No Joke with this band- Ha Ha Tonka

I first met the band Ha Ha Tonka on possibly one of their worst nights ever. They had been on one of their long tours across the country that a band needs to do to make a living. The van they had used on the tour had died a few days earlier and was 5 states away. They had put all of their equipment and bodies into the vans of the other bands on the tour. As you can imagine they were at the end of their patience. They had to make a decision as to whether to put a lot of money into the van or start the process of buying a new one once the current tour finished. I had been contacted by their manager Frank Hill to work the merch table for them in Baltimore. They had so much going on that I just tried to stay out of their way. I had never heard their music but figured that the show that evening wouldn’t be very good, with all that was on their minds. I thankfully couldn’t have been more wrong. From the moment they got on the stage, all that mattered was their music. From their kick ass songs to their beautiful harmonies they had the crowd right with them. They gained a number of fans that evening and a lot of respect from me.

The band formed in 2004 in Springfield, Missouri and are named after a state park in the Ozarks in Missouri. In 2007 when they signed with Bloodshot Records and released Buckle in the Bible Belt and followed it up with Novel Sounds of the Nouveau South in 2009. Their music combines elements of Americana, Southern Rock, Folk and some twang of Alternative Country. This is combined with a lot of sweet four part harmony. Usually during their shows they will lay down their instruments and send chills up your spine with their voices. But trust me these guys can rock and lay down a strong beat. They have toured with bands like Langhorne Slim and the Old 97’s. Their newest album Death of a Decade is their strongest to date. It really shows off their musicianship and diversity in their roots. It was one of my top 5 albums of last year. I know it is good because I am still listening to it months later. The songs build you up and take you with them. Enjoy this video of “Usual Suspects” from Death of a Decade. I chose this video to show off their harmonies but trust me this song can also rock out. Enjoy.

I have had the privilege of working the merch table for this band a few more times since we first met. Not only are they incredibly talented, but they are some of the nicest people I have ever worked with. They are always so gracious and I feel lucky to know them. They also have my favorite band tee shirt ever. Do yourself a favor and pick up some of their music and make sure to see them live when they come to your town. They write great songs and put on an amazing live performances. Everyone I have ever told them to see their shows, has agreed that their live show is outstanding (and usually end up buying a tee shirt because they are so cool).

Update: Two of my favorite bands have released new albums recently. Delta Spirit released a self titled album even though it is their 3^rd release. Heartless Bastards just released Arrow. Both are amazing and worth the purchase. You won’t be disappointed if you like either of the bands.

Old Friend, So Beautiful

When I started playing guitar in 1970, the first two songs I painfully (I can still feel my calluses burning) attempted to play with the record spinning were Paul Simon's "A Most Peculiar Man" and "Richard Cory," songs with which I could keep up with the basic chord changes....

I've been a devoted fan of Paul Simon's music ever since. All of Simon & Garfunkel's albums  had a huge influence on me.  From their work, I learned the importance of crafting intelligent lyrics with flowing melodies and beautiful harmonies. After their break-up, I continued to follow Paul Simon's music.  However, after his brilliant Graceland, I began to lose touch with his work.

I was optimistic about his 2006 release, Surprise, a collaboration with Brian Eno, another artist I've admired for a long time. However, I found the music disappointing.  It was not the best work of either artist.  To me this album sounded forced because their styles are so different.

So I ignored Paul Simon's April 2011 So Beautiful or So What release until December when it started showing up on several Best of 2011 lists that I respect.  Still, not tempted enough to purchase it for myself, I purchased it as a gift for my wife, an even more devoted Paul Simon fan than I am.

It's a wonderful album.  If I had a chance to redo my top 10 of 2011, it would be a part of that list (sorry, I don't know which album I'd drop).  Paul Simon's songwriting is in top form, and includes a new and most welcome edge. Simon, getting up in years (aren't we all), deals with heavy subjects, such as the question of the existence of God, with a whimsically dark humor.  Musically, the album brings in a cornucopia of the sounds of world music, all performed by top-notch studio musicians.  Further, the songs on the album are well designed with regard to placement, so that the songs flow musically well from one song to the next.

Enjoy the title cut, "So Beautiful or So What":



The lesson I take away from this experience is that while I enjoy hearing new young voices, I should never assume that the voices of mature "old  friends" no longer have anything to say musically.

Triple A Radio- Radio For Music People

I am very fortunate to live in Baltimore and have an incredible radio station to listen to. WTMD is an amazing station that plays a wide variety of music. It focuses on an eclectic mix of music that totally boggles the mind and pleases the ears. It has very knowledgeable disc jockeys who are passionate and educated about many styles of music. To top it all off, it is commercial free and broadcasts 24/7.

The format WTMD plays is known as Triple A which stands for Adult Album Alternative. It is a wonderful format that will play everything from new current indie rock to a heritage artist to blues to soul. That is what you may hear in just one hour on WTMD! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Scott Mullins who is the Program Director at TMD. He told me that Triple A is a descendent of free form radio which was very popular in the late 60’s and early 70’s with stations like the legendary WHFS. The free form and progressive radio of this era had disc jockeys playing whatever pleased them. Many did not have a play list and they played whatever music struck them at that moment. You might hear Frank Sinatra followed by a deep cut from Steppenwolf. All of this was a reaction to the spirit of the times and a rebellion against Top 40 and Pop radio with very tight play lists.

In the 80’s this free form radio had all but died out due to having to pay bills through commercial advertising as dictated by a few companies like Clear Channel. They bought up a ton of radio stations, many in the same city or market once deregulation was legalized by Congress. Radio formats became tighter and it was harder for new bands and music to break in to get radio play. Triple A radio stations started around this time which made it possible for people who really love new, interesting, and intelligent music to be exposed to new bands. It gave bands some insight into the local music scene and helped them build an audience. REM and the Counting Crows are bands that come to mind that early Triple A stations helped build an audience for.

While currently many Triple A stations are commercial, there are some great stations that are Public Radio Stations. WXPN, WYEP, WFPK, KCRW, and WFUV are some of the best known ones. Scott said that many of the non commercial stations have much more open play lists than the commercial stations. He said that they are not beholden to sponsors and have the freedom to play a wide variety of music. There are many variations of non commercial Triple A stations. Most will customize to their local communities needs. Therefore a station like WFUV out of NYC will focus more on folk music while WXPN focuses on a more diverse musical universe. WXPN also produces one of the most successful syndicated national programs called the World Cafe. These stations are the only formats playing local bands in a meaningful way. WTMD plays the locals right with the national acts and also has a program Baltimore Unsigned that interviews local bands every week. Here is a short video produced by Maryland Public Television about Baltimore Unsigned.

Scott said that a song in heavy rotation at WTMD will get played about 15 times a week while a Top 40 station might spin a song up to 50 times a week. You can see which station you will get more of a musical variety.

For those of you who are reading this and are jealous of a WTMD, I have great news for you. In this age of technology you can stream most of these stations on your computer. Many of these stations also offer an app for a smart phone. I know that WTMD offers one for free, so even when I leave Baltimore, WTMD is still with me. I encourage you to download this app and become a member of the station. You can click here to get to the home page of WTMD. Scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see links for the free mobile apps. This way you will always have great music to listen to no matter where you are. Who needs satellite radio when you can have a WTMD right at your fingers? WTMD’s slogan is “Radio for Music People.” They can easily be your music station also. Tell them Fletcher sent you.

Best of 2011

It's time again to pause, reflect and remember what we enjoyed listening to the most this year. My friend and co-blogger Fletcher again introduced me to terrific new bands, including Dawes, and Wye Oak, I also enjoyed new music from bands I've enjoyed for years, and I have a new band to introduce, Girls, that I think is terrific. In my 2010 post I mentioned that I was looking forward to new Decemberist and Damnwells albums. Both made it to my top 10 list this year.

Here's my list of my favorite albums of the year. Fletcher's post and list follows mine. Fletcher and I would love to see your comments, both pro and con, about our lists and we invite you to share your favorite music for 2011 in the comments section.

Top Albums of the Year (alphabetical by band)

The Damnwells, No One Listens to the Band Anymore-- This is one of my favorite bands. Alex Dezen's songwriting just continues to improve. Alex recently received an MFA from the University of Iowa and the results can be heard in his writing.
Dawes, Nothing is Wrong--Thank you Fletcher! What a treasure.
The Decemberists, The King is Dead-- Another unexpected and wonderful musical turn from this band. They prove time and time again that they can play any style of music. This album came out last January and still made my top ten. That says a lot!
Deer Tick, Divine Providence--Young, wild, innocently (or not so innocently) Dyonesian. This band has an incredibly high energy. Their music is terrific for working out.
Destroyer - Kaputt-- I love the tapestry of sounds on this album. One can hear a venerable smorgasbord of diverse forms of jazz and rock influencing the songwriting and performing on this album.
Drive By Truckers, Go-Go Boots-- More terrific stories from DBT. Sadly, I just learned that Shonna Tucker is leaving the band. I wish both her and the band the best as they move on.
Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost-- I love listening to this San Francisco band as they create a new sound from various vintage rock sources.
Tedeschi Trucks Band, Revelator-- I reviewed this amazing band earlier this year. I've enjoyed this album numerous times.
Wilco, The Whole Love-- Great songwriting returns, the band members are performing as rock-n-roll virtuosos, and the band is incredibly tight. Note: This has also been a terrific year for guitarist Nels Cline and Drummer Glenn Kotche. Nels Cline has rightfully claimed his place among Rolling Stone's top 100 guitarists of all time and Glenn Kotche was featured playing amazing original compositions on a Radiolab concert.
Wye Oak, Civilian-- Quiet, yet forceful with delightfully unexpected musical turns. This album was selected as the best album of the year by AVClub.

Honorable Mentions:
The Jayhawks, Mockingbird Time-- Old friends, Gary Louris and Mark Olsen and writing and harmonizing again. Enough said...
Nikki Jean, Pennies in a Jar-- Terrific debut by this songwriter. Her debut includes several guest performances and a song that she co-wrote with Bob Dylan.
Fountains of Wayne, Sky Full of Holes-- FOWs lyrics always bring a smile to my face. Their songwriting is solid throughout.
Amos Lee, Mission Bell--This singer/songwriter's 4th studio album highlights Mr. Lee's folksy bluesy sound.
Portugal The Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud:--Signing with Atlantic has not changed this band. Sonic landscapes abound.
Lucinda Williams, Blessed-- My favorite LW record in years. This album is blessed with strong songwriting musical performance.

Best Musical Moment
Rhett Miller and Alex Dezen put on an amazing show in front of a small but highly enthusiastic audience at Fizgeralds in Houston. I filmed them performing American Girl together.



Looking Forward to 2012
Esperanza Spaulding will be releasing Radio Music Society during the first quarter of 2012. I can't wait to hear where her musical muse is taking her. She's so eclectic that it could be almost anywhere.

Fletcher's Best

It is my favorite time of a musical year. It is the time when we get to go back and remember and reflect on all the great music, bands, songs, and moments. 2011 was a fantastic year musically. We saw a growth in the readership of our blog from both the US and other foreign countries. Larry and I both really appreciate your readership and will always try hard to try to turn you on to our favorite bands and music. We both take this responsibility seriously. It is a joy to just be able to write about bands that we care about and want you to learn about if you haven’t already. I really appreciate all your comments that you sent to me personally. Well let’s get on to the reason you read this.

I loved 2011. It brought back some great bands that I love and it brought some remarkable new bands. This year some of my favorite songs came from my favorite albums. So here is my top five albums with my two favorite songs from each one.

Fletcher's Best of 2011 Picks

Top Albums of the Year (listed alphabetically by band) I have spent a lot of time putting in links for every song, so please take a while and enjoy them. I want this to be interactive and you to be able to spend some time with this great music!!

The Damnwells, No One Listens To The Band Anymore-- Coming back after a few years, Alex Dezen is one of the best songwriters and voices in the business. "Heart beats on the fault line of love and doubt and wasted time"are the opening lyrics to "Werewolves". Whole album is full of these type of lyrics. Doesn't get better than this. Listen to “Werewolves” and “The Great Unknown”. You won’t be disappointed.

Dawes, Nothing Is Wrong-- A great sophomore album. Strong from top to bottom. Taylor Goldsmith is at the top of his game and is going to have a long career. Listen to “Time Spent in Los Angeles” and “If I Wanted Someone”.

Givers, In Light-- This band kills it live and has earned a well deserved reputation. I loved their debut album. Their time changes and syncopation draws you right in. Very young band out of Louisiana and very very good. Listen to “Saw You First” and “Up,Up,Up”. I love everything about them. Potential to be huge.

Ha Ha Tonka, Death of a Decade-- This band out of Missouri also kills it live. A bunch of really nice guys who are talented as hell. Listen to “Usual Suspects” and “Westward Bound”. Do not miss the opportunity to see them live. They also have my favorite t-shirt ever!!! Sell a ton of them whenever I work their merch table.

Portugal the Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud-- This under rated band just keeps putting out great music. This album is simply breathtaking. So much going on. Listen to “Got it All” and “Head is Flame (Cool with it)”. Brings you back to the psychedelic 60’s.

Top Songs of the Year (listed alphabetically by band)

Nicole Atkins, Vultures-- This opening track must be talking about her troubles with her former major label. After a few years dealing with those issues, it is great to have her songs and marvelous voice back.

Birds and Arrows, Mountain Air-- More great harmonies from this North Carolina husband-wife team. I love their sound especially with the depth of a cello in a folk rock band. Not to mention they are the nicest and kindest people. Check them out.

Decemberists, Calaminty Song---A great roots album from this band. Really went out on a limb and it all worked.

Dirty Guv’nahs-Baby We Were Young- A Southern rock and blues based band out of Knoxville. Lots of guitars and strong songwriting. Great voices. Great guys.

The Head and the Heart, Lost In My Mind--This Seattle bands album was a real surprise. Love the way this song builds. My idea of a perfect song.

The Jayhawks, She Walks in so Many Ways-- It is so great to have this band back with their beautiful harmonies and melodies.

Vandeveer, Dig Down Deep-- It is stunning what a guitar and two hauntingly gorgeous voices in perfect harmony can do. Stark and striking. Become familiar with them, please.

We Are Augustines, Chapel Song-- Just a great song from this high energy band. They leave everything on the stage live. Joe Strummer would be proud.

Wilco- Art of Almost- I have been a huge Wilco fan from the beginning. Haven’t really liked the past two albums. After hearing this opening song I knew they were back in form. One of the best opening tracks to an album I have ever heard. Wow!!

Wye Oak-Civilian- A great song from the musical pride of Baltimore. This album made a ton of critics year end lists and deservingly so. They had an amazing year. Don't miss this band live if you ever get the chance. Will blow you away.

Best Musical Moment

I had the honor and privilege of working the merch table for a series of East Coast dates with two of my favorite bands- The Damnwells and Harper Blynn. Had a blast with all these great and talented guys. Would do it all again in a heartbeat. Thanks for making me feel like I was 29 again.

Thanks to all the bands who trusted me working their merch tables this year. Always great meeting you and your fans. Always grateful.

Looking forward to in 2012

New albums dropping from Heartless Bastards, Delta Spirit, and Harper Blynn. Have had the fortune to hear a lot of the new Harper Blynn songs. It won’t disappoint.

The Band That Changed My Life- The Jayhawks

This is the band that changed my life musically. I am not overstating the significance and impact that this band had on me personally. Most of my life I had only had access to Top 40 or Alternative radio stations. Therefore my music taste was decided by radio programmers who played music based on what would bring in sales income to the station. So I had not been exposed to music out of the mainstream. I moved to New York City and had the privilege of being turned on to WNEW which at the time was playing what would become AAA (Adult Album Alternative) music. WNEW is the station Lou Reed referred to in his classic song “Rock and Roll”. One day I was listening to the legendary Scott Muni and heard a song by The Jayhawks. The song was “Waiting for the Sun” from their 1992 Hollywood Town Hall album. I was frozen in awe. I couldn't move. The music had so much depth and absolutely the most beautiful harmonies I had ever heard. The lyrics had meaning and really spoke to me. A few weeks later the station sponsored a free live outdoor show and I went to see what they were all about. After seeing them I first learned about what was going to be known as indie music. I was again in total admiration of this amazing band. The moment I purchased the album it changed the way I listened to music up to this day. From them I learned of many other amazing bands that radio stations were not playing and to this day continue my quest for bands that I can write to you about and hopefully turn you on to. Bands who craft intelligent music that speaks to us as individuals in a variety of ways. Bands who are talented and are playing music that motivates them, not driven purely by sales.

The Jayhawks were formed in 1985 in Minneapolis out of some other local bands. They had a strong roots and country rock influence led by the dynamic songwriting/ singing team of Gary Louris and Marc Olson. They released two albums on smaller labels and were at the forefront of what was going to be known as alternative country. They were then signed to Def American which has become American Recordings label and in 1992 they put out the album that changed my life. Just when I thought that I couldn't hear anything better, they released Tomorrow the Green Grass in 1995. To this day it is still one of my favorite all time albums. Its perfect songwriting and beautiful soaring vocals still sends chills up my spine today. “Blue” is also one of my favorite all-time songs. At the end of 1995 Marc Olson announced that he was leaving the band. They spent the next few years with a revolving cast of members, but in my opinion without the Olson/Louris combination, the band was a shell of its former self. By 2003 and three more albums they realized this also and called it quits.

What a surprise it was to me in September of this year that they released a new album called Mockingbird Time. I was skeptical at first and then I learned that Olson and Louris were back together again with some of the original members and the best of the previous formations. I had to give it a listen. While it may not be the best Jayhawks album it is certainly the best since Green Grass. To me personally just hearing the exquisite harmonies once again is worth the price of the album. Please enjoy the video and harmonies of “She Walks In So Many Ways” from the new album:

I am so pleased to be able to re-introduce this band to you. They are more than worth finding out about and listening to both their old and new music. They are a band that many current bands refer to as being a major influence on. If you listen to them, you will see why this is true. Just maybe they will change your life.

Larry Adds: I love learning how transformative The Jayhawks were in Fletcher's musical journey. When Fletcher introduced me to the band in 2000 they had a profound influence on me as well. In my case I had first listened to alternative music (called progressive music at the time) on Georgetown University's WGTB. When that station was sold for $1 in 1979 I lost my source to new music and gradually over time, lost touch with progressive music.

Like Fletcher I was drawn to the Jayhawk's harmony and intelligent lyrics. I also like the way that the Jayhawks can pull unexpected turns in their music so effectively. For example, they turn a lament into an anthem in "Blue".

I respectfully differ with Fletcher about one album without Olsen. I really enjoy 2003's Rainy Day Music. While I miss the Olsen/Louris harmony I think Louris exhibited extremely strong songwriting on this album. To me all of the songs on this album are excellent. From the lament, "All The Right Reasons" to the sadly humorous "Save It For A Rainy Day" I think this album is quite good. That said, I strongly agree with Fletcher that the Jayhawks best album is Tomorrow the Green Grass.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the band live 3 times. Most recently I caught the finale of their 2011 tour at the House of Blues, Houston. I can happily report that their live sound is still tight and terrific.

I'm forever grateful to Fletcher to introducing me to 21st century alternative music and the Jayhawks for being the band I first listened to when I started listening to new music again.

If you have been hesitant about listening to new music I strongly encourage you to give The Jayhawks a listen.