Gothic Americana/ Alt-Country/ Dark Cabaret

Berni · 10-29-2009, 10:30 PM

I've never been to Georgia, but the folks we know from Athens come up here every summer for an event. I'd love to catch the drive-by truckers, Dexateens, or Dead Confederate at the 40 Watt though.

How could I have forgotten the Gourds? One of the best shows that I've ever seen was the Gourds. I think that they're from Austin. They really tore it up.

This week's episode at americanaroots.com (#53) is what they're calling "Creepy Americana". I guess Halloween brings out the darker country selections - although in this instance, even though the intro says it's gothic country, I only consider about half of the episode's selections as that.

LoathsomePete · 10-30-2009, 12:22 AM

I've decided to include Gothic Country's equally dark and disturbing cousin dark cabaret in the thread. It is essentially what it sounds like, it's a darker version of the cabaret genre. Very theatrical and vaudevillian; the songs end up sounding very mischievous and lyrics tend to lean towards disturbing to gruesome. Some artists that make up the genre:

Peculiar Pretzelmen
Circus Contraption
The Bad Things
Beat Circus
Rosin Coven
The Scarring Party
Harlequin Jones
Clare Fader & The Vaudevillains
The Dead Brothers
Reverend Glasseye & his Wooden Legs
Vermillion Lies
The Deadfly Ensemble

An Unkindness · 11-04-2009, 03:23 AM

I'm going to have to throw my hat into the circle about how great it is to find a real discussion of this somewhere. Lonesome Wyatt seems to be some sort of Internet research God as the only band I can really add to the list is Murder by Death. They're a little strange though, so bear with me. The first album, Like the Exorcist but with More Breakdancing is a bit more ambient in nature. The second album, Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them, is Gothic Western, the third, In Bocca Al Lupo, is more dark cabaret, and the fourth, Red of Tooth and Claw has a gothic western rock feel to it.

They're based out of Indiana and are the group that got me into this whole new and blessed side of country. Feel free to look them up and take a listen, and don't worry I'll stick around and defend them.

As far as the others listed:

Those Poor Bastards (Songs of Desperation and Satan is Watching are my favorites)
O'Death (Broken is my fav album, but Adelita is probably my favorite song)
The Builders and the Butchers (Both of those albums are freakin' great)
Reverend Glasseye (Sort of ambivalent towards them actually, some songs I adore, like King of Men, some I just skip past without a second thought)
William Elliot Whitmore (just skip the third album, "Song of the Blackbird")
Pine Box Boys (So utterly listenable. I'm starting a campaign for them and MBD to do the song exchange on the fourth of the MBD 7" series)
Lucero (Meh, but I only have Rebels, Rogues, and Sworn Brothers so maybe they have better stuff elsewhere)

Anyways, I'm getting tired and cranky so I'll continue later. I'm really interested in some Pinebox Serenade and Black River Brethren if anyone knows where I can grab some.

4ZZZ · 11-04-2009, 06:13 AM

Sorry but the link that you requested no longer exists. The site died a death sadly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by An Unkindness

I'm going to have to throw my hat into the circle about how great it is to find a real discussion of this somewhere. Lonesome Wyatt seems to be some sort of Internet research God as the only band I can really add to the list is Murder by Death. They're a little strange though, so bear with me. The first album, Like the Exorcist but with More Breakdancing is a bit more ambient in nature. The second album, Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them, is Gothic Western, the third, In Bocca Al Lupo, is more dark cabaret, and the fourth, Red of Tooth and Claw has a gothic western rock feel to it.

I have actually discovered this band in the last week and on only one or two plays of the highlighted album they are very very promising. I like their eclecticism. On your recommendation I will be listening to the others.

Berni · 11-04-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savannah

saddly i dont make it to georgia as much as i once did,.....

i've always loved radney foster, even way back in the foster and loyd days,..though sometimes he can be a bit commercial,...

I agree, his songs that I care for the least are sort of smarmy but, for some reason I can't fathom, tend to be the ones that get the most notice from the more general audience. Well, the guy has to make a living and even those songs are better than mainstream Nashville crap.
Anyway, I just found he's playing a single northeast show this month. I think it's the first one since I saw him in RI in 2000 and I'm excited. Heck, I once drove 300 miles to see the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash play at a dive in Ithaca, NY.

jerry jeff walker i grew up on, as i'm extreamly nostaglic about,....i have video tape of my five year old self standin on a bar in an ice house singin sangria wine long before i ever even understood more than the doodidoodiloos,....though his version of la freeway is my favorite, i fully

Awww! I can just picture it. The music I remember from that age was French Canadian fiddle and accordian stuff with people clog dancing on wooden floors.

hubbard,...screw you i'm from texas

'nuff said

as for the new gaurd,...randy rogers will be the downfall of texas country and he better thank god he has brady black playin fiddle for him otherwise no amount of pitch correction could save him

There's so much good stuff from there we can just agree to ignore Randy Rogers. Just like I prefer to think that Toby Keith and John Rich don't exist and really don't have fans.

But what do I know, as LL says "that's right, you're not from Texas"

savannah · 11-04-2009, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berni

There's so much good stuff from there we can just agree to ignore Randy Rogers. Just like I prefer to think that Toby Keith and John Rich don't exist and really don't have fans.

But what do I know, as LL says "that's right, you're not from Texas"

man i almost hate to say this,...but big and rich have some amazingly tight harmonies,....i wouldnt walk around with their tee shirt on, but every once in a while i dont mind hearing them on the radio,...i know i know,...its shameful

i'm really really impressed with the new ryan bingham album, but then again i was really really impressed with the first album, and the acoustic stuff he did down around the hill country years ago

randy is like party music,...i laugh at myself because i wouldnt ever pay money to see him, but yet, while in the truck, drunk with my other friends, i sing along just as loudly,...maybe i'm just so burnt out, maybe there's so just much better out there,...i understand why he has such a following, i just,.....i KNOW him, so i laugh when people get all freaked out,....its just randy, he wrote all those songs about one girl,....she still wont have him,....get over it

the new ragweed album is amazing, cody is finally doing whatever he wants, and the music is transending past boys from oklahoma and carney man (you need a corn dog,...i can tell) which is sad for the frat boy, but good for the fan,...i look forward to seeing what more is to come

i really really really wish scott evans would put out an album,.....

the new boland is gettin a really good responce and alot of air play,....saddly, i dont drink the koolaide

if you want to see an amazing song writter,...check out matt powel,....he used to play for wade bowen and wrote bleu edmonson's 50 dollars and a flask of crown,....half the time he lives in his car down in austin,.....he's put out a few albums, and they all,...ALL are amazing,....his voice is interesting, and he plays anything with strings on it,......i forever pledge my love to matt powell

An Unkindness · 11-04-2009, 11:02 AM

Yeah, In Bocca really showcases that which is why I mentioned more as a cabaret style album. Every song is it's own story and in general has a completely different style then the one previous. Most people seem to enjoy "Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them" the most. It's a concept album detailing a story of the Devil being betrayed by a man (who is the lead character in Red of Tooth and Claw as well, which serves as a prequel) and as a consequence the Devil goes to war with the town where the man has holed up.

Sorry if I'm gushing but they are probably my favorite band of all time. Others have better technical skills, others may be better at writing songs, but I think they've got high, movie style drama and damned good song lyrics all wrapped up into a wonderful dead man's western.

Berni · 11-04-2009, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by savannah

i'm really really impressed with the new ryan bingham album, but then again i was really really impressed with the first album, and the acoustic stuff he did down around the hill country years ago

the new ragweed album is amazing, cody is finally doing whatever he wants, and the music is transending past boys from oklahoma and carney man (you need a corn dog,...i can tell) which is sad for the frat boy, but good for the fan,...i look forward to seeing what more is to come

i really really really wish scott evans would put out an album,.....

the new boland is gettin a really good responce and alot of air play,....saddly, i dont drink the koolaide

if you want to see an amazing song writter,...check out matt powel,....he used to play for wade bowen and wrote bleu edmonson's 50 dollars and a flask of crown,....half the time he lives in his car down in austin,.....he's put out a few albums, and they all,...ALL are amazing,....his voice is interesting, and he plays anything with strings on it,......i forever pledge my love to matt powell

By their new stuff do you mean: Ryan Bingham - Roadhouse Sun, Jason Boland - Comal County Blue, and CCR - Happiness & All The Other Things?

Hate to admit it but I have all three of those and haven't had much of a chance to really listen to them because I'm so far behind in my "listen to" list.
Thanks for the heads up on Matt Powell - I've found a couple of his albums and will add them to to the ever-expanding listening queue. BTW, I've found the blog Sed de Musica as a good source about the Texas/red dirt scene.

savannah · 11-04-2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berni

By their new stuff do you mean: Ryan Bingham - Roadhouse Sun, Jason Boland - Comal County Blue, and CCR - Happiness & All The Other Things?

Hate to admit it but I have all three of those and haven't had much of a chance to really listen to them because I'm so far behind in my "listen to" list.
Thanks for the heads up on Matt Powell - I've found a couple of his albums and will add them to to the ever-expanding listening queue. BTW, I've found the blog Sed de Musica as a good source about the Texas/red dirt scene.

alot of people are claimin thats some of bolands best,...now i dont know about all that, but its getting alot of great feed back and yes thats what i ment by all those albums,.....the bingham is just,...really ****in good,....but i have a soft spot for bingham
from the last album the words "Money can't buy my soul because it comes from a hard earned place" - Bingham, have really ment alot to me

make sure to give a good listen to the new CCRw, its so different and makes me extremely proud of the boys

so i checked out that blog you mentioned and it has alot of good stuff in it, but alot of crap too

i enjoyed the vast scott copeland nod,...if you are unaware of him, but are versed in CCRw, you might know his song lighthouse keeper, that CCRw recorded
scott copeland is gold, and used to play alot of acoustic shows with mike mcclure,...

lets just talk about mike mcclure for a few mins,...
he's kinda like the granddaddy of the red dirt scene, once a member of the great divide (which suck without him) i think his first solo album was 'everything upside down' but i may be wrong on my dates,....anyway, if you dont have any,...run,....trampled people,....go get some rite now,...
the beginin of his solo carrer has alot of stacked guitars that created a full bold sound, specially in this market,....most of that was due to rodney pyatte,...after he left mike he started playin for stoney larue,.....which was a beautiful mariage until rodney left to do his own thing a few years ago.....stoney shows just havent been the same since,...i feel sorry for those who pick up on his now and dont remember the rodney days because they really were something,...pyatt's son jake also has his hand in the music and is doin really well, not quite there yet, but has so much potential,...anyway i digress

old mcclure is more country, new mcclure is more rock,....his base player now is a guy named tom skinner who wrote a song called 'blind man' that has been covered by everyone and is one of my fav songs,...he's a pretty good base player too, though constantly looks zoned out

personally i'm more of a fan of early mike, but i really respect what he is doin now,....

he used to be affiliated with dirty bird records, which was partly travis linville,....if you play guitar or really have any kind of understanding of it technically this guy is for you,....check out the album he did with the brushetti (sp?) brothers

i dont really remember where i was going with all this, so ill just stop now, other wise it will be more convoluted that it already is

if you ever want any recommendations, i would love love love to help you,...just stay way from the randy rogers,..bless his little retard teddy rupskin heart

An Unkindness · 11-05-2009, 03:11 AM

So another band that has some great southern blues inspiration going on in it is Two Gallants. They're definitely one of those groups that are hard to niche though. Part rock, part blues, generally horribly depressing in personal, hateful ways. Some might get a kick out of them.

Their album What the Toll Tells would be the best jumping in point I think. Especially the songs "Las Cruces Jail", "Threnody", or "Steady Rolling".

10-30-2009, 12:22 AM	#172 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	I've decided to include Gothic Country's equally dark and disturbing cousin dark cabaret in the thread. It is essentially what it sounds like, it's a darker version of the cabaret genre. Very theatrical and vaudevillian; the songs end up sounding very mischievous and lyrics tend to lean towards disturbing to gruesome. Some artists that make up the genre: Peculiar Pretzelmen Circus Contraption The Bad Things Beat Circus Rosin Coven The Scarring Party Harlequin Jones Clare Fader & The Vaudevillains The Dead Brothers Reverend Glasseye & his Wooden Legs Vermillion Lies The Deadfly Ensemble __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

11-04-2009, 03:23 AM	#173 (permalink)
An Unkindness Groupie Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4	Spectacular. I'm going to have to throw my hat into the circle about how great it is to find a real discussion of this somewhere. Lonesome Wyatt seems to be some sort of Internet research God as the only band I can really add to the list is Murder by Death. They're a little strange though, so bear with me. The first album, Like the Exorcist but with More Breakdancing is a bit more ambient in nature. The second album, Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them, is Gothic Western, the third, In Bocca Al Lupo, is more dark cabaret, and the fourth, Red of Tooth and Claw has a gothic western rock feel to it. They're based out of Indiana and are the group that got me into this whole new and blessed side of country. Feel free to look them up and take a listen, and don't worry I'll stick around and defend them. As far as the others listed: Those Poor Bastards (Songs of Desperation and Satan is Watching are my favorites) O'Death (Broken is my fav album, but Adelita is probably my favorite song) The Builders and the Butchers (Both of those albums are freakin' great) Reverend Glasseye (Sort of ambivalent towards them actually, some songs I adore, like King of Men, some I just skip past without a second thought) William Elliot Whitmore (just skip the third album, "Song of the Blackbird") Pine Box Boys (So utterly listenable. I'm starting a campaign for them and MBD to do the song exchange on the fourth of the MBD 7" series) Lucero (Meh, but I only have Rebels, Rogues, and Sworn Brothers so maybe they have better stuff elsewhere) Anyways, I'm getting tired and cranky so I'll continue later. I'm really interested in some Pinebox Serenade and Black River Brethren if anyone knows where I can grab some.

10-29-2009, 10:30 PM	#171 (permalink)
Berni Music Addict Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 67	I've never been to Georgia, but the folks we know from Athens come up here every summer for an event. I'd love to catch the drive-by truckers, Dexateens, or Dead Confederate at the 40 Watt though. How could I have forgotten the Gourds? One of the best shows that I've ever seen was the Gourds. I think that they're from Austin. They really tore it up. This week's episode at americanaroots.com (#53) is what they're calling "Creepy Americana". I guess Halloween brings out the darker country selections - although in this instance, even though the intro says it's gothic country, I only consider about half of the episode's selections as that.

11-04-2009, 11:02 AM	#177 (permalink)
An Unkindness Groupie Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4	Yeah, In Bocca really showcases that which is why I mentioned more as a cabaret style album. Every song is it's own story and in general has a completely different style then the one previous. Most people seem to enjoy "Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them" the most. It's a concept album detailing a story of the Devil being betrayed by a man (who is the lead character in Red of Tooth and Claw as well, which serves as a prequel) and as a consequence the Devil goes to war with the town where the man has holed up. Sorry if I'm gushing but they are probably my favorite band of all time. Others have better technical skills, others may be better at writing songs, but I think they've got high, movie style drama and damned good song lyrics all wrapped up into a wonderful dead man's western.

11-05-2009, 03:11 AM	#180 (permalink)
An Unkindness Groupie Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4	So another band that has some great southern blues inspiration going on in it is Two Gallants. They're definitely one of those groups that are hard to niche though. Part rock, part blues, generally horribly depressing in personal, hateful ways. Some might get a kick out of them. Their album What the Toll Tells would be the best jumping in point I think. Especially the songs "Las Cruces Jail", "Threnody", or "Steady Rolling".