OK…time for a little history lesson. Have any idea what took place exactly 150 years ago…on April 12, 1861? Well, at the early hour of 4:30am, the first shots were fired at Fort Sumter, beginning the Civil War. In what was to become the bloodiest war in American history, our society was forever impacted by what took place.  Throughout the turmoil of this war, many soldiers and families found solace or togetherness through music. Many songs were heard at campfires as the soldiers rested at night, or as they marched long hours trying to keep their minds occupied with anything else.  With the 150^th anniversary, Smithsonian Folkways is releasing a look at the music which became popular at this time. This 2 CD release includes “A Treasury of Civil War Songs” by Tom Glazer, along with “Civil War Naval Songs” by Dan Milner. Smithsonian Folkways always does it right, and this historical release is no exception. The best part of this expansive release is the extensive liner notes detailing the history behind each song. Each CD includes 38 pages of notes documenting the importance of the period, a story behind each song, along with some amazing images from the period as well.  Tom Glazer was a popular folk singer in the 1940’s through the end of his life in 2003. He had been invited to sing at the White house several times, and is perhaps best known for writing songs recorded by Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger, and Frank Sinatra. His vocals lend a solid foundation to these period songs.  Dan Milner is an established singer of mostly traditional Irish ballads/folk songs. This influence can certainly be heard in the songs performed here, which is fine since several songs from this period are mere adaptations of foreign country songs with the lyrics changed to fit our lives during the Civil War.  What is most interesting to me is to hear even the more popular songs that have endured over time, as they were originally written during this period. “The Battle Hymn of  The Republic” along with “Dixie” are of course familiar to everyone, but not often you hear all the lyrics as they were originally written with the song.  Also, there are several very poignant songs which one may wonder why they were more or less lost over time. Perhaps it is due to their controversial material at times, but they represent the time period very well.  These songs also tell a story in song, with historical reference and facts that many may have forgotten over time. The importance of John Brown for example is portrayed in the song “John Brown’s Body”. The naval songs in particular do a very good job of portraying the more significant ships during the period, including The Alabama, The Monitor, and The Merrimac.  The only issue I have with this offering is I kept thinking how much more could have been added if these songs were recorded by different artists. I believe this was done before in the 1960’s, and Pete Seeger was used to record several of these same songs. I think the hope here was by utilizing the same artist, the focus is on the music itself instead of how well the artist performed the music. "When Johnny Comes Marching Home " http://soundcloud.com/smithsonian-folkways/20-track-20-1 "The Monitor and The Merrimac" http://soundcloud.com/smithsonian-folkways/the-monitor-merrimac  It is hard to comprehend what life was like during this period. The angst and turmoil of war right at your front door is difficult to visualize, and something we hope never happens again. These songs deliver a glimpse back through time that should never be forgotten.

One of the treasures that I recently came across in my never ending endeavor for new music was the latest EP by Careless Hearts, entitled "Three Songs". Of these three songs I featured two of them on last weeks episode of The Americana Rock Mix, which can be found HERE. AND of those two songs, Careless Hearts recently released a video for one of them. Personally, after listening to the EP, I was both happy and disappointed. I was happy that I found some fresh music that was stuck in my head, and disappointed that I didn't have more of it to listen to. I really am interested to see what they're not sharing with me. (Stop being greedy, guys. Heh.) But fortunately for us, they are sharing the visual aspects of the music they have released with the music video for "I'd Be A Wreck". [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2nTsArlSC0[/youtube] For more info on Careless Hearts, check out www.CarelessHearts.com

How do you like your music? There are so many variations available today; to be honest I find it difficult to define some as even being musical. In Americana, we enjoy many different styles as well. Some artists are stellar on ballads…some stand tall on lyrical depth…while others can hit you from a variety of angles at one time. The Band Of Heathens are one of those rare talents which can do it all well, and leave you wanting more at the end.  With a new record out on March 29^th called “Top Hat Crown & The Clapmaster’s Son”, you immediately think this is going to be a wild ride…and it does not disappoint. From beginning to end, BOH takes us on an energetic journey of pure funk and soul.  With a majority of writing done by band members Ed Jurdi, Gordy Quist, and Colin Brooks, and supported by fellow band members John Chipman and Seth Whitney, BOH is a multi-headed force which demands your attention and gets you moving with their music, soul, and passion.  It is rare a band has the ability to combine quality harmonies behind this much power, but BOH does it very well. From the first song  a swamp rocker titled “Medicine Man”, the listener is hit with an energetic vibe that continues from song to song. BOH simply lets it all hang out here better than anyone…allowing the music to flow freely and unabashed.  The highlights are numerous…and all pure music lovers will find something to enjoy here. From the powerful soul driven “Should Have Known”, to the roots groove of “Enough”, to the gospel feel of “The Other Broadway” which takes you to the top of the mountain and allows you to enjoy the view with the rest of the record.  Simply put, this musical journey is non-stop and powerful. If you want reserved and mellow…this may not be for you…but then again perhaps it is time to indulge in something different...let yourself go and enjoy. In that case, go buy “Top Hat Crown & The Clapmaster’s Son”.

NPR.ORG DEBUTS OKKERVIL RIVER VIDEO FOR "WAKE AND BE FINE" FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM "I AM VERY FAR" (5/10, JAGJAGUWAR): LP Pre-Order Including Deluxe Limited Edition Available On JAGJAGUWAR.com RIGHT HERE "Wake & Be Fine" 7" Out 3/29 This morning, NPR.org premiered Okkervil River's new video for "Wake and Be Fine" from "I Am Very Far" (5/10, JAGJAGUWAR). Watch the arresting Daniel Gibbs directed video HERE Also today, JAGJAGUWAR launched pre-orders for 'I Am Very Far,' which include a deluxe limited edition package (details below), as well as the CD and 2xLP, all of which come with an immediate download in PDF format of the lyric book and a poster featuring the album artwork. Individual copies of the hardbound lyric book "I Am Very Far: The Lyrics" (out April 26 on JAGJAGUWAR) are also available for pre-order today. On March 29, JAGJAGUWAR will release a "Wake & Be Fine" 7" single featuring the b-side "Weave Room Blues," which the band performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon earlier this year. Watch the performances HERE U.S. tour dates in support of "I Am Very Far" kick off May 31 in Atlanta, GA. Stay tuned for more updates. "I AM VERY FAR" DELUXE EDITION CONTENTS: - 2x vinyl LP (side D is an etching) - CD with 24 page booklet - Exclusive 7" with demo versions of "Lay Of the Last Survivor" and "Piratess" - Hardbound lyric book - Laser cut card of the artwork (12x12) - Letter from frontman Will Sheff on Okkervil River stationery - Instant gratification download in PDF format of the lyric book - Branded wood box to hold it all Okkervil River 2011 U.S. Tour: 4/30 - Dallas, TX @ Gexa Energy Pavilion (w/ Arcade Fire) 5/31 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse * # 6/01 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle * # 6/02 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club * # 6/03 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theatre * # 6/04 - New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place * # 6/07 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5 # 6/08 - Boston, MA @ Royale * # 6/09 - Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom * # 6/10 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre * # 6/11 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall * # 6/12 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue * # 6/14 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown * 6/15 - Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theater * 6/16 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge * 6/17 - Boise, ID @ Egyptian Theatre * 6/18 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre * 6/20 - Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theatre * & 6/21 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom * & 6/22 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fox Theater * & 6/23 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern * $ 6/24 - San Diego, CA @ The Belly Up Tavern * $ 6/25 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre * $ 6/28 - Lubbock, TX @ Jake's * $ * w/ Titus Andronicus # w/ Future Islands & w/ Julianna Barwick $ w/ NewVillager Okkervil River On The Web: http://www.okkervilriver.com http://twitter.com/okkervilriver http://www.facebook.com/okkervilriver http://www.myspace.com/okkervilriver

I love and respect bands that include an upright bass.  I love the unmistakable sound a feel it gives the music, and I respect anyone who will lug that beast around from gig to gig!!  Of course the bass is only part of what I love about Cousin Harley's disc It's A Sin. Think a big dose of Stray Cats best stuff along with some of the surf guitar sound of Dick Dale, and a dose of steel guitar and you have an idea what this awesome disc has in store for ya!  Cousin Harley basically IS Paul Pigat, a whiz on guitar, who also provides vocals, produced the disc and wrote most of the material. Cousin Harley is Paul's rockabilly alter-ego.  He is joined by bass slapping Keith Picot and drummer Jesse Cahill. Paul also plays under his own name, and released a slower more subdued disc of tunes called Boxcar Campfire in 2009 which has Paul exploring country blues.  With a preview like that where would you guess the band is from; North Carolina, Texas, perhaps even California?  No, Western Canada.  Good music knows no boundaries. Paul also plays under his own name, and released a slower more subdued disc of tunes called Boxcar Campfire in 2009 which has Paul exploring country blues. He also fronts a jazz group called The Paul Pigat Trio playing vintage be-bop and jazz standards a la Charlie Christian and Les Paul.  You've got to be kidding me!! It's A Sin is just plain fun to listen to.  It is packed with 13 great tunes, including a few high energy instrumentals.  Got as party coming up?  How about rockin out to Beaver Fever, or Swingin' Like A Mofo, or perhaps have an order of Spaghetti No Sauce.  One of my favorites on the disc is the only tune not penned at least in part by Pigat, I'll Keep My Old Guitar, by Adolf Hofner who had a band called Adolf Hofner and His Texans back in the 30's and 40's.  (Obviously Pigat is a student of his craft!) I love the chorus of the tune: Women O Women  O everywhere,  no matter where they roam;  there they go, but in the end, they will do you wrong. You can talk about your hot redheads, you can talk about your blue-eyed blonds you can talk about your brunettes, but I'll keep my old guitar. If you like good music, or just about any genre, check out Paul Pigat, but especially this awesome disc!! Check out the band playing the first cut off the disc, Conductor Man. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_a4X8stlGc[/youtube]

My 9 year old son lives on a steady diet of Usher, Katy Perry/ Springer and Lady Blah Blah, so for his ears to perk up when I put one of my discs on is an event of note (no pun intended).  Such was the case when I recently popped in You Can't Keep A Good Man Down by Big Joe and the Dynaflows.  Now he requests the title cut every time he gets in my car, and even knows it is track "1" on the disc.  No matter what disc I'm playing he wants me to "move it to track one", and sometimes I have to explain that "this isn't the Big Joe disc" to which I receive a grunted "Oh".  Kids especailly love something with a good beat, a good feel to it, and Big Joe certainly meets that requirement. Jump Blues best describes what Joe is laying down here, and a fine helping it is- the kids even like it! Big Joe Maher is actually a drummer, a bit unusual as the namesake of a band, but Joe provides the beat and the vocals for this fine unit. Joe has been touring for over 30 years, originally as a jazz drummer with such artists as Clark Terry and James Moody. He eventually moved on to backing up some of the blues greats, including Otis Rush, Jimmy Witherspoon and Earl King.  He eventually formed his own band, The Dynaflows.  This disc is the 3rd release on the Severn Labal for the D.C. area band, and consists of a mix of originals as well as some selected cover tunes, including Johnny Green's Someday and J. McShann's Confessin' The Blues. It is the originals on the disc that held the most interest for me, including the title track, and his ode to Evangeline.  This is one of those tunes you would swear you have heard before as you are hooked right away by the horn lines in the tune.  It harkens back to a fifties love song, slightly cheesy lyrics required and provided as follows: "You know her lips were like a flower, that seemed to bloom most every hour..." Big Joe's voice is strong and perfect for these tunes, and he is well backed by bandmates Kevin McKendree on piano and organ; Bill Campbell on bass; Rob McNelley on guitar and Dennis Taylor on sax. If you don't want the disc for yourself, buy it for the kids.  It may bet you out of having to listen to Hanna Urbana, or whatever the hell her name is!

Here's a live video of a new Frank Turner tune called If Ever I Stray that was recorded before a secret show at Santiago's in Leeds on March 5th.  It was recorded for a series of videos produced by the nice people over at www.WeAreGoodFolks.co.uk  and www.AnthologiesLeeds.com . [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/20778798[/vimeo] For more info on Frank Turner, check out www.Frank-Turner.com

STREAM THE MOUNTAIN GOATS NEW ALBUM "ALL ETERNALS DECK" AT NPR.ORG: http://n.pr/e4Moii This week, The Mountain Goats' new album "All Eternals Deck" (3/29, Merge Records) debuted at NPR.org as part of the "First Listen" series. Stream it in full through March 29 here: http://n.pr/e4Moii Last week, The Mountain Goats debuted "Birth of Serpents", the album's first single, on Letterman. Watch it here: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmBKKDxWJsk[/youtube] The Mountain Goats launch their tour in support of "All Eternals Deck" in late March, which includes 3 sold-out shows at NYC's Bowery Ballroom (dates below). The Mountain Goats Tour Dates: 3/24 Richmond, VA @ The National 3/25 Washington DC @ 930 Club 3/26 York, PA @ Strand-Capitol PAC 3/28 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out) 3/29 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out) 3/30 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom (sold out) 4/01 Boston, MA @ Paradise 4/02 Ithaca, NY @ Castaways 4/03 Toronto, ON @ Opera House 4/05 Chicago, IL @ The Vic 4/06 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge 4/07 Atlanta GA @ Variety Playhouse 4/08 Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat's Cradle 4/10 Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle 4/11 Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center 4/12 Pittsburgh PA @ Mr Smalls 4/14 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar 4/15 Philadelphia PA@ Theater of Living Arts The Mountain Goats on the Web: http://www.mountain-goats.com http://twitter.com/mountain_goats http://www.facebook.com/pages/the-Mountain-Goats/17314008126

I have to say, I was pretty stoked to find out that there is new Damnwells music on the way. And in less that a month! Their new album "No One Listens To The Band Anymore" hits the streets on March 15th. Download the mp3 of this song for FREE right HERE [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnSXElJkZxM[/youtube] Find out more about The Damnwells at www.TheDamnwells.com

Being a huge photography fan, I think I might just buy this cd for the awesome photo of Carrie on the front of the disc, but I suppose it will help sales that there is also a great disc inside! The recent Austin transplant  has just released her Red House Records debut, Call It My Garden.  It wouldn't suck to be her next door neighbor if you like music, she lives with Danny Schmidt.  The new disc was produced by Schmidt, and Colin Brooks, member of my favorite Americana act Band Of Heathens. Although Carrie has numerous guests playing a variety of instruments on the disc, the highlight instrument is far and away Carrie's wonderful voice. The energy of the disc is evident right from the start, the disc opening with the rousing tune Jesse Likes Birds.  Guest Trevor Smith shines on banjo on the tunes extended acoustic closing.  Good stuff. Most of the tunes on the disc are slower ballads, many with various folks backing of dueting with Carrie on vocals.  One of the most beautiful tunes on the disc, featuring a great mandolin line,  is St. Louis, about the Saint--- Louie, not the town. If you like acoustic Americana with some fantastic singing and great musicians, then you will certainly want to check out this fine disc!! Here is a video of Carrie singing a tune called Roots and Wings live at The Cactus Club in Austin. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44LWZai_1Y0[/youtube]