Tag Archives: Country rock

ALBUM REVIEW: FRUIT BATS – ABSOLUTE LOSER

fruitbats

Background
Fruit Bats is an American rock band formed in 1997 in Chicago, Illinois. Noted as an early entrant into the folk-rock boom of the early 2000s, the group has had many personnel changes but revolves around singer/songwriter Eric D. Johnson. Two years after announcing the demise of Fruit Bats, Johnson is back with a new Fruit Bats album.

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FREE STUFF: THE UNIVERSAL MUSIC – POWER OF POP DON HENLEY GIVEAWAY!

don-henley-cass-county

The kind folks at Universal Music Singapore have FIVE (5) Cass County CDs to give away to lucky PoP visitors. All you have to do is to re-read our review of Don Henley’s country-rock opus here and answer this question:

Which famous rock star sings with Henley on “Bramble Rose”?

Easy-peasy right? Send your answers to with your full name, NRIC No., mobile number and of course, home address and a Cass County CD is yours! First come, first served. Power of Pop’s decision on who is or isn’t a winner is final and conclusive. (For Singapore residents only)

Cass County can be purchased here.

LISTENING BOOTH: CHAMBERLIN – “YOU CAN CALL ME AL”

Contrary to what most of you might think, I am not against covers – well, I am dead against carbon copy covers – but when a band is able to put its own spin on familiar favorites so that you’re forced to re-assess the song from a different perspective, well that takes talent and skill, folks. So am deeply tickled by this amazing version of Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” by country-folk-rock outfit Chamberlin as the band channels Neil Young/Crazy Horse to achieve its aim. Well done!

Official Site

… and for those of you too young to remember the 80s…

 

LISTENING BOOTH: YOUNG VOLCANOES – “TRAFFIC” [STREAMING]

Multi-instrumentalist, Zac Clark, known for his work with The Queen Killing Kings [Wind-Up Records] and Smoke Signals, has been keeping himself busy as an active touring member of Vermont’s Chamberlin and prepping for the launch of a project that finds him truly coming into his own, entitled Young Volcanoes. If “Traffic” is any indication, I am certainly looking forward to listening to more from Young Volcanoes, for its wonderful evocation of 70s country-rock stylings. In addition, after losing his mother to cancer, Clark looked to use his talent to help the cause and raised thousands of dollars through Pledge Music to support Burlington’s Cancer Patient Support Program. The Young Volcanoes project will continue to support this cause.

Official Site

PoPTV – WINFRED E. EYE

 

Moving On

Mixing rock n’ roll with country boogie, with a crooner’s touch, Winfred E. Eye – who hail from Oakland, California – is a band that sticks to the good old school rock philosophy of music with heart. Moving On is the lead track from the band’s fifth album – Today Was Another Day – being released in January 2012. The song is wistful and winsome and difficult for true blue country rock fans not to fall head over heels in love with.

Official Site

LIVING IN THE PAST

Originally posted at Fufkin.com about a decade ago. Thanks to Sameer for the inspiration to dig it out…

Gram Parsons, Grievous Angel

Gram Parsons died in 1973 of a drug overdose aged 26 at Joshua Tree, California.

27 years later, his influence is greater than ever. Yet, he died in relative obscurity. Gram left behind a small body of work that continues to touch, excite and inspire musicians to this very day — Gram called his work, Cosmic American Music.

And it is the potency of Cosmic American Music that moved the likes of Sheryl Crow, the Pretenders, Beck, Juliana Hatfield et al to pay tribute to this legend in the Return of the Grievous Angel album.

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ATLANTIC/PACIFIC

ATLANTIC/PACIFIC Meet Your New Love (No Sleep)

NY-based duo Atlantic/Pacific, aka Garrett Klahn (Texas is the Reason) and John Herguth (House & Parish, The Love Scene) has been likened to the old world charms of Fleet Foxes and post-punk cool of The Smiths. Meaning of course, warm melodies/harmonies and sophisticated arrangements. Songs like the jazzy Patterns, the epic Shore to Shore and the U2-channeling faux-anthemic Let Me Into Your Light provide a counterpoint to the largely rustic country-folk-pop repertoire.

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BLURB-O-RAMA

With the Decemberists’ new album – The King is Dead – adopting a clearcut country-folk-blues direction (review to come) and the UK music scene spawning it’s own dedicated 70s retro-country-folk scene (Mumford & Sons, Laura Marling, Noah & the Whale, Bombay Bicycle Club et al), it’s almost tempting fate to suggest that there is a neo-country wave coming in 2011. There’s nothing particularly new of course about all this, as we’ve had country-rock bands since Gram Parsons joined the Byrds and convinced to play the Grand Ole Opry and the Band got out from behind Dylan and began making its own brand of wild alchemy at the Big Pink but… I for one will be over the moon if this all comes to pass. In the meantime, here’s a few country-folk-blues gems you may have missed in 2010.

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THE REDEMPTION CENTER

THE REDEMPTION CENTER Land of Plenty (Blind)

Regular PoP visitors will be aware of my weakness for the gorgeous hybrid of country music and pop-rock that may be variously referred to as country-rock, alt-country, roots-rock, Americana or as the late great Gram Parsons defined it, “Cosmic American Music”. I personally believe that at its best, this country-rock hybrid is at its core, soul music. It’s basic and heartfelt, with words and music that tug at your heartstrings. What more could anyone want from good old fashioned popular rock music?

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