Month: September 2012

On his second Red House Records release, Danny Schmidt displays the same level of wit and lyricism that made his last release such an artistic success.

Undoubtedly, Schmidt writes great songs. Man of Many Moons includes 10 new originals and one cover – “Bucket of Rain” by Bob Dylan. His version of this rarely covered classic features his deftly fingerpicked guitar as well as a neat twist to the arrangement that luxuriates in the song’s euphonic qualities. Schmidt also slows the pace a smidgen, which gives it a more wistful character. Schmidt’s own songs share a certain kinship with the Dylan tune, a quirky melancholy that couples humor with sadness in a unique way.

On Man of Many Moons, Schmidt retains much of the alchemic musical formula that made his previous work so listenable. The arrangements are sparse, with no percussion. Schmidt plays acoustic guitar while Will Sexton adds bass and guitar, and Keith Gary plays piano. Raina Rose and Carrie Elkin contribute harmony vocals while singer/songwriter Ray Bonneville adds an occasional harmonica part. Using such a small group adds character and emotional impact.

Schmidt doesn’t have a conventionally beautiful voice. His delivery has a casual directness that penetrates to the emotional center of a song. As singer/songwriters go, they don’t get much better.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s June ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

After 30-plus years, seven studio albums, a live album, and two DVDs, Social Distortion may have just
released its masterpiece.

The band came rocking out of Fullerton, California, in 1978, playing a tough brand of rock equally inspired by the Rolling Stones, punk, and Hank Williams. They’ve been through ups and downs, drug addiction and rehab, and the death of long-time guitar man Dennis Danell.

Fronted by Mike Ness, the last of the original founding foursome (along with drummer David Hidalgo, Jr.) Social Distortion remains true to its roots. Ness can call himself a success after 30 years of playing his own music on his own terms.

The new album’s title and cover art are classic. And the music is classic Social D. The album kicks off with the hard-driving instrumental “Road Zombie,” then rolls through nine originals before the coda, an especially dark and gloomy take on Hank Williams’ “Alone and Forsaken.” Great stuff.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s June ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Brian Wright draws on the stylistic legacies of an eclectic bunch of influences, some quite obvious. There’s no mistaking his debt to classic Velvet Underground in “Striking Matches,” but less obvious is the sense of abandon mixed with desperation that ties it to the music of Roky Erickson’s 13th Floor Elevators.

Wright plays all instruments here, and “Matches” has him playing expert Dobro under some DickeyBetts-like slide, then a nuvo-country solo and back to a couple of bars of Allman-type twin leads into a semipsychedelic finish.

Wright skirts categorization, like Neil Young, Jon Langford, or even John Hiatt. His music is country (“Blind April”) and old-timey (“Live Again,” “Rich Man’s Blues”) at its core, but also has a rock-and-roll and even pop (“The Good Doctor”) and brassy New Orleans R&B (“Still Got You”) elements. He can switch gears smoothly and effectively within a song, as he does in “April,” or when the modern country blues out of the slightly tongue-in-cheek “Mesothelioma” glides into the dreamy cello passage that bridges it with “Mean Ol’ Wind.”

This article originally appeared in VG‘s June ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

There’s a whole new generation of jazz guitarists very conversant in the traditional language of the form, but with their own other influences. Jonathan Kreisberg is at the top of that list.

On Shadowless, cuts like “Twenty One” are the perfect intro to this adventurous player. Its opening statement by Kreisberg and Will Vinson (on sax) sets up a boppy melody where the soloists fly. Kreisberg’s playing is a mix of chords and single notes that builds beautifully before giving way to Vinson. His comping under the solo (and on every cut) shows a wealth of harmonic knowledge. The title cut is a lovely tune with almost classical overtones – Kreisberg and pianist Henry Hey weave around each other as well as two players can. The guitar solo is a melodic chopfest.

“Zembekiko” morphs into straight swing and shows a bit of the difference the younger generation may have from the elders; distorted guitar tone, especially while comping behind other solos. The originals here are well-written and interesting, and the closer, Gershwin’s “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” shows Kreisberg’s work on standards is up to par. His chordal work is beyond question, and his soloing shows a player comfortable with darting through changes. His playing is a perfect blend of technique and soul.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s June ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

>Royal Trux took the Velvet Underground’s “Heroin” and made a career of it. The band was founded after the implosion of Washington, D.C. punkers Pussy Galore by guitarist Neil Hagerty and girlfriend Jennifer Herrema, who relocated to New York City. They named their combo after their skateboard’s “trucks,” and crafted a dark, lo-fi, underground sound informed by both the VU’s song and its inspirational drug.

Drag City has now reissued the band’s eponymous debut album from 1988 and the more refined Cats and Dogs, from ’93.

Listening to them again after all these years, the albums don’t sound dated – but that’s probably because they never were really part of a genre. Hagerty and Herrema’s sound was like a long rock-and-roll scream. The guitars roil through back and foreground, interwoven with the duo’s vocals. It was all a fascinating, if sometimes painful, experiment.

This article originally appeared in VG‘s June ’11 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.