In honor of the impending cover reveal for THE REVELATIONS OF PRESTON BLACK, I've decided to post a little music from a duo that really helped shape the way I saw Katy and Preston when I was writing the novel. (Give Joy a fiddle and plug John Paul into an old Fender Twin and you see where I'm going with this.)
One of the things that always immediately got me with The Civil Wars was the way they completely filled a song's aural space with just vocal harmonies and a guitar. They put a show together using an amazing variety of tonal textures and tempos, mixing originals and covers so fluidly you'd swear each song was their own. The end result is nothing short of amazing, and I'll always regret never having been able to see a show live.
Oh, yeah. They broke up some time after completing their self-titled second studio album, to be released later this year. With a name like 'The Civil Wars' I guess we should've seen it coming.
Showing posts with label the civil wars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the civil wars. Show all posts
17 February 2013
Top Nine: Best Beards in Rock!
Beards come and go, but the nine groups listed below have done their part to make sure the beard is more than just an accessory. We've heard from the Lepsches, but I get the last word? Is it definitive? Read their posts below and decide.
To top it all off, At Fillmore East, is ranked #49 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of all Time. My boys weren't playing. They lived it. The fact that two of the band's members died in motorcycle accidents (a year apart and three blocks apart) tells you these fools were for real. They are so far removed from bearded hipster shit, that bearded hipsters don't even know to look to The Allman Brothers for guidance. I mean, we don't look AT the sun when we want light, do we?
Were they the first? No.
Did they do it better than anybody else, before or after? Most definitely.
When The Beatles reinvented themselves, they did so in a big way. They were the forerunners of the beard. They invented retreating (India) and reemerging with a whole new look. Post Sgt. Pepper they owned the look. Zeppelin, The Who and the rest just copied. Check out "Something" to see what I mean. Paul, George and Ringo rocked beards. For some reason, John didn't (and we all know how he could pull off a beard) but he was rocking a cape (that matched Yoko's) so he gets points for that.
Yonder Mountain String Band
Somehow YMSB missed the Mumford/'New Banjo Revival,' which is a shame, because Yonder brings it. Hard. They are as much at home with John Hartford and Ralph Stanley as they are with The Misfits and Pink Floyd. And if you don't know who Ralph Stanley is, you should be ashamed to call yourself a music fan.Band of Horses
SGs AND Les Pauls? They ain't playing. They are more Seventies than Mr. Neil Young himself. For BoH, the beard ain't a phase, it's a way of life. I bet they drive Chevy Novas, too.The Civil Wars
Any time 50% of the band has a beard, you're in legit territory. And covering The Jackson Five? Well that's just showing off. (Civil Wars--get your shit together and make some more music!!)Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl is facial hair x2. Even though he didn't rock the beard in Nirvana, Kurt did. So having Cobain as a stubble mentor is like having The Dalai Lama as your personal therapist. (Dave is rocking the mini-beard here.)Middle Brother
Flannels, beards and thumb picks! It's a hipster trifecta, and I don't even care. (Is that a red Solo cup?) They rock so hard, they require members from three different bands (Dawes, Delta Spirit, Deer Tick) just to make music. They are the hipster Beatles, and I love them.Bob Marley
Beards were (literally) his religion. So don't come at me with your white dreads, telling me about how you're Rasta because you like to burn one because this man lived it. He took bullets for his faith. And he died because he wouldn't cut any of that lovely hair.Bruce Springsteen
The Boss didn;t always rock facial hair. But when he did, he owned it. From 70 to 83 he carried the beard torch. Beard + knit hat + leather jacket = hipster savior. Throw in a gold earring, and you're seeing God.The Allman Brothers
When At Fillmore East was recorded, the Allman Brothers were batting 1000%. Duane Allman--facial hair. Gregg Allman--facial hair. Dicky Betts--facial hair. Berry Oakley--facial hair. Butch Trucks--facial hair. Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson--facial hair. Don't believe me? Take a look.To top it all off, At Fillmore East, is ranked #49 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of all Time. My boys weren't playing. They lived it. The fact that two of the band's members died in motorcycle accidents (a year apart and three blocks apart) tells you these fools were for real. They are so far removed from bearded hipster shit, that bearded hipsters don't even know to look to The Allman Brothers for guidance. I mean, we don't look AT the sun when we want light, do we?
The Beatles
Were the Fab Four known for their beards? No.Were they the first? No.
Did they do it better than anybody else, before or after? Most definitely.
When The Beatles reinvented themselves, they did so in a big way. They were the forerunners of the beard. They invented retreating (India) and reemerging with a whole new look. Post Sgt. Pepper they owned the look. Zeppelin, The Who and the rest just copied. Check out "Something" to see what I mean. Paul, George and Ringo rocked beards. For some reason, John didn't (and we all know how he could pull off a beard) but he was rocking a cape (that matched Yoko's) so he gets points for that.
15 February 2013
TOP NINE: Duets
Just in time for (the day after) Valentine's Day, here are Preston Black's Top Nine Duets!
From The Devil and Preston Black: My brother and me were pretty much forced to listen to whatever mom played in the car. Mostly country. Kenny and Dolly singing "Islands in the Stream."
#9 'Islands in the Stream' Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
From The Devil and Preston Black: My brother and me were pretty much forced to listen to whatever mom played in the car. Mostly country. Kenny and Dolly singing "Islands in the Stream."
#8 'Hunger Strike' Temple Of The Dog (Feat. Chris Cornell & Eddie Vedder)
#7 'Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart' Against Me! and Tegan Quin.
#6 'Fairytale of New York' The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl
#5 'Wake Up' Arcade Fire and David Bowie
#4 'Rich Woman/Gone, Gone, Gone/Done Moved On' Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
#3 'Safe and Sound' Taylor Swift featuring The Civil Wars
#2 'Jackson' Johnny Cash and June Carter
From The Revelations of Preston Black: "Jackson"
came through the shitty speakers first. I looked at Katy and smiled but she
just rolled her eyes. I said, "You're hotter than a pepper sprout, you
know that, my love?"
She
smiled an acknowledgement. "Haven't heard that one yet."
#1 'If I Fell' The Beatles
Who'd you think I was going to put at #1? Alice Cooper? Whatevs.
From The Revelations of Preston Black: Ignoring
the request, we played them our version of Arcade Fire's "Deep Blue" and finished the night with an abbreviated version of our setlist. Harmonizing with Katy on an a cappella "If I Fell" as an encore was my personal highlight. It was something we always practiced in the car—Katy doing the Paul part and me doing the John part—but never sang in public. The song had become
our little secret, our way of telling each other that everything was going to be just fine. And after tonight, a little assurance was all we needed.
27 June 2011
THE MUSIC AND PRESTON BLACK The Civil Wars, Live In Session On KCRW FM 2011-06-15
Not a new favorite, but I'm loving this show. Real singer/songwriters, and Joy Williams has an amazing voice. The show is crystal-clear, straight from the KCRW broadcast. Sounds like they're playing in your living room. And a Jackson 5 cover!
Buy the book on Amazon.
Download the show at Sugarmegs.
The Civil Wars - Live In Session On MBE KCRW FM 2011-06-15
KCRW Radio FM Broadcast
Santa Monica, California.
Source: FM Broadcast
AIRED: Wednesday June 15th, 2011
STEREO CAPTURE
**** NOT FOR SALE **** PLEASE DO NOT DISTRIBUTE THESE FILES IN LOSSY FORMATS ****
Lineage: FM > Onkyo HT-R520 > Analog Out (2 - RCA Mono Out) > 2 - 1/4 Inch Mono Phone Jacks In > Zoom H4n 24bit-96KHz > USB2 > r8Brain dithering 16bit-44KHz > CD WAVE Tracking > Audacity fade last trk only > TLH Checksums Flac.8)->
Indie folk rock duo The Civil Wars are one of this year's biggest indie success stories. When you hear their gorgeous harmonies and see their onstage chemistry, it's hard to believe they're not a couple!
01.(=Intro=)
02.Poison & Wine
03.(-talking-)
04.20 Years
05.(-songintro-)
06.I've Got This Friend
07.(-talk-)
08.From This Valley
09.(=Interview=)
10.Barton Hollow
11.(-talking-)
12.Falling
13.(-talking-)
14.I Want You Back (Jackson 5 Cover)
15.(=Outro=)
16.(-songintro-)
17.Birds Of A Feather (incomplete)
Note:
The DJ stepped on the last track again, with mere seconds until they completed, Booo!
The Band:
Joy Williams - Vox, Piano,
John Paul White - Vox, Guitar, Dobro
Links:
Stream/Audition This Show @
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb/mb110615the_civil_wars
Remember, The Streams Can Sound Very Lossy.
Setlist And Info Copied From KCRW's Website
They're Often Incorrect @
http://www.kcrw.com/music/programs/mb
Other Related Links:
http://www.thecivilwars.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thecivilwars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Civil_Wars
WIKI:
The Civil Wars is an indie folk duo composed of singer-songwriters Joy Williams and John Paul White. The duo met during a Nashville, Tennesee songwriting session and formed The Civil Wars. They gained national exposure when their song "Poison and Wine" was played on an episode of Grey's Anatomy in late 2009. The band got a boost when Taylor Swift tweeted about them in late 2010. During that period, their music video for Barton Hollow was added to the rotation at VH1 and CMT. The Civil Wars catalog includes a download-only album called Live at Eddie's Attic, an EP called Poison & Wine and a studio album titled Barton Hollow.
Background information:
Origin:
Nashville, Tennessee
Years active:
2009–present
Labels:
Sensibility Music
Genres:
Indie folk,
folk rock,
alternative country,
progressive bluegrass
Enjoy,
Nibbler
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