Man, that iPod for President George W.
needs updated a bit w/ current bands that resemble
60's and 70's music.
Uncle Tupelo is really something
- they have a legendary cult following and are
credited w/ creating Alt. Country as a viable
music genre. The two founders, Jay Farrar and Jeff
Tweedy, passionately came to dislike each other
and still do - And maybe it has increased since
Jay Farrar's band Son Volt
although viable but not as viable as Jeff Tweedy's
band Wilco (the story well
covered of its unconventional, back door success
that stumped the industry and had big
Warner Execs fired - because that's just
how out of touch they most of the time are). And
you can't get anymore Americana
than the Woody Guthrie lyrics and poetry
that his daughter Nora put in the hands of British
rocker activist Billy Bragg who
immediately solicited Jeff Tweedy and
Wilco (and Natalie Merchant
for a song on both CDs Mermaid Ave volume
1&2). Influences - Neil Young, Flying
Burrito Brothers, Graham Parsons, early Jagger-Richards
Rolling Stones, Grateful Dea and good polished
honest punk rock.
Rusted Root, of course, is the
biggest and badest of the current bands that
emulate 60's and 70's music (yet
w/ it's own alternative primal twist for a
timeless cleansing) - having been noted
so in the press - and extensively touring w/
The Allman Bros. Band, Santana, Grateful
Dead, Plant & Page, etc.. and, Notably,
the only band to ever play at the original
Woodstock spot all these years
later (also stopping bye and playing
Woodstock '99 while on tour w/
Jewel) - Jodie Foster
had RR do a rendition of
Santana's Evil Ways for her film
Home for the Holidays - as well as RR's
music being commercially used on many TV and film
sountracks).
I look forward to continuing my on the
road experience w/ RR
and doing some video-ography - as RR
is really on top of its game here - releasing its
first live (double) CD on its own label
Touchy Pegg - (while still gratefully
enjoying all the distribution channels it would w/
its former labels Mercury and Island Def
Jam) - receiving positively charged
audiences on tour to support the new release.
(what a story to tell).
Best intent,
John
P.S. Alt. Country's little darling star
RYan Adams will be playing at
Mr. Smalls Theatre May 13th(
http://www.mrsmalls.com
- owned and operated by
Liz Berlin of RR
and husband, Mike Speranzo - ProAM Skateboader
currently on
PLayStation Tour
and will be heading
Woodward West
this summer -
Woodward East,
near
PSU, the biggest board &
bike campus).
RYan Adams renting out Small's Theatre and
Rock-n-Roll B&B in Pittsburgh
for a week before joining the
Rolling
Stones in Pittsburgh for a stretch -
leg of tour - And aritists like
50 cent,
Black Eyed Peas,
Hank
Williams 3rd, etc.. also stopping bye
to play & record. And brand channels like
MTV
