Memphis + Arkansas photos

Here are the photos from my trip to Memphis + Arkansas last December. I’ve decided against posting the ‘journal’ from the trip. Comes off a bit pretentious and wankery.

The Big Man’s Brew – Volume 2: Number 1

1. Falling In Love In A Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg
Found this song via an AT+T commercial. Its pretty CW-ish, but there ain’t nothing wrong with that.

2. Cold Desert by Kings of Leon
A lot of times, bands will place a long slow burner as the finale to their album [think The Tourist on OK Computer]. Cold Desert is a shining example of how a song can leave you with a taste of wanting more.

3. Act IV by Roddy Woomble
Senor Woomble, of Idlewild [the band not the movie], crafts a soft little gem of a tune. Starts out wholly mellow, only to spring to life with the burst of accompanying vocals. As Act IV unfolds, more and more elements come into play.

4. Blood Bank by Bon Iver
Mr. Vernon is in the realm of hipsters right now. Blood Bank, off of the eponymous EP, is new territory for Bon Iver, employing electric guitars, that also serves as a good driving tune.

5. Lakeside by BLK JKS
Lakeside, by South African avant noise band BLK JKS [pronounced black jacks], has bits and pieces for a wide swath of different genres of music, but they somehow make it their own. The uber high pitched vocals kind of remind me of Battles.

6. Mean Ol’ Wind Died Down by North Mississippi Allstars
Jam blues band North Mississippi Allstars created a great summer sound of a song with Mean Ol’ Wind Died Down. Sounds like something you’d equate with a late July evening out on the lake.

7. Furr by Blitzen Trapper
Blitzen Trapper kind of fits into the new of branch of indie-rock which is more indie-folk. Think Fleet Foxes, Avett Brothers and some My Morning Jacket. Furr is a great at stopping and starting up again. The furious bass drum kicks randomly and damn near makes my subwoofer dance.

8. Sunset Coming On by Damon Albarn, Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté + Friends
Mr. Albarn, who is one of the most consistently good musicians working now, culled together a group of insanely talented Malian musicians for his first official somewhat solo album, Mali Music. Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté, Ko Kan Ko Sata, etc play traditional, minimalist instruments that create very unique sounds that are very difficult to place.

9. Wildflower by Kasey Chambers + Shane Nicholson
I’ve been a fan of Kasey Chambers from my college years. She and her husband, Shane Nicholson, composed a stellar album, Rattlin’ Bones, but Wildflower is a true standout.

10. Somewhere Near by Richmond Fontaine
Just Willy Vlautin and an acoustic guitar, don’t need anything else.

11. Blood Embrace by Matt Sweeney + Bonnie “Prince” Billy
This one is courtesy of Mr. Provonsha. The whole song is good, but I think its the clip from the film Rolling Thunder that tips it over the edge into pure bliss.

12. I’d Rather Go Blind by Etta James
This one is a classic. That wobbly guitar, the light touches of a sax, and, on top of all that, Etta just being Etta. I’ve heard that Beyonce covers this in the film Cadillac Records. No way in hell can that nitwit hold a candle to Etta James.

13. Lost Time by Maria Taylor
Great, great, breathy tune by the rather poppy Maria Taylor. Somewhat heartbreaking feel, that at its heart has a truly redemptive message.

14. Motel Blues by Loudon Wainwright III
This version is from the 2008 re-covers album Recovery. Somewhat rambling rock ‘n roll lifestyle song, full of loneliness and concurrently an unconventional amount of bravado.

15. Shallow Grave by Randy Kohrs
Kohrs is this generation’s Jerry Douglas, the go-to dobro player. Randy has played on albums by Hank III, Dierks Bentley, Little Big Town, etc. He also has a somewhat thriving solo career. I caught him at Tennessee Shines a few months back. All of his songs are good, but this one is phenomenal in its simplicity.

Everything that happens will happen today…

As many times as I’ve watched this video, its quite amazing that the hair still stiffens up on the back of my neck. I’ve streamed the album, and “Everything That Happens” is pretty much the only truly good song. Which is sad, cause Byrne and Eno are two astounding musicians.

Workin’ on a WordPress blog

I’m working to somewhat streamline my presence on the web. Plan is to have a main website, design + photography blog, and make this WordPress blog be my personal blog. I’ll post random musings, travel logs, etc. here.

I hope to have my Memphis letters, maybe even some photos from the trip, posted early next week. Everything is a work in progress. Hence the main site stating only ‘que?’, and the d+p blog having a mild scatering of minimal posts.

…and now ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Conway Twitty.