Hey Now Here We Go!!

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The political polemics that dominated so much of the ‘60s folk revival didn’t necessarily reach through every group’s discography – and thankfully so. There’s only so much heavy handed, deep lyrical content that one can digest. That being said, though, the opposite side of the coin is that a band might completely disregard earthly concerns and simply create a slew of happy-go-lucky tracks that function only as entertainment. There’s a time and place for such work, but occasionally a ludicrous, sun shiney outlook on life becomes tiresome if not obviously trite. Jim Kweskin and his Jug Band are able to come across as a group of playful, citified hicks. And while there’s nothing too difficult to deal with on any of the band’s albums, each disc is considered a folk stepping stone for the decade.

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The history of American music is strewn with songwriters whose writing influenced the future of whatever genre they worked in. And while those contributions shouldn’t be made to seem slight under any circumstances, they way in which some of these folks lived has become equally important. Everyone knows Leadbelly did time. Son House did as well. But more over, folks know stuff like Hank Williams died in the back of a car being chauffeured to a gig – he was most likely half in the bag at the time. But before Williams hit the bottle, Charlie Poole and his groups sung about gettin’ loaded and have a roe on occasion.

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Maintaining a pretty consistent persona over time, Commander Cody, who finds himself accompanied by any assortment of overly competent players that he’s seen fit to replace the Lost Planet Airmen with, has returned after a brief hiatus since gracing shelves with a 2006 live album. While the music might not be exactly the same as in years past, the same basic influences are in play – as one should expect. Anyone looking for a career defining pronouncement is probably going to be disappointed. After all, the Commander already took it to the man (the country A&R man at least) during the ‘70s. And while this new disc, Dopers, Drunks and Everyday Losers, isn’t going to please everyone, the die-hards will appreciate it.

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Tennessee you dont make the whiskey

California you dont make the wine

Mexico you dont make Tequilla

Strong enough to get her off of my mind

and who sang it

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This is undeniably one of the most pleasurable version of this track ever set to tape.

SheikJust recording 70 sides over a career won’t necessarily guarantee a performer the ability to be recalled a few decades on. If one of those tracks, though, is “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” you’d get your deference. The Mississippi Sheiks, who penned and recorded that track in the ‘30s, were one of the early familial dynasties in recorded music. Using the moniker Carter, but actually being named Chatmon, the family’s figurehead, Ezell, was the uncle of Charlie Patton and was a popular performer during the waning days of slavery. His sons, any combination of Lonnie, Bo and Sam along with Walter Vinson, comprised the shifting line up of the Mississippi Sheiks.

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This CaleHaving a pretty nonchalant opinion of fame or renown generally won’t get you too fat in the music biz. That, however, doesn’t apply to J.J. Cale, a singer, songwriter and pretty sedate figure who has made a career of music for the better part of a half a century. He isn’t the most well known name in any genre, even if he’s written more than one tune that’s been covered by some other band or performer and subsequently made them a few dollars. That isn’t the way by which to figure success, but it is a good way to figure a personality. And Cale seems to be one genuine dude

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Just for YouUnfortunately, turned into a footnote, Lee Hazlewood impacted the rock medium more than most would be able to figure. Although his most commercially successful works would come behind the boards as a producer or engineer, the music that Hazlewood had a hand in, regardless of what he was doing, fused together disparate elements of rock and country that could arguably be considered the foundation of country rock.

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Acoustic Rave UpNew Grass is an odd way by which to explain that some folks associated with the counter culture of the '60s got a hold of some traditional American tunes, smoked a bit, revved up the music and maybe covered a Chuck Berry or Rolling Stones' song. But New Grass it is. Although, at this point, the phrase has been around for just about forty years or so, making New Grass the oldest new subgenre in Americana.

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