There's something be said for sticking to your roots, and on their latest album, World Boogie Is Coming, the North Mississippi Allstars really do bring it on home. They went to the heart of the Mississippi hill country on tunes by such area legends as R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Otha Turner, and cranked the authenticity … Continue reading The North Mississippi Allstars bring it on home with help from Robert Plant
Category: sounds of the south
The stars came out for Gov’t Mule’s Shout!
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 23, 2013 By Steve Newton What do Elvis Costello, Ben Harper, Dr. John, Grace Potter, Steve Winwood, and Dave Matthews have in common? Well, apart from the fact that they’re all certified rock stars in their own right, they each sang lead on a track on Shout!, the new album from … Continue reading The stars came out for Gov’t Mule’s Shout!
Dr. John is still rubbing elbows with the elite
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 4, 2004 By Steve Newton You learn pretty quickly as a music writer not to put too much faith in recording artists' bios. Once in a while, though, the proclamations heard in those promotional sheets actually turn out to be true. Take the opening line of the current PR blurb … Continue reading Dr. John is still rubbing elbows with the elite
The ghost of Buford Pusser rises on the Drive-By Truckers’ Dirty South
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 21, 2004 By Steve Newton On the back of the booklet that comes with the Drive-By Truckers' latest CD, The Dirty South, there's a photo of a bare-chested toddler standing in front of Buford Pusser's gravestone. For the uninitiated, Pusser was the Tennessee sheriff whose brutal approach to law 'n' … Continue reading The ghost of Buford Pusser rises on the Drive-By Truckers’ Dirty South
Warren Haynes says Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks are “two distinctly different personalities”
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, NOV. 10, 2004 By Steve Newton When original Gov't Mule bassist Allen Woody died of a heart attack in August of 2000, he left a sizable pair of shoes that have taken bandmates Warren Haynes and Matt Abst more than three years to fill. At first, the two remaining members didn't … Continue reading Warren Haynes says Dickey Betts and Derek Trucks are “two distinctly different personalities”
The North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson says corn liquor is the secret ingredient of hill-country blues
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 22, 2005 By Steve Newton With its new CD, Electric Blue Watermelon, the North Mississippi Allstars head straight back to the hypnotic roots of the hill-country sound. On the track "Moonshine", singer-guitarist Luther Dickinson relives the group's youthful experiences jamming with late blues legend Otha Turner and playing all-night boogie at … Continue reading The North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson says corn liquor is the secret ingredient of hill-country blues
Nashville Pussy’s Ruyter Suys saw KISS in Vancouver on the Dynasty tour, with Loverboy opening
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, OCT. 20, 2005 By Steve Newton Nashville Pussy lead guitarist Ruyter Suys was born and raised in Vancouver, but for the last six years she's called Atlanta, Georgia, home. Her current location makes perfect sense once you sample the raunchy southern-fried boogie on her band's new CD, Get Some!. … Continue reading Nashville Pussy’s Ruyter Suys saw KISS in Vancouver on the Dynasty tour, with Loverboy opening
Gov’t Mule takes aim at the high and mighty
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, OCT. 12, 2006 By Steve Newton Warren Haynes spends a large part of his time with a guitar in his hands; for more than a decade he's been doing double duty with southern-rock legends the Allman Brothers and blues-rock kings Gov't Mule. So it's no surprise that the musician is pictured … Continue reading Gov’t Mule takes aim at the high and mighty
Jason Isbell splits from Drive-By Truckers and hits the road in a Ford Econoline E-350
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JULY 25, 2007 By Steve Newton When I hook up with former Drive-By Truckers guitarist-vocalist Jason Isbell on his cellphone, he and his backing band are trying to escape from Manhattan, searching for the Holland Tunnel en route to a gig at Pennsylvania State College. A casual query about the type of … Continue reading Jason Isbell splits from Drive-By Truckers and hits the road in a Ford Econoline E-350
Drive-By Truckers capture a raw, backwoods vibe
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, JUNE 25, 2008 By Steve Newton Along with the kind of gritty, triple-guitar southern rock their fans adore, the Drive-By Truckers are known for delivering the goods in the album-art department. For the last seven years, their recordings have featured the southern-gothic work of Virginia-based Wes Freed, whose dark depictions of … Continue reading Drive-By Truckers capture a raw, backwoods vibe
Drive-By Truckers make a departure
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, MARCH 9, 2011 By Steve Newton Last year the Drive-By Truckers released The Big To-Do, a raucous collection of southern-fried alt-country tunes highlighted by the exuberant single “Birthday Boy”. A totally different vibe typifies the band’s new album, Go-Go Boots, which is surprising since its material was recorded during the same sessions as … Continue reading Drive-By Truckers make a departure
Alabama’s joys and troubles inspire Jason Isbell’s songs
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON JUNE 8, 2011 By Steve Newton Being from Alabama certainly has its benefits, one being the fact that you can really put your heart into it when you sing the chorus of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s biggest hit. But for Jason Isbell, one of the joys of growing up in northern Alabama was being … Continue reading Alabama’s joys and troubles inspire Jason Isbell’s songs
Writing songs saved his life, says Patterson Hood
ORIGINALLY POSTED ON STRAIGHT.COM, SEPT. 26, 2012 By Steve Newton When he was 27 years old, Patterson Hood went through the most turbulent period of his life. His band broke up, he got divorced, and he had a falling out with his family, who he had been extremely close to. As he explains in the … Continue reading Writing songs saved his life, says Patterson Hood