Eddie West

Eddie West

Folk music with a conscience. Singer-songwriter Eddie West cares about the environment. His debut album doesn't merely preach to the converted. Sure, they are songs about farming (Fix the Tractor and In the Morning of the Earth), but he also writes about folk and bluegrass staples such as bad guys (Inlaw Joe) and travel (Hit the Road).

The singer from Phoenix, AZ, is still a bit shy and his voice needs a bit of depth, but his composition skills are full-grown. Producer and multi-instrumentalist Marty Rifkin adds some great pedal steel, Dobro, banjo, bass and drums. The "odd" track is Cannon, which sounds like a demo recording slowly rising from a noodling tuning guitar tidbit into a lovely melody that doesn't need any words after all. It is a musical path that he should explore more on the next record.

Eddie West: Eddie West

Eddie West is a self-released album. Buy it from CD Baby.

Tracks:
  1. Fix the Tractor
  2. Maybe Long Beach
  3. Love
  4. In the Morning of the Earth
  5. Heartstrings
  6. Dag
  7. Hit the Road
  8. Inlaw Joe
  9. Taft Hill
  10. Cannon
Live date:
  • 03/22 The Talking Stick, Venice, CA

MP3: Eddie West - Fix The Tractor

» eddiewestmusic.com
» myspace.com/eddiewestmyspace

posted @ 4:10 PM | Feedback (0)

John Cale: "My Life in Music" in Uncut

Uncut April 2010

John Cale picks ten records that have made a mark in his career in the April Issue of UK magazine Uncut:

  1. All Night Workers - Why Don't You Smile
    The record that made me love Lou Reed
    "It's all "Louie, Louie" changes, and the first song that Lou and I wrote on drunken evening. It was the b-side of a single by friends of Lou's. It was my first rock 'n'roll session and the guys were all popping pills. It was my introduction to collaborative songwriting. It had a simple beauty that gave absolutely no indication of the problems we would have later."
  2. Frank Zappa - Thing-Fish
  3. Terry Riley - In C
  4. The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
  5. Yellow Swans - Dreamed
  6. John Cale - Sabotage/Live
    The record that makes me miss CBGB
    "We had a lot of fun, recording it there on New Year's Eve. It was dark and greasy. YOu went there to lose control. I retain affection for the place. Not for the $8 beers, bu t it was a centre, and everybody knew about it and gravitated towards it. And at the end, Hilly (Kristal, founder and owner) wanted it moved to Vegas. That is branding. If I was a brand, I'd move to Las Vegas."
  7. Martha Reeves and The Vandellas - Dancing in the Street
  8. Clips - Wamp Wamp (What It Do)
  9. Kokane - Back 2 tha Clap
  10. Smetana - Ma Vlast

» uncut.co.uk

Note: Sabotage/Live was recorded in June 1979. Part of the Even Cowgirls Get The Blues was recorded on New Year's Eve 1979.

(Thanks: Ken Clark, mailman & Gary Fox)

posted @ 9:49 AM | Feedback (10)

Dirty Sweet: tour dates

Dirty Sweet
photo: Bo Cross

San Diego rock band Dirty Sweet embark on a huge European tour plugging their new album American Spiritual, the long awaited follow-up of their 2007 full-length ...Of Monarchs and Beggars.

  • 03/29 King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, Uk
  • 03/31 Fibbers, York, UK
  • 04/02 Barfly, London, UK
  • 04/03 Underbelly, London, UK
  • 04/06 Spirit of 66, Liège, Belgium
  • 04/07 Paradiso, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  • 04/08 Paard van Troje, Den Haag, The Netherlands
  • 04/09 Effenaar, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
  • 04/10 Bar Mondial, Antwerp, Belgium
  • 04/14 Thunderbird Lounge, Saint-Étienne, France
  • 04/15 Le Mojomati, Montpellier, France
  • 04/16 Apolo 2, Barcelona, Spain
  • 04/17 Black Note, Valencia, Spain
  • 04/18 Japan Rock Club, Castellón, Spain
  • 04/20 La Boîte, Madrid, Spain
  • 04/21 Mardi Gras, A Coruña, Spain
  • 04/22 Sala Mogambo, Vigo, Spain
  • 04/23 Dom Pedro, Gijon, Spain
  • 04/24 Kafe Antzokia, Bilbao, Spain
  • 04/25 Jimmy Jazz, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
  • 04/27 Les Pavillons Sauvages, Toulouse, France
  • 04/30 Wild At Heart, Berlin, Germany
  • 05/01 Oosterpoort, Groningen, The Netherlands
  • 05/02 Het Bolwerk, Sneek, The Netherlands
  • 05/04 Nachtleben, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
  • 05/06 L'Ouvre Boîte, Beauvais, France
  • 05/07 Caf'Conc, Ensisheim, France
  • 05/08 Moulin Blues Festival, Ospel, The Netherlands

» dirtysweetmusic.com
» myspace.com/dirtysweetmusic

HCTF review of ...Of Monarchs and Beggars.

posted @ 7:02 AM | Feedback (1)