Carolina Chocolate Drops

It's no secret I adore old-time revival. I'll take something old over something new any day - and it's not just because it's all I can afford. (why isn't "a penny for your thoughts" a REAL THING? I'd be filthy rich.) Carolina Chocolate Drops know what's up, and I couldn't say it better than they already did:

"Tradition is a guide, not a jailer. We play in an older tradition, but we are modern musicians."

So I'll hush up quick on this one. Rhiannon Giddens, Dom Flemons and Justin Robinson assembled together under the tutelage of Joe Campbell, a then octagenarian fiddler. With a band first called The Chocolate Drops, they had their start in town squares and farmer's markets. They're now the first all African-American band to play the Grand Ole Opry.
Rumor has it their live shows crackle with the whole-hearted enthusiasm of their following. Young and old, stomping and clapping like they were dancing on the dirt-packed floor of a speakeasy. Jugs and bones are used as much as banjos and guitars; snap your suspenders and hear it all on their February release, Genuine Negro Jig.

Carolina Chocolate Drops // Cornbread and Butterbeans

Carolina Chocolate Drops // Live: Memphis Shakedown, 1.23.09

Matthew And the Atlas

I am a sucker for few things in this world. Could count them all on one hand. And I'm not talking about the hand that has that extra pinkie growing from the second knuckle; the regular ol' boring hand is the one to which I do refer.

Those things include a gentleman buying me a drink (knowing awkward conversation is inevitable), kittens (knowing I have to clean up their poop), Brit accents (knowing they're oft behind less than exceptional teeth) and Ray Lamontagne (knowing that, well, there's no mutual interest).
Disclaimer: There's one more, but I'm not telling you every goddamn thing. Sucker-ing may change on a daily basis. Restrictions apply.

Should any of those be present in combination, exceptional suckerage ensues. Matthew Hegarty, pillar of Matthew and the Atlas, could very well get me there. With a voice soaked in rye whiskey and singed with clove cigarettes. Gritty blues delivery and salt on the heartbreak wound lyrics. A purported shy stage presence till he opens his mouth to bring the crowd to a hush. Hegarty could be Ray TheMountain's Brit brother from another mother.

His April EP, To The North, follows a tour supporting Mumford & Sons and taken part of the Communion Compilation. Now it's more pubs and lochs and grey seas the rest of 2010.

I am certainly sucked in.

Matthew And the Atlas // Within the Rose

Laura Marling

She could be 20 or 200. A real girl or hazy ghost. Bra-burning feminist or romantic Victorian. Mooning over Edward Cullen or Mr. Darcy. Betwixt between, one thing or another - Laura Marling's latest release I Speak Because I Can is both old soul and present-day pixie.

The singer/songwriter has been a frequent in the UK indie-folk scene since her days of backup vocals for Noah & the Whale. Marling's first release at 17 was already way beyond her years - lost loves, failed poets and tear-stained blouses. At that age I was journaling about the thrills of going to a field party or hanging out in someone's garage until it was past curfew. So much for my self-believed romanticsim.

Speak tells tales of responsibility, particularly belonging to women, that bolster her seemingly fragile facade. Backed by beloved Mumford & Sons, it's like having the vastly talented rugby team putting their best girl up on their shoulders. The largely acoustic instrumentation and alto supporting vocals are as lush and rich as the peat moss on the heath (on which she likely stands, singing into the wind, right hand on her guitar strings, left hand resting on a unicorn and scoring an A+ in calculus. whatta betch)

Laura Marling // Alpha Shallows

Sleeping in the Aviary

This is an oldie but a goodie, a bit moldie and close to my heart(ie).

Sleeping in the Aviary is currently an unconventional band of three. Squares in the best way possible, which is saying something since they could only ever really form a triangle. Based on duo Elliot Kozel (guitars, vocals) and Phil Mahlstadt (bass, keyboards), the decidedly madhatter lyrics keep in line with overall aesthetic. If you're sitting at that teaparty, check out their website.

http://www.sleepingintheaviary.com/

Most of their material is new wave that jiggers and jilts till your brain feels like a two egg scramble; whites only, please. With chalula. I keep this track in the do-over list for it's creaky, rough hewn production - bootstomps, handclaps, some aaAAaah's to soothe the colicky babe.

Sleeping in the Aviary // Windshield

Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band

The Rev is a force to be reckoned with. Massive beard, massive frame, massive voice, massively awesome guitar pickin' & slidin'. Add a guy who knows how to utilize his kick drum (the Rev's brother) and a voluptuous lady who sets fire to her washboard AND KEEPS PLAYING IT (the Rev's wife), you've got a big damn band indeed.

Yeah it's only three people but they are a solid lot.

They glory in their "home's a pig farm!" aesthetic with singles like "Your Cousin's on Cops," a true story about seeing Miss Rev's cousin get busted on national television, and "Walmart Killed the Country Store." The retail chain, unsurprisingly, does not sell their albums - Sam Walton no likey. "Boom Chank" is from a live set, Pickathon 2007, to try and give a better feel for the Rev's let-loose vocals.

If you want ferocious swampy bluegrass folk played like your pants are on fire, as well as your washboard, then come on to church. The Rev's waitin' fer yeh.

Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band// Boom Chank

Phosphorescent Salutes Willie Nelson

...with 11 of his finest tracks on an album simply and aptly titled To Willie. If you like Willie, you’ll either love or hate this. My guess is you’ll love it because it’s about as close to the real thing as it gets. Then you say "Well why cover it then?" Then I say "It’s a fucking tribute album and it’s a damn good one." Then you say, "But I hate Willie Nelson." Then I punch you in the eyebrow and we never speak again. Until the next day when we have coffee and reminisce about the awesome fight we had the day before.

But don’t get me wrong. Phosphorescent (Matthew Houck) doesn’t make an exact replica here. He has a style and interpretation that makes Willie sound cosmic in areas. Like right here:

Permanently Lonely

Bon Iver + New EP = The Tits

Their (his) new EP, Blood Bank, is coming out on January 20. Hey, that’s the name of this song.

Fredo Viola

There’s nothing quite like Fredo Viola’s music. It’s basically world music with an edge — Sufjan Stevens meets Bobby McFerrin. The launch of his new album, The Turn, was quickly followed by a kickass, already award-winning website. His vocal instrumentation and layering will put you to sleep like a rat in an exhaust pipe, so this contribution comes with a "no driving" warning.

The Turn (A Pagan Lament)