Peter Oren, ‘Throw Down’

Should musicians use their voices for the greater good, or should they just shut up and sing? It’s an eternal battle, heightened in the age of Trump. There are protest anthems meant to be a soundtrack to change or the spark of a revolution — and then there are melodies that exist as a distraction from the world around us. I’ve always gravitated to lyrics that are driven by political fury: Songs tend to say everything best, anyway, and cries of social justice are no exception. From Buffalo Springfield to Conor Oberst, Rhiannon Giddens, and Sturgill Simpson, these moments have never felt more urgent.

Peter Oren cuts straight to the point on “Throw Down,” the newest release from his forthcoming album, Anthropocene. With a voice as deep and mysterious as an ancient well, Oren doesn’t just engage in ideas and thought, he launches a plea to rally forth. “Fuck the law, if I ain’t got a say in it,” he sings, set to some menacing strings that march forward like a street flooded with protesters. This isn’t some gentle call to stand up and preach, it’s a musical declaration to rise and demand a world that looks different — one that sees all people as equal and values the environment as much as an easy buck. “How long will we wait for change?” he wonders, his vocals rattling the walls and shaking the rafters. It’s a question we all should be asking, with a universal answer: We’ve been waiting long enough.

Best of: Austin City Limits

As the longest-running music program in television history, PBS’s Austin City Limits holds a very special place in music history. While the show was originally developed by Bill Arhos, Paul Bosner, and Bruce Scafe to feature the thriving music scene in Austin, Texas, it is now famous for bringing a wide variety of musical genres into American living rooms each week. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archive is busy preserving 40-plus years of ACL footage, but here are five of our favorite performances you don’t want to miss:

Willie Nelson — “Bloody Mary Morning”

Let’s start where it all began! Willie Nelson made quite an impression on viewers and PBS, when he starred in the first episode of ACL recorded back in October 1974. We have him to thank for helping the show become the staple of music television it is today.

Shovels & Rope — “Bad Luck”

Husband-and-wife duo Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst give their all in this high-energy performance of “Bad Luck.” We think you’ll agree that the sped-up tempo of this live version makes it even better than the original studio recording. We can’t help but move along to the driving beat!

Rhiannon Giddens — “Julie”

In this web exclusive performance of her song “Julie,” Rhiannon Giddens breathes to life a conversation between a slave and her mistress during the Civil War, demonstrating her investment in the rich and complicated history of the South, as well as her enchanting storytelling abilities.

Shakey Graves — “Roll the Bones”

Austin native Alejandro Rose-Garcia, known professionally as Shakey Graves, exemplifies the wealth of hard-working musicians coming out of the Live Music Capital of the World today. For his ACL debut, Graves took to the stage with his electric guitar, suitcase kick-drum, and gritty voice for this crowd pleasing performance of “Roll the Bones.”

Sturgill Simpson — “I’d Have to Be Crazy”

It is only fitting to end with Sturgill Simpson’s cover of Willie Nelson’s “I’d Have to Be Crazy.” Simpson’s endearing demeanor and country twang do wonders in this tribute to the ACL Hall of Famer.

ANNOUNCING: 2017 Americana Music Awards Nominations

Today, the nominees for the 16th annual Americana Music Association‘s Honors & Awards show were announced during an event at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted by the Milk Carton Kids and featuring performances by Jason Isbell, Jerry Douglas, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley of the Drive-By Truckers, and Caitlin Canty. The winners will be announced during the Americana Honors & Awards show on September 13, 2017 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Album of the Year:
American Band, Drive-By Truckers, Produced by David Barbe
Close Ties, Rodney Crowell, Produced by Kim Buie and Jordan Lehning
Freedom Highway, Rhiannon Giddens, Produced David Bither, Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell
The Navigator, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Produced by Paul Butler
A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, Sturgill Simpson, Produced by Sturgill Simpson

Artist of the Year:
Jason Isbell
John Prine
Lori McKenna
Margo Price
Sturgill Simpson

Duo/Group of the Year:
Billy Bragg & Joe Henry
Drive-By Truckers
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
The Lumineers

Emerging Artist of the Year:
Aaron Lee Tasjan
Amanda Shires
Brent Cobb
Sam Outlaw

Song of the Year:
“All Around You,” Sturgill Simpson, Written by Sturgill Simpson
“It Ain’t Over Yet,” Rodney Crowell (featuring Rosanne Cash & John Paul White), Written by Rodney Crowell
“To Be Without You,” Ryan Adams, Written by Ryan Adams
“Wreck You,” Lori McKenna, Written by Lori McKenna and Felix McTeigue

Instrumentalist of the Year:
Spencer Cullum, Jr.
Jen Gunderman
Courtney Hartman
Charlie Sexton

The Producers: Dave Cobb

Dave Cobb is the man with the Midas touch. Since the Savannah-born guitarist/producer started working his magic in the studio more than 10 years ago, he’s produced some of the very best Americana records of the decade, including Sturgill Simpson’s High Top Mountain and Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, Chris Stapleton’s Traveller, and both of the brilliant solo recordings from America’s best songwriter, Jason Isbell. Cobb took time out from a session at his home studio in Nashville to speak with the BGS for the first in our series of interviews with producers about making records.

Dave Cobb: What’s happening?

Michael Verity: Not much. I have you down on my calendar for a chat.

Yeah, I remember, man. I’m a big fan of the Bluegrass Situation. You guys do some awesome shit.

Aw, thank you, man. We feel the same way about you!

You guys are one of the only real publications out there. It’s awesome, man.

Thank you! That’s always nice to hear. So, ever since I was a pup and I looked at the back of my first record album, which which was Bridge Over Troubled Water 

… oh, wow.

… and saw "Produced by Roy Halee" …

… one of my heroes …

… I’ve been fascinated by record producers. And then I read that Bridge Over Troubled Water was a template of sorts for Jason Isbell’s Southeastern.

Absolutely. I’m a huge fan of Roy. He’s kind of it for me. And yeah, about Southeastern: We met about two weeks before we recorded and it was hilarious because all I did was talk to him for a second then go, "Let me play you a record." And I played “The Only Living Boy in New York.”

That’s one of my favorite songs of all time. I think it’s one of the most brilliant productions ever. I pointed out that when you think of Simon and Garfunkel, you think of acoustic guitar. You never think of a band or of production. But, if you listen to that record, it’s so badass. They’re singing in cathedrals, there are loops going on. The kitchen sink’s on that record — harpsichords and bells — but it still feels like an acoustic record. And that was the template for Southeastern … to make a record that feels acoustic but not be purely acoustic. It’s awesome that you pointed that record out because it was absolutely the template. [Laughs] Even though Southeastern sounds nothing like it.

Sonically, Bridge Over Troubled Water really summarized much of what was created by the Byrds, the Beatles, and the Beach Boys, and then took it to the next logical step. And opened the door for the kind of productions Gus Dudgeon did with Elton John, for example.

Absolutely. I love those records, too. Tumbleweed Connection is one of my favorite records of all time, as well. You’re absolutely right. Man, you know your stuff.

In my opinion, “Cover Me Up” is one of the best Americana songs to have been recorded in the last 20 years.

Oh, wow.

If I were to put it under a microscope, how many of your fingerprints would I find on that song, do you think?

I had read about the recording of “Mrs. Robinson.” They said the guys recorded that song minus the band and then, after they got the track, they added the band — the Wrecking Crew guys — and that’s why the song feels so good … and moves. So I thought, "I don’t want to influence Jason at all. I don’t want anybody influencing his timing. I don’t want anybody influencing his ebbs and flows, his getting loud and getting quiet."

We were recording at this little tiny studio in the back of my house and it’s a little bit small, a little bit confined. We wanted him to be able to stretch out. So we ran lines into the house and put him in the kitchen, where’s he’s looking out over Nashville. There's nobody else around; he’s in the house completely alone and we’re down in the studio, listening.

So we had him record the song — as well as two or three other songs on that record — completely by himself, acoustic. After we got the track, we added the slide and the Mellotron and the bridge, things like that. 

It’s very simple and it’s supposed to be simple. I think, normally, when people try to record that kind of thing, they get everybody together, and they have a click track. They’re trying to get a really great take and then comp it to go. “Cover Me Up” is a pure performance, a one-take track with just a little bit of sweetening, which was my contribution.

With a Mellotron. Which was an Elton John instrument, right?

I think a lot of people used it. The Beatles used it. The Bee Gees. Back in the day, if you couldn’t afford strings, you got a Mellotron. I think it’s a wonderful instrument and a great way to create some atmosphere. We keep coming back to the same record, but on Bridge Over Troubled Water, there are strings and all kinds of stuff — like the Mellotron. It's an affordable way to get ahold of a glockenspiel or a marimba or whatever crazy instruments you can think of.

The funny thing about “Mrs. Robinson,” as you tell the story about adding the band afterward, is that Paul Simon supposedly didn’t even know they did that. He had gone off to Europe and, when he landed back in New York, he heard it on the radio and was like, "What the hell?"

He probably smiled all the way to the bank on that one.

Not to overstate the whole Bridge Over Troubled Water thing, but on the new Jason record, you can kind of draw some dotted lines between the two albums … the reverb on the drums on “Children of Children,” for example.

Oh, for sure. It’s old chambers — like the echo chamber at Sound Emporium, the studio that Cowboy Jack Clement built back in the '60s. It’s a really beautiful sound; you really can’t fake that. On “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” they were using an elevator shaft.

I know, right? Isn’t that cool? I was looking at the video about the making of [Isbell’s] “24 Frames.” Was your input as we saw it in that video indicative of how you work with musicians?

Yeah. When I go into the studio, I’m kind of the "fifth member." I like to be in the room with the artist and have an instrument on, whether I play on the record or not. It’s a tool to speak the language, to suggest melodic ideas, and push and influence the tempo and the like.

There’s a guy, Jimmy Miller, one of my favorite producers ever, who produced the best Stones stuff — from Let It Bleed to Exile [On Main Street]. The Stones really found their swagger with him. He’d get out there and play percussion or drums or whatever it took to get the groove. I think I kind of do that, as well, whether I have an acoustic guitar on or play percussion or whatever. I try to guide like that, without using clicks.

And with Jason, he’s really open and always very cool. He always has the songs; the songs are done because he’s an unbelievable writer. But with the little themes, the beginnings and ends and bridges, he’s always welcoming to ideas. We always have fun.

“The Life You Chose” and “Hudson Commodore” are my favorites on that album. The things I love about “The Life You Chose” are the idea of being “lucky” by losing three fingers — what delicious irony. And, right as he sings that line, there’s a cello that sneaks into the mix. It just floored me. I thought, “Dude, that is IT.”

Thanks, man. He always let’s me mess around and I love orchestrating. That’s the Mellotron again. That’s not even a real cello. The Mellotron lets me conduct a symphony in my own little studio.

Lindi Ortega did something cool — she recorded a little in Muscle Shoals, did a few tunes with another one of my favorite producers of all time, Colin Linden, and then tracked three of cuts with you. And it’s easy to tell which ones are yours. Just rock 'n' roll, baby. Did you have fun with that?

I love Lindi. I did her previous record, and I think she is such an amazing talent. Every time we work together, those vocals are live. Her songs are pure performance and we were just trying to capture lightning in a bottle. She’s so exuberant and alive and fun to work with … dancing while she sings, jumping around. I think you feel that on tape.

My other favorite you’ve done is Chris Stapleton’s Traveller which is a whole lot different than Lindi and Jason. To me, it has a much more glossy, rock 'n' roll sound. Should I trust my ears on that one?

Yeah. The guy who who engineered and mixed it was Vance Powell, a tremendous talent who did all the Third Man stuff, like Jack White’s records. We wanted a real simple, pure thing; that was driven by Chris. I love strings and stuff like that, but Chris was like, “Nah, no keyboards.” I think there’s like one hit of piano somewhere on the record.

But the way we did it was a really good idea. That guy's such an insane singer so we didn't want to let anything get in the way of the vocal. And he’s a phenomenal acoustic guitar player so we tracked it with him, a bass guitar, and drums, me on acoustic guitar, and his wife on harmonies. That’s pretty much what you hear, other than a few solo overdubs.

We had the privilege on working in RCA Studio A for much of that record and we had a blast. We’d show up at noon and goof around and talk and maybe order some food, talk over some drinks. We didn’t track until maybe 8 o’clock at night but, when we did, we’d get two or three masters. That’s what you hear on the record. It was such a fun session and a real lesson in recording when you’re inspired — not recording because you have a deadline. The label was great. They really let us stretch out. They were really supportive about it all, about having everybody in a good mood.

We talked a little about Jimmy Miller. Now let’s talk about Glyn Johns.

Glyn is my favorite engineer of all time. One of my favorite producers. His records were so hi-fi and beautiful. I think he made a great record with Ryan Adams with Ashes and Fire. I hear that record it makes me want to give up. I think I’m kind of a fake engineer. I work on the records, but I’m more of a songwriter kind of producer. His albums sound like music to me: guitar amps sound like guitar amps, singers sound like they're singing to you. I’m heavily influenced by him, especially by his rock 'n' roll records.

A good place to ask this question: Do you play with Europe? As in “The Final Countdown” Europe?

No, I don’t play with them. I produced their last album. I don’t play in the band Europe, no. [Laughs]

I was a little confused by that one.

Every once in awhile, I’ll jump on stage and play with them. When I was a kid, I used to play along with that stuff. Everybody did in the '80s.

The way that happened was, I produced this band called Rival Sons — they’re more of a traditional rock band. They do really well overseas, and the guys from Europe heard the record and called me about a year-and-a-half ago, asking me about working together. They called me thinking I’d be too cool to work with them, but I was really excited about it. I went over to Stockholm and we made a record that was awesome. It sounds like Black Sabbath or something. It was a lot of fun. We’re going to make another record again. They’re really good guys.

Has production always been in the back of your mind, even while you were in your own band … well before you did your first record with Shooter Jennings 10 years ago and started making a name for yourself?

I always wanted to be in a band and get a record deal and do it as a career. And my band did get signed and did a lot of heavy touring. But we signed a bad deal and got stuck, and if I recorded anything new with the band, it would go directly to the label that we hated. So that’s when I started taking production seriously. I’d met my wife by this time and I was ready to stop touring. I enjoyed playing shows and enjoyed recording records but I hated the road.

And I think when I was in bands, I used to drive everybody crazy trying to tell them what to play. Maybe I was douchier back then and production was a logical thing to do — start being a producer so people would actually start listening to you.

You've found your natural space.

Being a producer is like getting to be in a different band all the time. It’s a lot of fun. When you first join a band, it’s the most romantic thing. Then, after two or three years, you start hating each other. Being a producer, I get the first date kind of feeling all the time.

ANNOUNCING: 2017 Roots Music Grammy Nominations

Album of the Year:
25 — Adele
Lemonade — Beyoncé
Purpose — Justin Bieber
Views — Drake
A Sailor’s Guide to Earth — Sturgill Simpson

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album:
Human Nature — Herb Alpert
When You Wish Upon a Star — Bill Frisell
Way Back Home Live from Rochester, NY — Steve Gadd Band
Unspoken — Chuck Loeb
Culcha Vulcha — Snarky Puppy

Best Traditional R&B Performance:
“The Three of Me” — William Bell
“Woman’s World” — BJ The Chicago Kid
“Sleeping with the One I Love” — Fantasia
“Angel” — Lalah Hathaway
“Can’t Wait” — Jill Scott

Best Country Solo Performance:
“Love Can Go To Hell” — Brandy Clark
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert
“My Church” — Maren Morris
“Church Bells” — Carrie Underwood
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” — Keith Urban

Best Country Duo/Group Performance:
“Different for Girls” — Dierks Bentley Featuring Elle King
“21 Summer” — Brothers Osborne
“Setting the World on Fire” — Kenny Chesney & P!nk
“Jolene” — Pentatonix Featuring Dolly Parton
“Think of You” — Chris Young with Cassadee Pope

Best Country Song:
“Blue Ain’t Your Color” —  Clint Lagerberg, Hillary Lindsey & Steven Lee Olsen, songwriters (Keith Urban)
“Die a Happy Man” — Sean Douglas, Thomas Rhett & Joe Spargur, songwriters (Thomas Rhett)
“Humble and Kind” — Lori McKenna, songwriter (Tim McGraw)
“My Church” — busbee & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris)
“Vice” — Miranda Lambert, Shane McAnally & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)

Best Country Album:
Big Day In A Small Town — Brandy Clark
Full Circle — Loretta Lynn
Hero — Maren Morris
A Sailor’s Guide to Earth — Sturgill Simpson
Ripcord — Keith Urban

Best Roots Gospel Album:
Better Together —  Gaither Vocal Band
Nature’s Symphony In 432 — The Isaacs
Hymns — Joey+Rory
Hymns and Songs of Inspiration — Gordon Mote
God Don’t Never Change: The Songs of Blind Willie Johnson — (Various Artists)

Best American Roots Performance:
“Ain’t No Man” — The Avett Brothers
“Mother’s Children Have a Hard Time” — Blind Boys of Alabama
“Factory Girl” — Rhiannon Giddens
“House of Mercy” — Sarah Jarosz
“Wreck You” — Lori McKenna

Best American Roots Song:
“Alabama at Night” — Robbie Fulks
“City Lights” — Jack White
“Gulfstream” — Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Stars
“Kid Sister” — The Time Jumpers
“Wreck You” — Lori McKenna

Best Americana Album:
True Sadness — The Avett Brothers
This Is Where I Live — William Bell
The Cedar Creek Sessions — Kris Kristofferson
The Bird & the Rifle — Lori McKenna
Kid Sister — The Time Jumpers

Best Bluegrass Album:
Original Traditional — Blue Highway
Burden Bearer — Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
The Hazel and Alice Sessions — Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands
North by South — Claire Lynch
Coming Home — O’Connor Band with Mark O’Connor

Best Traditional Blues Album:
Can’t Shake This Feeling — Lurrie Bell
Live at the Greek Theatre — Joe Bonamassa
Blues & Ballads — Luther Dickinson
The Soul of Jimmie Rodgers — Vasti Jackson
Porcupine Meat — Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album:
The Last Days of Oakland — Fantastic Negrito
Love Wins Again — Janiva Magness
Bloodline — Kenny Neal
Give It Back to You — The Record Company
Everybody Wants a Piece — Joe Louis Walker

Best Folk Album:
Silver Skies Blue — Judy Collins & Ari Hest
Upland Stories — Robbie Fulks
Factory Girl — Rhiannon Giddens
Weighted Mind — Sierra Hull
Undercurrent — Sarah Jarosz

Best Regional Roots Music Album:
Broken Promised Land — Barry Jean Ancelet & Sam Broussard
It’s a Cree Thing — Northern Cree
E Walea —  Kalani Pe’a
Gulfstream — Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Stars
I Wanna Sing Right: Rediscovering Lomax in the Evangeline Country — (Various Artists)

MIXTAPE: 3rd & Lindsley

For music venues in Music City, the competition for both artists and audiences is stiff. But Ron Brice and his 3rd & Lindsley crew — which includes the same door man, head chef, and sound engineer since the club's opening — have made a successful go of it for the past 25 years. Along the way, they've enjoyed a weekly residency with the Time Jumpers (featuring Vince Gill), a 20-year partnership of weekly broadcasts on WRLT-FM, a talent buyer (Santo Pullella) whose first confirmed act was Chris Stapleton, and a calendar filled with legends — and legends in the making.

Here, Pullella selects some of the artists the club is proud to have hosted: 

The Wood Brothers — “Postcards From Hell”
Chris and Oliver Wood blew us all away with their 2006 debut album, Ways Not to Lose, and a performance at 3rd & Lindsley. Now, they’re an international success and one of the world’s best bands.

Sturgill Simpson — “Brace for Impact (Live a Little)”
Sturgill’s name and music had been on our radar, but when he opened for the Devil Makes Three in 2013 on a cold January Lightning 100 Nashville Sunday Night, it looked like the world would know him soon.

The Devil Makes Three — “Do Wrong Right”
We think about whiskey and dark places when we hear this band, and seeing them live is only a real good time.

Nikki Lane — “Seein’ Double”
She is living proof that it is "always the right time to do the wrong thing," and it really works for her! She’s just cool with always being herself — and that’s a unique woman.

Chris Stapleton — “Might as Well Get Stoned”
Chris is a man who worked so hard for so many years in Nashville until it all seemed to tip in his favor, all at once. We’re really happy for him … and even proud.

Lucinda Williams — “Can’t Let Go”
The legendary songwriter has no fear of digging deep into herself and showing it to the world.

Ray Wylie Hubbard — “Mother Blues”
Ray, the National Treasure! Storytellers do not get any better than Ray.

Paul Thorn — “Pimps & Preachers”
Paul is a part of the family here at 3rd & Lindsley. He walks in and its non-stop one-liner jokes and stories until the night is done. Killer band, killer show.

The Mavericks — “All Night Long”
When these guys got back together a few years ago, it was like a legendary athlete showing up at halftime, telling the coach he’s going in, and then taking over. And none can make their sound.

Sam Lewis — “3/4 Time”
We’ve been watching him for the past year, and he’s someone everyone should be watching with his style of blue-eyed country soul. There’s some Van Morrison, James Taylor, and a whole lot of Sam Lewis here! He’s doing a lot of dates this year with Chris Stapleton. The future is very bright for him.

Lake Street Dive — “Call Off Your Dogs”
We’re very happy for Rachael Price and the band. Many, many years of hard work is paying off.

Margo Price — “Hands of Time”
Another artist we’re so proud to see achieving what they deserve. Her two-night run this June sold out fast, and it doesn’t appear there is a limit to her success.


Lede photo: Lee Ann Womack performs during the 16th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference at 3rd & Lindsley on September 18, 2015 . Photo credit: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music.

Sturgill Simpson, ‘All Around You’

We probably shouldn’t even be doing this. To be honest, our first instinct was to respect Sturgill Simpson’s wishes that his third album, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, initially be listened to in its entirety, one side at a time, and not go out of the way to single out a certain track as a stand-alone entity. And, as an album, it is indeed masterful, flowing from one song to the next like the rolling waves he evokes in his mystical parable of the ocean as a metaphor for the future of his two-year-old son’s life. And, in an era where musical men are often measured by machismo, ruling the charts through tales of their lives as romantic conquistadors or truck driving kings, it’s a treasure to find a father so enchanted by the peaks and valleys of parenthood that he’s willing to devote not only an entire LP to it, but his first on a major label.

But it’s not really surprising for Simpson — though he’s sung about it, he never quite followed that “Long White Line,” and his last album, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, was devoted to love as our eternal savior. There are many poignant offerings to his child on A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, from life lessons to brutal apologies, but “All Around You” is perhaps its most perfect gift — not just to a son, but to anyone who happens to listen. Ushered in by horns courtesy of the Dap-Kings, it’s a ballad to guide through the darkest days — a reminder that even once his physical body is gone, the bond of family is eternal. Though he’s too coy, and too much of a universal poet, to ever mention exactly whom he’s talking to, because that burning heart can be anything, for anyone. A father, a mother, a lover, a God. Even when it beats to a stop like the pulse that closes out the song — the same pulse that, mind you, leads straight into another.

Because that’s the risk of any great love — by definition, it will one day be gone. On “All Around You,” it lingers, through the wail of a horn, Simpson’s deep, steely vocal, and a universe promising that anything worth loving in the first place will really stay alive above, around, and inside all of us. You don’t need to be a parent to understand that lesson — just a child.

3×3: Becca Mancari on Jennifer Knapp, Summertime, and the Blue Ridge Mountains

Artist: Becca Mancari 
Hometown: All over New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, but Virginia is my heart. 
Latest Album: “Summertime Mama” 
Rejected Band Names: Virginia Siamese … Year of the Horse … Lady Friend (Band names are terrible) 

What was the first record you ever bought with your own money?
I was 14 years old and the first record I ever bought was by an artist named Jennifer Knapp and the record was called Kansas … which I believe was her debut album. 

If money were no object, where would you live and what would you do?
Honestly, I would probably buy some land close to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and fix up an old farm house with a big front porch. I would let my dog Abe run free and probably get an old horse for him to be friends with. And I would write and tour from there. Okay, and you said money was not an object! I would also have a home in either Puerto Rico (where my mom is from) or Mexico, and learn Spanish and be warm in the winter time! 

If your life were a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack?
I feel like this is a really hard question because there are too many songs … but I'm going to give it a try. In no particular order: 
"Razor Love" by Neil Young 
"Boots of Spanish Leather" by Bob Dylan 
"I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to Be Free" by Nina Simone
"Down Along the Dixie Line" by Gillian Welch 
"I'd Rather go Blind" by Etta James 
"I Want You" by Bob Dylan 
"Clay Pigeons" by preformed by John Prine 
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver  
"Red Dirt Girl" by Emmylou Harris 
"Lulla" by Tinariwen 
"Sweet Wanomi" by Bill Withers 
AND on and on……………..

 

A photo posted by Becca Mancari (@beccamancari) on

What brand of jeans do you wear?
I have two great pairs of vintage Levi's that I love to wear. I wish I had a pair of Wranglers that fit well. 

What's your go-to karaoke tune?
Eeeee! I kind of hate to karaoke!! But I love to watch! 

What's your favorite season?
I love the hot Summer nights. So, I guess I am a Summer woman. 

 

A photo posted by Becca Mancari (@beccamancari) on

Kimmel or Fallon?
Hmmm that's a hard one … okay, okay Fallon. 

Jason Isbell or Sturgill Simpson?
Well, I think I have to say Sturgill, but respect both. 

Chocolate or vanilla?
Finally, no question here! Chocolate

3×3: Elephant Revival on Colorado, Karaoke, and What They Almost Named the Band

Artist: Elephant Revival
Hometown: Nederland, Lyons, & Boulder, CO
Latest Album: Sands of Now
Rejected Band Names: It’z Evolving, Rippin’ Britches 🙂

 

Thanks to @onthedlphoto for this great shot of our set at Red Rocks!

A photo posted by @elephantrevival on

What was the first record you ever bought with your own money?
Dango: Guns n’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction
Daniel: Bob Dylan – Live at Carnegie Hall
Bridget: Foo Fighters (self-titled)

If money were no object, where would you live and what would you do?
Dango: I’m very content living where I do and playing with Elephant Revival. Nederland is very beautiful, and it's a unique community full of interesting people. That said, I love the Oregon coast and Brevard, NC. Not to mention, many places overseas I have yet to be — such as the Isle of Skye.
Daniel: There are so many places I have yet to go, so in my finite knowledge, I’d probably buy some land in Colorado and buy a bunch of solar panels and a Tesla battery. Then I’d build a monolithic dome and a separate music studio and have it all be powered by the sun. I’d invest in an organic heirloom seed bank, buy some chickens and goats, and hire some friends to help grow some food.
Bridget: I would live in the mountains just outside of Boulder, up high and near the river. I would play music locally and teach kids for free!

If your life were a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack?
Dango: I’d create a mix-tape of Penguin Café Orchestra, Balmorhea, and Michael Nyman.
Daniel: "Tangled Up in Blue" and "The Times They Are a Changin’" by Bob Dylan, "Girl in the War" by Josh Ritter, "Born at the Right Time" and "You’re the One" by Paul Simon, "Hold On" by Tom Waits
Bridget: All the music of Béla Fleck, "Ripple" by the Grateful Dead, anything off Blue by Joni Mitchell

What brand of jeans do you wear?
Dango: Levi’s
Daniel: I have two pairs of jeans — Levi's and Kenneth Cole.
Bridget: I hardly ever wear jeans, but when I do, they are stretchy.

What's your go-to karaoke tune?
Dango: Don't do Karaoke
Daniel: "Redemption Song"
Bridget: "Stay" by Lisa Loeb

What's your favorite season?
Autumn

Kimmel or Fallon?
Yes & Colbert

Jason Isbell or Sturgill Simpson?
Both of them passing songs around the fire

Chocolate or vanilla?
Dango: Swirl
Daniel: Chocolate
Bridget: Chocolate


Photo credit: Angie Barnes

3×3: Rachael Yamagata on Woodstock, Sturgill, and Her Fear of Karaoke

Artist: Rachael Yamagata
Hometown: Arlington, VA
Latest Album: Chesapeake
Nicknames: Yams

 

Amsterdam this morning

A photo posted by Rachael Yamagata (@rachaelyamagata) on

What was the first record you ever bought with your own money?
It was a single actually — Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator."

If money were no object, where would you live and what would you do?
I’d split houses between Woodstock (where I live and love already), the Dominican Republic, and somewhere in Europe — Paris or somewhere in Tuscany, perhaps? I’d set up little studios in each and keep recording, but I’d also love to travel and do something physical while volunteering — e.g. building houses…

If your life were a movie, which songs would be on the soundtrack?
Ha! Who knows? I think it’d be an instrumental soundtrack. Maybe The Prince of Tides meets The Notebook meets anything by Danny Elfman.

 

Yes

A photo posted by Rachael Yamagata (@rachaelyamagata) on

What brand of jeans do you wear?
No clue. It’s all about the fit.

What's your go-to karaoke tune?
Karaoke scares the shit out of me, actually. I watch.

What's your favorite season?
The Fall

 

you complete me. First show tonight #pittsburgh, then #chicago and #minneapolis #denver

A photo posted by Rachael Yamagata (@rachaelyamagata) on

Kimmel or Fallon?
Both, for different moods.

Jason Isbell or Sturgill Simpson?
I think Jason Isbell is great. I don’t know Sturgill well, so now I’ve got a new artist to check out. Thanks!

Chocolate or vanilla?
Butter pecan


Top photo credit: Laura Crosta