Turns out, I’ve been missing Nathan Bell for 15 years and
didn’t even know it. In the 90s, Bell stepped away from music and into a house,
a family, a regular job. Perhaps he needed that time to mature as a person
before he could write the songs on Blood
Like a River. Bell’s twelve tracks are just his vocals and acoustic guitar,
telling stories where he tackles some weighty emotional issues, including gay
marriage and adoption. Blood Like A
River runs somewhere between Springsteen’s stark Nebraska soundscape and
the haunted strains of Townes Van Zandt. Picks: Names, Really Truly.
This is one of those live records that make you want to
jump up and immediately go see the band play.
Blackberry Smoke unabashedly pump out what can only be called southern
rock, a swaggering mix of country, blues and good ol’ rock-n-roll. The band is
smart enough to weave Zep and Allman Brothers teases into their songs, and
talented enough to make music that takes the best of 70s southern rock and
filters it through the Bottle Rockets and Little Feat. Like Ronnie said in Sweet Home Alabama, “Turn it up.” Picks:
One Horse Town, Six Ways to Sunday.
Albert Camus said that “autumn is
a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” It’s also the second festival
season of the year. By now, you've been to the spring festivals, recovered, and
you've mostly taken it easy through the summer, but now you’re feeling like
it’s time to get out and see how much music you can cram into a short period of
time. Here’s a list of just a few of the festivals happening over the next
couple of months.
One of my favorite places to hear live music, this backyard venue
has boasted performances from the likes of Drive-By Truckers current and former
members Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and Jason Isbell (on separate nights),
Junior Brown, the Alabama Shakes, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Larry
Keel, Hurray for the Riff Raff and Lydia Loveless. This year’s artists include Nikki
Lane, Water Liars and Great Peacock. Emitting a down-home, easy going vibe, the
Waverly Boogie is the place to kick back and enjoy yourself. Kick your shoes
off, sit a spell.
The Americana Music Festival and Conference’s popularity is exploding
exponentially. A ticket to the AMA awards show is becoming a tough commodity
and the nightly showcases are routinely SRO with lines out the door, especially
at more intimate venues like the Station Inn. There are also events at both
Grimey’s and East Nashville’s Groove, Music City Roots, Musician’s Corner in
Centennial Park and this year there’s a Riverside Park concert with the Avett
Brothers. There’s a reason for all the
talk: With 165 artists and nine venues, this is simply the largest, best amalgamation
of American music anywhere east of San Francisco.
Why not venture over to Tallahatchie County to the 4th
edition of this festival, featuring Paul Thorn, Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State
Coalition, and Garry Burnside for some “food, music and healthy living,” as
their tagline suggests?
This remarkable festival has literally grown from the ground up. The Deadfields, The Bibb
City Ramblers, Wayne Minor Band, Sean Rox Trio, and Rick Edwards head up this kid-friendly, home-grown
rootsy festival, which is completely unique among Columbus events. This year’s
proceeds benefit Columbus Hospice. Come on out and celebrate Organic Southern
Life with folk art, music, local crafts, drum circle, food and more.
The 2nd edition of this festival looks intriguing, with
headliners Drive-By Truckers sharing top billing with Girl Talk, an electronic
music DJ who will be spinning amidst a mostly roots-oriented roster that
includes Lucero, Houndmouth, and Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. With a wine and beer tasting and a chicken
wing cook-off, this is like a festival I could easily find myself attending.
This year is possibly this festival’s strongest lineup yet and
that’s saying something, given their penchant for bigger and bigger names over
the past few years. Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group, Dr. John, The Indigo
Girls, Bela Fleck and Jason Isbell headline a deep roster of artists. Heck, I’d
show up just for the folks in smaller type, like Willie Sugarcapps, The
Wailers, American Aquarium, Tim Reynolds and Honey Island Swamp Band. This will be the tenth anniversary of the
first trip I made to this festival and my campmates haven’t ran me off yet.
This could be the year, though.
Also on the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park property, the
sophomore offering of Hulaween features three nights of The String Cheese
Incident, and lots of late-night mind-expanding music and art. A recent blogger
listed the Spirit of the Suwannee as one of the six best outdoor places to see
music. I will have to say I haven’t
found many that can compare to the location, vibe or atmosphere at this park
and I expect that this weekend will be an amazing experience.
Hulaween 2013 recap
Well, that should satisfy your musical
cravings for a couple of months, and if you happen to see Camus up on the rail
during a late-night set, don’t treat him like a stranger.
