24 February 2009

Mr. Cedell Davis - Videos from the 1980s

Cheers to Chris Johnson for hippin' me to these videos:

"I don't just make a song and say 'It is good.' Just like I sing a lyric this time, well, next time I sing I may put another one in there. If you don't never change nothin' how do you know how good it's gonna ever be? You got to change it. Suppose everybody just did the same thing all the time and never did nothing different. You never could bring out nothing new. You got to give people a choice."
- Cedell Davis





Plus this piece from the Fat Possun Records DVD "You See Me Laughin'"

11 February 2009

Jerry Lee Lewis plays Gospel Guitar

I'll Follow Him from The Jerry Lee Lewis Show (1971)



thx to m'boy Jeff Hunter for this!

04 February 2009

Dan Auerbach gets all grown up 'n dirty

photo by Jim Quine

Dan Auerbach has been through some changes since we first came in contact with him. Back then he was a young dude going deep in the blues but still down for finely crafted pop and stoopidsmart hiphop who's life was changed by the sound of Junior Kimbrough. Now he's found himself in demand, the man to mention by some of music's biggest boys to help them return to the river. A smart kid with a deep curiosty and hunger for the thing that moved him. Auerbach's sound has always had a certain sweet salacious swagger. Not a cocky swagger but a swagger stalking a deep swingin' get down and hunting for a larger understanding of the heart and blue soul of it. Dan wallows in music and always has. He wallows in the studio work too. He's a rat and his depth of knowledge on both sides of the studio window shows in his own work, as well as in those he records, but it's his ears as much as his (just as important if not more so) sense of vibe and feel, and service of the song that really sets him apart. He knows that happy little songs ain't no fun and rockin' your own kind of (you can call it whatcha wanna) blues (whatever that is) is where it's at and it shows on his first solo release Keep It Hid. From his pre-Black Keys days to the Keys EP of Junior Kimbrough songs (Chulahoma) Dan Auerbach ,with his partner Pat Carney, aquired the tools to be in full control of refining the sound. Each of the Black Keys albums has been an advancement and a stronger statement of where Dan was on his road. Their work with Danger Mouse in 2008 on an album (some of which became Attack and Release) aimed for working with Ike Turner turned into one step back to Dan's roots and three steps forward in song writing strength and sonic skills. To my mind and ears it's Dan's work on those two albums in particular, plus his production work for protege Jessica Lea Mayfield, the Black Diamond Heavies and others, and most important of all, becoming a husband and daddy that has brought Dan Auerbach to the fine artist he is today. Dan Auerbach is gettin' all grown up and dirty. Keep It Hid is the most swaggerin' sad n' sexyass album i've heard in ages. It's an expansion of the recent Black Keys sound and stature from bigger than national to near universal. It's the Keys as full band yet with perhaps a deeper more personal depth. Dan's Uncle Jim Quine contributed guitar, Bob Cesare brought drums etc, but Dan played most everything else. This has given Auerbach the freedom to really broaden and refine his sonic palette. From the sweet, haunting gospel folk of Trouble Weighs A Ton to the sad heartbreak superock of Whispered Words (written by Dan's dad) to the just plain filthy creepy crusher The Prowl and the pure lovely hopefulness of Goin' Home (which i'll bet is informed by thoughts of his young family) with it's beautiful sad slide solo. In every song , as this album has no filler, Dan has built and honed his best work yet. This is an album that should go down as a gorgeous american classic.

Dan Auerbach Keep It Hid
BUY iT! on cd
OR
on delicous 180 gram Vinyl w/gatefold sleeve and free cd!


"Trouble Weighs a Ton"


Dan sez it's OK if you steal these MP3s:

Trouble Weighs A Ton MP3

The Prowl MP3

01 February 2009

Gorgeous Video of Seasick Steve.

photo of Seasick Steve by Jo Metson Scott

Watch a gorgeous two-part interview+performance of yr boy Seasick Steve HERE