Go See Hear March 21-April 10

Here’s a double-sized list of recommended Southern California shows for your concert-going consideration.
The Recommended Shows are the appearances by the Low Anthem with the Barr Brothers and Timber Timbre at Largo on 3/24 and the Bootleg 3/25 and then Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller at the Wiltern on April 10. The Low Anthem put out an excellent CD, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, last year – it was one of my favorites for ‘09. You can write my LA Weekly blurb at http://www.laweekly.com/2010-03-18/music/rock-picks-bassekou-kouyate-ngoni-ba-donovan-ana-tijoux-john-wicks/3. Griffin recently released another stellar album, Downtown Church, and Buddy is…well...Buddy.
Also recommended:
John Wicks plays Genghis Cohen on March 21 (and Molly Malone’s on April 9). Wicks, as my colleague Falling James described in the LA Weekly, led the ‘80s UK power pop band in The Records, who created such sublime tunes as “Starry Eyes” and “Hearts In Her Eyes.”
The Miniature Tigers mine a Weezer-like sound. Last year’s Tell It To The Volcano was a fun slice of modern rock. They are at the Troubadour on 3/25.
Imelda May is a young UK chanteuse who has been creating a buzz on the other side of the Atlantic. Her retro stylings are more grounded in roots music than the retro soulsters like Adele, Joss Stone and the Winehouse girl. She plays the Avalon on 3/25.
I saw Ben Sollee several years ago while he was playing cello with Abigail Washburn but now is making his own fine chamber Americana. He recently teamed up with fellow Kentuckian Daniel Martin Moore for a disc entitled Dear Companion. They come to McCabes on 3/26.
On the 28th, McCabes hosts 3 talented singer/songwriters: Wendy Waldman, Cindy Bullens and Deborah Holland, who go by the Refugees - perhaps because they are all Major Label refugees
The always entertaining, always musically adventurous Michelle Shocked has a show at McCabes on April 4. The next day, the dynamic duo of singer/songwriters Tom Russell and Dave Alvin play McCabes, but the shows look like sellouts.
The longtime Australian band, the Church, has a show at the Roxy on April 5 as part of their 30th anniversary tour, which is billed as an acoustic tour too. Both Steve Kilby and Marty Willson-Piper put out albums. It all makes me want to hear Unguarded Moment.”
That living legend Willie Nelson wheels into the Grove of Anaheim on 4/11.
While the Mother Hips pulls into Redondo Beach’s Brixton club on the 11th too. Check out their latest effort Pacific Dust is a highly recommended offering of California country rock.

Americana Music Festival And Me

With the Americana Music Conference still nestled in that precarious spot between the blur of the experiences and the blurriness of the memories, I wanted to share a few impressions that I took away from my trip to Nashville.
There were a number of memorable moments, some from acts catching my attention for the first time and others living up to expectations.
One act that definitely made a big first (and second and third) impression was the trio, The Baskery. These three sisters from Sweden seemed to have everyone talking at the Conference with their punk-fueled rootsy tunes. One of the cool things was watching the eldest sister strum a mean banjo while also playing a kick drum and singing (in English) to boot.
Peter Cooper was a name I was familiar with – but mostly as a journalist. He’s also a talented singer/songwriter with a terrific gift for the story-song. He performed a song about baseball great Henry Aaron that has stayed with me for days.
I was not at all familiar with the name Patrick Sweany, an Ohio transplant to Nashville. He did an animated set of sweaty, bluesy rock that really energized the audience at the Basement
I happened upon Sweany because I had gone to the Basement to see the Nashville band DADDY. I had enjoyed their recent album, For A Second Time, but this funky rootsy rock outfit was just a wonderfully fun band to experience live. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since the group is fronted by Tommy Womack and Will Kimbrough.
Kimbrough also sat in on Saturday night’s set by Angela Easterling, which reminded me about her fine album, Blacktop Road. Kimbrough, who produced the disc, combined with Easterling’s guitarist Brandon Turner to make her tune “American ID” a delicious slice of jangly roots pop.
DADDY’s Friday night set was followed by a late night/early morning performance from the Canadian trio Elliott Brood. Their new disc Mountain Meadows had caught my ear but I wasn’t prepared for the ferocious intensity that Mark Sasso and Casey Laforet serve up on acoustic guitars, banjo and the like. They made me think of an acoustic version of the Feelies for some reason.
The Band of Heathens was another group that I had targeted to see, having enjoyed their last two albums – and this Austin-based band didn’t disappoint. They play a potent blend of Neil Young, Little Feat and Southern Rock, and their song “LA County Blues” was another of those “stick in my mind” numbers.
I also enjoyed the short set from feisty Nashville country singer, Elizabeth Cook. Cook soon will be starting an album to be produced by Don Was, which might be her ticket to more prominence. She did a dandy song “El Camino” that was both funny and heartfelt.
It’s hard to call John Fogerty’s “secret” set a surprise (most folks seemed to have found out about it) but it was unexpected for him to play for 90 minutes at the intimate Mercy Lounge. The Mercy was also where I later caught Radney Foster’s surprisingly rockin’ set and some sweet swing music from the together-again Hot Club of Cowtown.
Downstairs at the Cannery was the site of strong sets from Holly Williams, W.P.A. (featuring that night Watkins Sean and Sara along with Glen Phillips) and a sublime performance from Buddy Miller (the big winner at the AMA Awards) who brought out Patty Griffin to sing with him (including a version of “Dark End Of The Street”). Miller’s was of the one of the top sets that I saw during the conference.
One of the challenging aspects of this conference (like SxSW and any other multi-stage festivals) is getting to all the acts that you want to see. It’s a little bit like the Robert Frost poem “The Road Not Taken,” although in this case it’s four clubs, not two roads. However, I am quite happy with the road I took in Nashville, and all the music (and people) I encountered along the way.

Americana Music Festival - Countdown to Kickoff

The Americana Music Festival is now less than a month away, and I will be returning after a several year hiatus.
While the festival is turning the big 1-0, its award ceremony has only been around for 8 years. This year, the AMA will be celebrating the lifetime achievements of bluegrass progressive Sam Bush, western swing revivalists Asleep At The Wheel and ace producer Jim Rooney, who has helmed works by John Prine, Iris DeMent, Nanci Griffith and more.
The evening showcases offer an array of interesting Americana acts – and of course it’s own share of logical dilemmas. For example, who to see midnight on Wednesday night – Raul Malo, the Deadstring Brothers or Charlie Robison, all artists I’ve written about but never seen. Or what about Saturday night, when Webb Wilder, Buddy Miller and the trio of Nanci Griffith, Mary Gauthier & Elizabeth Cook are all performing at different stages.
So there will be quandaries like those to resolve as well as just seeing how my legs and general stamina holds up.