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Justin Wells - Dawn In The Distance

A couple weeks back, I got to roam around Central California for a few days with Matt Woods playing shows, drinking just the little tiniest bit of bourbon and generally testing the patience and devotion of my longsuffering spouse. I remember a surprising amount of that long weekend, but one thing that absolutely made the shortlist was my introduction to Justin Wells’ new solo record, Dawn in the Distance. 

 Now, I’ve been more or less aware of Wells for a few years-  Fifth on the Floor is lodged there somewhere in my Southern Rock / Alt Country consciousness, and the Lexington, Kentucky band’s former frontman sticks out in the memory pretty easily. His 6’7” frame gets almost physically jammed in your brain once you’ve seen a pic or two- the guy looks like he should be the extra on Vikings who’s always decapitating hapless Britons in the background during the battle scenes. Rather than hit up the History Channel for a job after the demise of Fifth, however, Wells decided to put out a solo record (released this past August) and praise Odin he did. 

Sunday night, Woods and I do nearly the whole drive back from the gig without any words save those belonging to the lyrically searing Justin Wells. Matt skips around the record picking his favorites, so my first introduction is “Three Quarters Gone,” a song packed with standout lines like the chorus “It’s good ‘til it’s over / it’s a shame that it’s over so soon” and “try as I can to make right and understand / I just need more time.” The oncoming cars flee past, everyone going somewhere in a hurry, packed into little deathtrap steel cages just like us, traveling impossibly fast toward some ever-disappearing future out there past the cold spray of the hi-beams: the song just feels true. 

 As if in response to this temporal anxiety, Matt skips back a few tracks even before the last lonely note of the steel fades, and we’re on to “The Dogs,” a growling, upbeat cut he claims Justin wrote “for road dogs like us.” Being included in this category even for a moment makes me feel pretty great, but I’m simultaneously wondering how much hell I’m gonna catch at home for this five show run even though it’s largely centered around the county in which I live… I push the weariness and guilt out of the way and focus. “Our souls are a little older / but you can’t tell we learned a thing” sits just about right driving home from yet another a gig with nothing but bottle caps in our pockets and “we’re the last one to know it’s over and the first one to have to beg / we’re the dog that crawled for miles on broken legs / we’re the dregs…” Well, you don't have to have lived on the road to know that shit’s about as real as it gets. We sit in the driveway with the car off and finish the song, the post-midnight chill creeping through the window glass. 

The listening session resumes in my living room over a handle of bourbon I used to have. Song after song, deep into the early hours, “Dawn in the Distance” keeps my attention; heartache flows in spades, of course, (especially in his wonderfully devastating version of Dire Straits’ “So Far Away”) but there’s hope too; this is what makes Wells a great country artist- he eschews the temptation to only see the dark- he understands that you can't sense the rose of sunrise without standing in the 5am void, still awake, still hammered. 

Wells’ record will appeal to fans of good country music across sub-genres. It would be hard to miss the similarities his voice immediately holds to his contemporary and fellow legit twang-slinger Sturgill Simpson (they both have a tenor that evokes, to the synesthesia-ridden, a nice honey-maple) but Wells also has some edge to his pipes when pushed- he still grabs a solid helping of gritty, outlaw tone that hearkens back to his Fifth on the Floor days when need be. If Simpson’s croon comes across a little like it was born in a laboratory, Wells’ vocal style was lovingly conceived in a hatchback at a truckstop. The album’s production, too, is nicely balanced between sweet and brooding, with pleasing acoustic picking styles layered into a sometimes roiling sea of pedal steel and lush, tremolo-heavy telecaster; the sounds follow me into sleep when it finally comes and I dream I’m curled up in my guitar case, which is weirdly comfortable. 

Far too early the next morning, I’m up to my arms in whatever evil shit has clogged the kitchen sink P-trap while the kids do their best to make my Jim Beam-aching brain actually explode. I’m reminded that these days my musician self fights to survive (and today that feels quite literal) between day jobs and dad duty. But it’s ok. I’ve got the last song from Dawn in the Distance stuck in my head. It’s called “Little Darlings” and I’m assuming it was written for Wells’ twin girls, who are about the age of my youngest boy. “And I will quickly go / like a Carolina snow / just to be there just to know / you are mine,” Wells sings, with a tenderness unmatched elsewhere on the LP. Indeed, his new record has something for all of us, road dogs and dads, career musicians and musicians with careers. Go pick it up and give it a spin. Maybe if you’re lucky Matt Woods will show up, get you drunk as fuck and regale you with Justin Wells tour tales- when he wakes up I’ll send him your way.

By Jon Bartel ( The Creston Line / American Dirt)

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Caleb Caudle’s newest album Carolina Ghost is going to be on my end of year list. I know, it’s early in the year. You guys hear me out. His songwriting has continued to evolve and become even more intricate. Also, Tobacco Town & Paint Another Layer On My Heart are both albums that should be in your catalog of music. 

‘Uphill Battle’ is a prime example of how he’s able to conjure those feelings of poignancy in what is one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s a song that speaks of someone who knows they are damaged but knows how hard they will fight for what they want and that their intentions are true. The entire song consists of bare your soul lyrics that deliver a gut punch to the listener. In truth, the whole album is. 

Some other songs on this album that really stand out are ‘Tuscaloosa’, ‘Steel & Stone’, ‘The Reddest Rose’ and ‘Broken Hallelujah’. The pedal steel on the album is beautiful and ‘Broken Hallelujah’ is definitely a great showcase of it. ‘Tuscaloosa’ is another song that hits me and is a relatable song in my life. Mine is more North in location, but the feelings are very similar.  

All in all, this album carries the listener, or this one at least, through the struggles of finding oneself after a failed relationship while finding something wonderful in the process and the fight to better oneself and heal. Deep right? That’s what I personally need in albums. It’s so selfish. I’m working on it. 

Carolina Ghost is a required listening album. If you enjoy albums that carry you places and aren’t looking for background noise, this is one of them. The lyrics throughout are strong and the band for the album are as great in their own right. 

Carolina Ghost releases February 26th, 2016. I preordered my copy of it on vinyl w/ a digital download, I’d strongly encourage that you do the same here:

https://calebcaudle.bandcamp.com/

Review by Chris Richburg

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A few more pictures from John Moreland and Bj Barham's set from The Blue Light last Thursday. They were being developed by the photographer. I think the Black and white came out nice. Y'all have a good weekend.

Photos: Ryan Byrd

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Here are some pics we nabbed during Bj Barham of American Aquarium’s set on 7/16/15 at The Blue Light Live.

Both he and John Moreland are playing The Magnolia Motor Lounge in Ft. Worth, Texas tonight. DFW, y’all should do that.

Photo credits: Ryan Byrd & Chris Richburg

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I've seen John Moreland at The Blue Light Live twice now. The first time he was opening for Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit. 

I've seen him play to a packed house for the Holiday Hangout in Little Rock at the White Water Tavern. I've also seen that room so quiet you could've heard a pin drop. Lubbock isn't that kind of place. At least not last night, or that other time too. 

The people that were close to the stage understood what they were there for. Two singer/songwriters sharing their craft with their acoustic guitars with us. The rest just simply didn't. The triangle at the bar kept getting rung and the usual douchebags that are prevalent were there to get shitty on a Thursday. Was it really that bad? Yep! So much that American Aquarium singer Bj Barham pointed it out when he took the stage after John. It was what they needed to be told and I'm glad someone said it. It was a fine example of the type of respect and appreciation John draws from his peers. It was a standup thing for him to do too. 

Simply put, John is one of the best songwriters out right now in my opinion. I've seen him play venues and make people cry. Hell, he's made me teary eyed. The guy knows how to weave words together and make you feel that pain and anguish. He’s a true wordsmith. It's a shame that some people were acting like it was a Texas Country band playing. It's a true loss on their part. When John played Nobody Gives A Damn About Songs Anymore, it rang truer than it has anytime I've heard it played. John played as great as every other time I've seen him. His set was tight and sounded really good, even over all the mindless chatter. Hopefully he'll be back to our part of the world. I know the people around us were blown away by him and were listening, as were a great deal of others.

Fort Worth, John Moreland and Bj Barham are playing the Magnolia Motor Lounge tonight. Y’all should be there, info here.

Check out some of our photos from last night’s show below!

Show review by Chris Richburg

Photo credits: Ryan Byrd & Chris Richburg 

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Review - Jason Isbell "Something More Than Free"

Two things came into my mind when I was asked to be the fortunate soul  to review the latest album from Jason Isbell...

"This is going to be really good. Really f****ing good."

AND

"This album will make me cry"

Yep. I'll admit it...I'm a grown man. 40 years young...in tears after every damned Jason Isbell record ever made.

I can sum it all up by saying both of the statements above came true. Isbell has never failed in this feat. I don't think he even tries....

"You thought God was an architect now you know he's something like pipe-bomb ready to blow... then everything you've built that's all for show goes up in flames in 24 frames"

This album is full to the brim with some of the most heartfelt and masterfully written lyrics I have ever heard. Isbell's talent has always been the ability to bring his audience into the songs...it's as if he has the power to peer into my imagination and write a story I know...everything becomes personal and these songs become something the listener's heart can make his or her own. I admire a songwriter that makes me laugh, someone that brings on the guilt...the regret...the tears...the heartache. This guy has the ability and he has it in spades.  

"Something More Than Free" has bittersweet and primitive acoustic elements similar to his groundbreaking album "Southeastern" - however we find the man heading out of the heart of darkness...the darkness remains in the corners, nooks and crannies pushed further back by the glow of that dim light of hope that lead us all home...Isbell is moving forward... tone of the whole album is a rustic and beautiful trip of honest storytelling, heartbreak and humor...scenes from Anytown USA...masterfully performed and produced...dare I say...EPIC with a capital E. There is NO ONE in my opinion in modern Americana and Roots Rock that can touch this guy's depth of writing or talents. He is the leader of the pack.

Stand out tracks include "Flagship"  "24 Frames" "Children of Children" "Speed Trap Town" and my personal favorite "Something More Than Free"...one of the several songs that brought tears to my eyes.  It hit me in the gut and met me where I'm at. It's one of those tracks I've added to the soundtrack of my life.  That's what this is...the soundtrack of life. Give it a listen. Do it how I did...wait for everyone to go to bed. Close your eyes and turn out the lights...

This is my prediction for album of the year. Hands down. This guy is untouchable and I doubt that anything else anyone releases in 2015 will even come close to how good this is.

Hats off to Jason Isbell...yet another perfect album at the perfect time.

Five out of Five Stars...without a damned doubt.

-George Keith   Empty Bottles and Broken Souls.

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Stream Jason Isbell’s new album at NPR’s First Listen.

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Also check out his new video for Cherokee.

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And I wish you were here to softly say my name And calm down all the chemicals tearing through my brain

Now that the lyrical hook is sunk into your skin, it gives a sharp tug to set it and start drawing blood slowly as it reels you in. John Moreland’s songwriting ability won’t kill you outright. It will make you bleed out slowly though. Slow enough to let you lay there and reminisce like a man on his deathbed. It conjures up images to flash in your mind’s eye and brings all the feels.

If you ever listened to In The Throes by John Moreland, or any album for that matter, he is a master of his craft. He knows how to shape his words to drive the point of his lyrics home. If anyone doubts that, you should go see John live. If your soul is dried up and hardened, you will softly weep along with softest hearts in the same room. He has a powerful voice, yet it’s (extra)ordinary. Maybe it is because the average person can relate and our inner voice sounds like that when our frustrations, sadness and shattered hope echoes in our minds. 

Cherokee is a favorite track, as evident by a quote from the lyrics opening this album review. How could it not be a favorite of this writer when it opens with “I guess I got a taste for poison/I’ve given up on ever being well”. The video for Cherokee amplifies the sting to the words in that beautifully painful song. 

The whole album is well written and presented to us in all of it’s soul wrenching glory. To follow up In The Throes is a daunting task. High On Tulsa Heat is able to do it and stand apart on its own. especially with tracks like Cherokee, You Don’t Care Enough For Me To Cry, American Flags In Black & White, White Flag, Heart’s Too Heavy and every other track on the album.

High On Tulsa Heat is essential listening. Plain and simple. You guys already knew that though.

Go order a copy from John here:

http://shop.johnmoreland.net/products/543994-high-on-tulsa-heat-pre-order

Follow John Moreland on Facebook and Twitter also.

Reviewed by Chris Richburg for Empty Bottles And Broken Souls

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Austin City Limits is pleased to announce that we will be streaming our debut taping with Sturgill Simpson live on Wednesday, April 1, 8pm CT/9pm ET. The taping will webcast in its entirety via our …

This is not a joke......Sturgill Simpson’s Austin City Limits taping will be streaming tonight on YouTube at 8pm Central time. 

Here’s that link. Go set a reminder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JabYUtc5Jw

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South Dakota. 

Call it a libertarian's paradise or a  progressive's purgatory- the land has been described as a place where heaven and hell are neighbors...and polite ones at that. Vast prairies stretch out to the painted  desert badlands where rust and rabble eventually wind up culminated in the knotty pine cone trails of the majestic Black hills.

South Dakotan siren Jami Lynn's brand new album "Fall is a Good Time to Die" is not only rooted in the mystery and the wonder of Dakota mythical landscape - it sprinkles the feel of the land and the magic of her distinct Midwestern sound like gold dust in an old miner's pan.

In other words. It's Damn good. DAMNED GOOD!!!

The opening pop and crackle of Lynn's banjo on the opening track "Polywags" glows with old timey presence that bridges seamlessly with the dobro heavy "Red Fox"  and the lovely "The North Wind"...I do believe Ms. Lynn has indeed turned the corner here with this album in comparison with her impressive past releases. Her recorded works have always impressed me, from her debut "Dreamer" and the indie folk gem "Sodbusters" -however this line-up of musicians and the maturity of the writing not to mention the stellar performances here really bring her beautiful voice and talents into the limelight. Lynn is backed by some damn fine musicians Dalton Coffey and Andrew Reinartz that kicks her jazzy, American roots and bluegrass to expert level...You here stuff of this caliber coming out of Nashville - not an indie studio out on the plains...this folk masterpiece (yes,  MASTERPIECE) was recorded in the boondocks...that concrete jungle of Sioux Falls - which indeed has produced some wonderful original artists in the past few years, but dare I say no one till now has released an album near as good as this one. "Fall is a Good Time to Die" may indeed be the best folk album from a South Dakota songstress woman since Shawn Colvin's groundbreaking "Sunny Came Home" back in 1996.

Favorite songs include those mentioned above as well as "Wolf"  and the gently brooding title track - Hell, This is music that demands the attention of the listener, inspires the human heart and keeps your toes tapping throughout.  I feel blessed to be one of the first people to hear this - and I feel this may be one the finest albums I'll hear in 2015.

This is Album of the Year material for sure.

Jami- I've always been impressed by what you do...but this one takes the cake and will live permanently in my  collection of one of the great acoustic gems I'll cherish for years to come.  Your talents and music are a gift to this old world and we are lucky to have you.

5 out of 5 stars.  Essential Listening.  I predict this one will turn heads world wide.  It's time the world met the new star of American Roots music.  That bright, bright star is indeed Jami Lynn.  Shine on...

Check out Jami Lynn on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jami-Lynn/120770331297446?fref=ts

Reviewed by George Keith for Empty Bottles And Broken Souls

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Blue Highways by JKutchma & The Five Fifths is an album that attaches to your soul from the very second that Pomp And Circumstance Get Me Down starts until it ends with To All Of My Neighbors. It is a wonderful journey done the way an Americana album should be done. JKutchma has a voice that keeps the listener’s attention and acts as a shaman to the travels that will come. The attention to how the song is crafted and delivered is evident throughout the entire album. If you’ve ever seen JKutchma live you know the man can craft a tale and take you along for the ride.

This album is for dreamers. This album is for people who yearn to be “lost”. This album is for that space in your mind where you go to recharge your soul. It’s for those who stare wild-eyed down the road and want to process things and drop them off on that journey. Drop them off? Yes. Because in your travels you realize that you don’t need the extra weight because it detracts from enjoying your trip. All great journeys require introspection by the traveler. It’s just part of the territory. I think people given to wanderlust will instantly connect to Blue Highways. It stirs that kind of experience, as well as the desire to step forth and put those miles under your belt. Or it does to me at least. It makes me remember all the reasons why I, and hopefully, you wander. It reminds me of all the different road noises, depending upon the road you’re on. Whether a highway or a farm road in Smalltown, USA. Those different roads, their noises and the sights you witness put a symphony of thoughts and emotions into movement. Those trips are only further enhanced by the proper soundtrack. This could be turned up loud or played as “background” music to intertwine with the road. It depends on your trip. There’s no right or wrong way.

Blue Highways consist of nine tracks on one forty minute long song. Well worth the listen to. The album is a three piece work of art consisting of the album, a book and a movie. It doesn’t make a difference if you are familiar with any previous work by JKutchma & The Five Fifths or his other band Red Collar. Although, if you dig this you should really seek out the other albums. I highly recommend them.

Blue Highways releases March 19th 2015. You can purchase a copy directly from the good folks at Last Chance Records here:

http://www.lastchancerecords.com/jkutchma-the-five-fifths-blue-highways-album-package/

Reviewed by Chris Richburg for Empty Bottles and Broken Souls

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East Cameron Folkcore - KINGDOM OF FEAR

The Concept Album.

Those three words invoke two thoughts immediately when I hear them..."Pink Floyd" and "It's going to suck."

Mind you, the concept album is well established in modern music. Bands do them all the time, and according to this reviewer, unless you're a diehard fan OR you have a black light Dark Side of the Moon poster on the back of your bedroom door and if you're over 40 you should avoid them like the plague .

I am neither a diehard fan nor a black-light poster owner...that said, East Cameron Folkcore's new album Kingdom of Fear may have broken the "concept albums suck" paradigm with this reviewer.

First off - let's all agree that the current percussive, big acoustic guitar gang chorus thing has been going on since those zany Avett Bros. hit the big time a decade or so ago.  It's been done. East Cameron Folkcore may have the guts and dare I say the balls to redefine that sound...whatever THAT sound may be. A sound with a purpose…

I'm told East Cameron Folkcore wants to bring back a sense of social consciousness that they feel has been missing from much of today’s music. Formed in the Northeast Austin neighborhood that they’re named after, the eight-piece orchestral group pieces together folk, country, blues and punk to create a unique sound that represents the poor and downtrodden while expressing the disgruntled and under employed youth they have found themselves a part of.

This album can be summed up with one word...ANTHEM. Anthems galore. Mega Anthems galore. I'll admit the poetically psychedelic opening track had me worried. Really worried...my worries were squandered once the album kicked off into full gear. Banjos, cellos, horns, distorted guitars...you name it. Versatile stuff! By the time the fourth track "The Joke" kicked off - I was a certified fan. 

Imagine Henry Rollins shouting over a rich sea of melancholic and orchestrated harmony. Folkcore. Appropriately titled. I haven't heard this much honest, punk rock angst since my first Replacements cassette way-way back...and let's face it...I'm old. The song merges into the epic two minute folk/punk "969". These tracks put me somewhere between a dark dive bar, the proletariat pulpit and a snake handlers chapel lair in their fervent, and emotional performance. To top things off - these songs sound as though they've been recorded live and excellently so - something sorely missing from the genre in my opinion. This group pulls it off with ease.

The album is divided into four sections  "The Grand Illusion", "Through the Looking Glass", "The People Speak" and "Ship of Fools" - while the section titles may scream 80's pop rock ala Styx or The Moody Blues...nothing could be further from the truth in style and feel. These songs are full of lyrical activism, punk energy and Americana roots spirit. All of the album's songs are tied together and flow seamlessly together for a listening experience that few in the genre could even dream to attempt or pull off as well as they have here.

Reportedly, more than once East Cameron Folkcore has been accused of being “too political,” but according to the band there is no alternative for them.

Jesse Moore, principle songwriter and vocalist/guitarist states “We're going through our lives with our eyes wide open to the world around us and all its injustices and this record is our response to the time and reality that we inhabit,”

Anger, frustration and raw emotion defines this album not only musically but lyrically.

“It’s not that I don’t know how to feel happiness or express love, it’s just that I wanted empathy and solidarity to be the main defining emotions of this record.”

You need to hear this record.

I'll be the first to say that as a listener I shy away from politics in music. Why? Because I want to be entertained. Often times I feel that when a band gets on the pulpit whether it be politics, religion, morality etc. it tends to take away from the music so much that it all becomes noisy propaganda.

Not true on this album at all. This record NEEDS to be listened to from start to finish. You can't skip ahead - it needs to be played in it's entirety. Don't wash the dishes with it on. This isn't background music - this is a group pouring out it's vision of the truth... Sit down for an hour and drink it all down. This album is steeped with HONESTY. Whether or not you share the beliefs and feelings of East Cameron Folkcore...it's well worth your full attention.  

This album is pure. This album is real. Essential listening.

5 out of 5 stars...and it's a goddamned concept album. Wow.

Follow East Cameron Folkcore on Facebook.

Purchase music and stream the first two tracks here:

http://www.eastcameronfolkcore.com/

Review submitted by George Keith for Empty Bottles And Broken Souls.

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Tim Barry's new album Lost & Rootless is everything that it should be. It's on our Best of 2014 List. The guy speaks truth and knows how to deliver those words to the listener. If there was a church of life observations, Tim Barry would be the pope.

"No News From North" is on this album, it was originally on the St. Laurel Demos. It's one of my favorite songs, even more after this year. I can relate to the sentiments of it all too well this year. 

"And back and forth and home, then gone. And if I'm wrong then damn it, condemn me now, please. Cause I can't breathe...Without you"

or

 "I'd cover the cost of a flight for you to stay one night"

Relatable lyrics and life circumstances make a song. Read that again....Relatable lyrics and life circumstances make a song. It definitely makes for a great pallet of color to paint a story with.

Don't believe it? Listen to "The James". Painted pictures of life and it's stresses and required responsibilities versus the yearning to get out and live, yet staying the course because it's what one has to do. Or that's what I got from it at least. I very much need music to help me process things that are going on. It makes for a catalyst of self-realization. Long drives on back roads in West Texas and narrators to what is going on inside. That is therapy at it's finest.  

"Breathe Slow, Let 'Em Pass" is one of those songs that if maybe you've been involved in some sketchy shit you'll get. It's a song that gives you that feeling you get when you're stoned listening to music in your car and you see the man. Maybe you get nervous. Maybe you turn down your stereo, because they can totally hear it with your windows rolled up and across the road from you. It's the, ignoring-the-feeling-of-impending-doom-puckering-up-tight-and-praying-until-it-passes feeling. Hypothetically speaking of course.

 Or maybe you've got poison in your life in the form of snakes and whatnot? Maybe you want to shake your past, yet can't. "Knowing Such Things" lends light to the exposure of those things and people and why we keep them.

"I'm not sure I can laugh at such sins

We keep some close for knowing such things, do you dig?"

Bottom line? Own it. Brother Tim lays down the good word in the form that he knows it best. Real.

Check out the rest of our Best of 2014 here:

http://emptybottlesandbrokensouls.tumblr.com/post/105267616661/best-albums-of-2014

Review by Chris Richburg for Empty Bottles And Broken Souls.

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Lonesome Shack....You fucked up if you didn't get the memo.

Too harsh out of the gate? My bad. 

Dig Junior Kimbrough? Listen here to "Wrecks". 

Dig it nastier? Go cop "More Primitive". It made our best of list for a damn good reason.

Dig good music? Us too.....Read on here:

http://emptybottlesandbrokensouls.tumblr.com/post/105267616661/best-albums-of-2014

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Oh hey, I just wanted to share this video of one of Empty Bottles and Broken Souls best of list. Ben Ballinger performing "Ashes To Ashes" at the White Horse in Austin, Texas. 

You should check out the list if you dig this guy. Lots of other good stuff to be found:

http://emptybottlesandbrokensouls.tumblr.com/post/105267616661/best-albums-of-2014

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Arlo McKinley & The Lonesome Sound are on our best of list for what would be hopefully obvious after watching this video for "Just Like The Rest" off their 2014 self-titled album.

Check out our recap of 2014 here:

http://emptybottlesandbrokensouls.tumblr.com/post/105267616661/best-albums-of-2014