The 5 most anticipated albums of early 2014

With the new year upon us it only human nature to take some time and not only review the events of the year before but also look ahead to all the potential of the new year stretching out before us. With that in mind, we at BLS have compiles a list of the 5 most anticipated albums of the first part of 2014.
The Hard Lessons – Start What You Finished (Release Date: December 20th 2013)

I’ve been enamored with this trio from Detroit since catching one of their shows back in 2006, so you can imagine that I was excited to hear about the new material. Technically released in the waning hours of 2013, Start What You Finished is the first full-lengthen album since 2009’s Arms Forest. Sure to be filled with their signature bluesy rock the first reviews are all praise.

Summer Cannibals – Make You Better EP
 (Release Date: January 9th)

A Portland band that I discovered just this year, the Summer Cannibals are following up their awesome debut album, which dropped this past August, with a limited edition Cassette tape only EP. Thickly bold their moody rock ‘n’ roll is fresh and lusciously enjoyable. With this band, it was love at first note and I’m sure that I’ll be waiting anxiously, with cassette walkman in hand, the night of their release show at the Doug Fir.



Jon Butler Trio – Flesh & Blood
(Release Date: February 4th)

The Australian power outfit Jon Butler Trio combines reggae/rock-hybrid energy with a folk sensibility. The resulting music is dynamically powerful and always gets the body moving. Almost more exciting than new material is the promise of tour dates that Flesh & Blood is sure to guarantee. Butler, a multi-instrumentalist is awe inspiring live.



Lydia Loveless – Somewhere Else
(Release Date: February 18th)

Like a next-gen Reba, Lydia Loveless packs a powerful set of lungs in her pint size form. Her rocking country music has all the bar-fight ruckus, whiskey heartbreak and blue collar grit of a honky-tonk on a Friday night. If the preview track of "To Love Somebody", she shared via Spin.com, is any indication this alt-country album should be one hell raiser of a good record.    



Drive-By Truckers – English Oceans
(Release Date: March 4th)

The twelfth album from this hard rocking band from Atlanta Gorgia, English Oceans is the result of a mad 13 day recording session with long time producer David Barbe. The first album sans-Shonna Tucker, it will be interesting to see what trouble these boys can get themselves into. Having rekindled my love affair with this band following the release of  2012's Go-Go Boots I can't wait to hear this record and catch the band live. An added bonus is new album art form the awesome artist Wes Freed.

With these great albums to start off the new year, I have a feeling 2014 is going to be a great year for music.     

 

10 Questions: Patterson Hood

Patterson Hood, the curly locked half of the Drive-By Truckers is known for his storytelling so it was no surprised when he sat down to write a book and ended up with his most personal album to date : Heat Lightning Rumbles In The Distance. Between his consummate touring and busy schedule he graciously took some time to answer some questions. 
BLS: Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance is your 3rd solo album. How does it differentiate musically from solo albums you’ve made in the past?

PH: It's the most personal and intimate album I've ever made.

BLS: Your father David Hood played Bass on the album. How did the family connections effect the creation of the album? What were you able to draw on from his years as a Muscle Shoals session ace?

PH: My dad is a consummate musician and a sweetheart of a guy. I'm very lucky in the Dad department. He definitely brought his A game to the studio for his sessions on this album. His playing on the title cut is one of my favorite things I've ever been a part of.

BLS: You have said that this is your most autobiographical album to date, with songs derived from two specific periods of your life. Did you find it was easier or harder to write more personal songs?

PH: I don't know generally. I just write what occurs to me and usually don't realize what it all is about until after the fact. These songs came really fast and easy, probably the fastest I've ever written an album so I must have been inspired, but I have no idea why this album occurred at this moment in time. I'm sure glad it did though.

BLS: I’ve read that this album developed out of a rerouted book writing project. Are there any writers that you admire and have inspired your writing whether in prose and songwriting?

PH: Way too many to list. I'm obsessed with great writing and always reading and listening. Right now I'm really loving the Father John Misty album (Fear Fun). I think his writing is fantastic. What a great wit. I'm reading "Reading My Father" by Alexandria Styron. She is a really fine writer and daughter of William Styron who wrote "Darkness Visible" and "Sophie's Choice".

BLS: On this album you co-wrote a song with Kelly Hogan. How was your experience working with her? What insights did her feminine view point lend to the songwriting process?

PH: Kelly is one of my favorite people and one of the greatest singers in the world today. She is also a very underrated writer. Her lyrics on "Come Back Little Star" are among my favorite lines on my album. I always love and welcome a feminine point of view. I just love smart and funny people, whether they happen to be male or female.

BLS: Like George Jones, you dabbled with a spoken word format for the song (Untitled Pretties). What was it about this song that made you decide to use this format?

PH: That was an accident. It was originally supposed to be an instrumental song but it was inspired by a very short chapter I had written for my aborted book project. At last minute, I had the idea to read the chapter over the music and it synched up like it was always meant to be that way. I guess it was. I always love and welcome the happy accident when making a record.

BLS: You have described DBT as a Noir band. Do you feel that your solo work is as emotionally dark or is it driven by a different emotional battery?

PH: There is obviously always a lot of darkness in my music, but I also consider it to be cathartic in the same way that the blues was considered cathartic to the people who played it, listened to it, danced and fucked to it. I actually think of this album as very uplifting, especially at the end. It may come from and visit some dark places, but I consider it very hopeful. It at least makes peace with it's demons and is a tale of survival and pushing though the darkness and finding joy in the things that are important.

BLS: With touring in support of Heat Lightning Rumbles in the Distance, how does the live experience differ from DBT shows?

PH: This is a very different type of show. I love the DBT show with it's wild abandon and cathartic uplift and big sweaty anthems, but this is a very beautiful and cathartic show, it just achieves it in a very different way. I love this band. The harmonies are beautiful and I love all of the piano and cello. I would very much like to continue doing both shows for a very long time.

BLS: Everyone likes to fantasize about the life of a rock star, but the reality is sure to be a whole different beast. In your experience what is the hardest thing about the day to day grind of being a professional musician?

PH: It's a very hard life and you get tired and homesick, but it's also wonderful. I get to see the world and meet all kinds of people and get to play the show, which I always look forward to and still love as much, all of these years later, as I did when I was a teenager.

BLS: What is the name of 5 bands you love but few people have heard of?

PH: As I mentioned earlier, I'm loving that Father John Misty album (Fear Fun).
The War on Drugs is one of my faves right now.
There'a a great band from Athens called Bloodkin, that has been together for over 25 years. They write great songs.
Centro-matic has long been my favorite band in the world. They should be selling out arenas.
The band I'm touring with right now, Hope For Agoldensummer is fantastic. Page and Claire Campbell sing those incredible sister harmonies, write great songs and have some of the best stage banter ever.

About Last Night: The Drive-By Truckers @The Crystal Ballroom 03/21

Last night was filled with it's fair share of assholes and unsung heroes, as so many concerts are. As the crowd filled into the Crystal Ballroom and the lights fell you could feel the energy in the room. We came to be amazed and we would not be disappointed.
Opening the show Robert Ellis and his crew took the stage with all the confidence of a road house band on a Friday night. Tall and lanky as Hank Sr. and with the long hair and beard of Willie Nelson, Ellis looked the part of a country music prodigy. As the sweet twang of his voice spilled out onto the crowd we knew this lone star son had brought his A-game. Bathed in a soft stage light, his sedated western wail had a soulful ache that tapped a pain naturally suited  in the swaying two-step of his "What's In it for Me" and the amazing cover of Gorge Jones' "If Drinking Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)."  Clearly astute in sorrowful country tunes it might have been easy for him to propagate his set solely in this style, but once the band and their instruments were warmed up, they proved quickly that they were more than just ballads and heartbreak.
 Launching into an playful Honky-tonk funk whose groove heavy pace inspired dancing. Literally in one case: A couple who felt that right in front of the stage was the perfect spot for their crowd jostling country swing. We get it, you loved that short period of swing reemergence back in the 90's but I'm sure that the rest of us would have appreciated that fact more had you done it a little further from the stage. Inconsiderate dancers aside, this was a great set. Truly getting after it, Ellis and his gang put a especially tasty funkiness into the performance of their song " No Fun." A perfect opening act for the Truckers, the gradual build of their set culminated, in an audience truly prepared to receive a thorough rocking.  
Once Ellis and his boys cleared out the Truckers road crew stormed the stage like a special forces commando team. I've seen them in action before and am always amazed at the detail and speed by which they prep the stage for the band, especially their guitar tech. Damon Scott. The meticulous way he checks every wire, every connection and places each instrument right where the band wants it, is beyond professional. Whether before the band takes the stage, during the show or breaking down, it's apparent that the Drive-By Truckers has one of the best crews around, they certainly did last night.

With the stage set the crowd nearly exploded once the band came on.Wasting no time at all, the band dove right into their set and after playing a few songs from their latest album Go Go Boots,they switched gears and launched into a bevy of Drive-By Truckers classics. Pulling tunes from as far back as their first album Gangsterbilly,  these songs sounded even more sweeter, like good wine, having been all so wonderfully touched by the magic of late nights, the long road and time. For Mike Cooley, Patterson Hood and Brad Morgan it seemed as though they grew younger with each song, somehow energized by the potent elements of their past. For us in the crowd it was like watching a thunderstorm. As the first notes of each favorite washed over us infused with an electricity that perpetuated louder cheers and a stronger press towards the stage. I think one of the greatest thing about the song selection was the presence of Southern Rock Opera Tracks that don't get as much play like "Angels and Fuselage." 
From the crowd it was very apparent that we weren't the only one having a great time. The sheer joy rolling off Matt Patton, the tour's stand in bassist, would be impossible to hide. I can only imagine that he was living one of his dreams up on that stage. No exception, this DBT show was awesome, and having seen them now five times I'll say they get better each time I see them. That doesn't mean their isn't going to be that one jackass that's going to get too drunk and through his own stupidity pick a fight with one of the members of the band as their playing. Luckily the security of the Crystal Ballroom is one of the best in town. I would like to commend their speed and efficiency. It's their work that turned an escalating situation into a night everyone could enjoy.
Like usual the Truckers put an an amazing show which only made me anticipate their next pass through Portland even more. Oh and to the girl that elbowed her way to the front only to have her boyfriend dry hump her from behind. Do us all a favor, next time just stay home and put your favorite DBT album on real loud. That way you can both get your cookies.

The Triple Crown: 03/12 - 03/25

Southern boys and Steampunk makes this Triple Crown a little bit different, but isn't that the point. Three shots of something strong enough to make you feel alive. So get your tickets and raise your glass cause this triple crown is sure to make this crap weather we're having a distant memory.


Wednesday, March 21st
Drive-By Truckers
Robert Ellis
Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside
Doors:8PM/Show:9PM
Adv.:$22/Day Of:$24
All Ages

The chugging guitars and ground moving drum beat isn't the south rising again but when it's the Drive-By Truckers it's damn near the same thing. Once again the southern boys of blue collar rock will be gracing our fair city for another awesome show at the phenomenal Crystal Ballroom. Lead by the song writing double threat of Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley the Drive-By Truckers is the band of the everyman. Amongst the tasty growl of guitars and soulful bass-lines this band tells some of the darkest tales in rock'n'roll, showing the human side of even the most heartless of bastards. But above everything this is some of the best rock'n'roll that money can by and it's even better cause it's got a southern accent.
Joining the Truckers on stage is the sedate musical musing of Robert Ellis who's minimalistic guitar tunes lie somewhere between Cat Stevenson and Gram Parsons. His wonderful song writing is sure to find new fans among the diverse mix of the DBT crowd and yet preparing the audience to feel the full effect of the shock and awe of their rock'n'roll. So all you faithful make sure you get your tickets early and as for those of you that don't know about this band by now make sure you catch this show and you can forgive yourself later.



Friday, March 23rd
Abney Park
Star Theater
13 NW Sixth Ave
Doors:8PM/Show:9PM
Adv.:$15
21 & Over

The music of Abney Park is the soundtrack of a time that never was. Imagine a world whose defining technological advancement remained the steam engine. A world of Victorian clockwork robots and where airship pirates rule the skies. This is the world Abney Park inhabits.
With a sound that mixes elements of techno, gypsy melodies and the precise execution of bold orchestration, their songs weave Jules Verne dream-scapes both dynamically energetic and hauntingly tender. While their live show incorporates costumes, dance and other theatrics, making for a truly unique experience. Wildly imaginative an yet professionally sound this band is the whole package.
More like a stage play than a mere concert, this is a must see show. Enhancing the experience is an enthusiastic fan base that join into the fantasy with their own interpretation of the Steampunk mystic. So whether your or a long time fan, a closet steam-punker, or just looking for a good show make sure you get down to the Star Theater.



Saturday, March 24th
Lucero
The Drowning Men
Wonder Ballroom
128 NE Russell St
Doors:8PM/Show:9PM
Adv.:$17/Day Of:$20
All Ages

These Memphis rebels have been playing some of the best rock'n'roll of the last decade and the years and miles have only made them even better. Like the blue collar music they play the work ethic and tradition if this band is stained with the sweat and scars of hard labor and love. Known for a potent whiskey soaked rock that's wonderfully drenched in beautiful guitar growls and precise drumming, the sound of Lucero has grown to include the call of soulful horns and the sway of playful keys. Never afraid to evolve, this band echos the soul of the common man. They might be broken, they might be weary, but they'll be damned if they'll just lay down and die.
On tour in support of their newest album Women & Work and fresh from SXSW, this band is sure to raise the roof of the Wonder Ballroom. Know for their crowd pleasing shows, this should be no different filled with old favorites and a proud showing of the new songs. Joining them on stage is The Drowning Men whose bold atmospheric music is sure to compliment elements of the Memphis soul in Lucero's newest sound. So get your tickets now and make sure you leave enough time the night of the show to grab some BBQ at Russel street just across the way.