Listen | Cowboy Junkies - My Only Guarantee

Tweet

Cowboy Junkies have released a boxed set called Notes Falling Slow, and it contains three remastered studio albums, Open, One Soul Now, At The End Of Paths Taken, and "a fourth disc that contains newly recorded songs that were written during the making of the three albums." You can find more information about it here.

The Junkies' music is a huge reason why Speakers in Code exists, mainly because of no-bullshit songs such as "My Only Guarantee," which you can find on At The End of Paths Taken. It boasts this line:

My only guarantee:

I will fuck you up.

In 2008, I asked Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies about "My Only Guarantee," and here's what she said:

Your last album, At the End of Paths Taken, closed with "My Only Guarantee," a song about parenting. Is that a personal song for you? Do you not play that one live?

Well, it was in our repertoire to play live. We didn't pick it up, though; it sort of stayed dormant. But not for any reason, only because we have so many songs. You know, yeah it's personal in that we all have kids. Do you have kids?

No, I don't.

Well, it's an adventure. I think anybody with kids who is honest about being a parent would connect with that song. You spend so much time trying to make the right decision for your children, whether you should go organic or not, or they should go to this school or that school, or take dance or not take dance, sleep in your bed, not sleep in your bed... (Laughs) And, I think that, really, in the end, and I think that we—this generation of parents—are even worse about making these decisions; we're just so worried about our children's psyche all the time. I think in the end, no matter how hard you try, you're going to fuck up your children, because...you just are. Certainly you are more so if you abuse them, but even if you're just trying your hardest, in the end... I'm now in my mid-40s —I don't know anyone who is not normal, I mean, we're all mental! (Laughs)

That song is almost "Do your best," but they're going to be screwed up—not by you, by the world—because you can't make all the right decisions. I mean, you put them in piano, maybe they would have been Jimi Hendrix if you'd have given them a guitar. So, who knows, and I think just give yourself permission to realize you're doing your best, but it's going to be fucked up.

The 20 Best Sad Bastard Songs of 2012

Tweet

That, my friends, must be the saddest album cover of 2012. And Glen Hansard: I love you, man, but you're a sad bastard.

And so am I.

But let me clarify: sad music makes me happy. I have heard your calls to not listen to sad music when I am down. But I ask you this: then when is the time for it?

So, I've decided to embrace it and accept it in my life, once and for all. And this, my friends, is the first annual Sad Bastard List of 2012. Eighteen tracks on Spotify. Two tracks I could not find on Spotify (we'll call them the "Obscure Sad Bastards.") Click here to play the list in Spotify.

**Note** These are not ranked, and only songs NOT included on our "Best Songs of 2012" list, which will be posted later this week.

Congrats to all. (And, no, I don't really expect anyone to actually listen to this but me.)

Click "Read More" below for the list !

Concert Photos | Cowboy Junkies at The Sheldon in Saint Louis

Tweet

All photos by Chris Lay

Last night at The Sheldon in Saint Louis, Toronto's Cowboy Junkies played a full two sets (plus encore) that included selections off their recent Nomad Series, The Caution Horses' "Witches," Miles From Our Home's "Those Final Feet," and covers of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" and Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down." Photographer Chris Lay was there to capture it all. Enjoy.

Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies (The Extended Interview, Part Two)

Tweet

There's a Cowboy Junkies memory I've never been able to erase from my mind: I often think back to the time I heard Margo Timmins sing "Thirty Summers" at The Pageant in the summer of 2001.

I have the bootleg somewhere in my house, and sure, it helps recreate the moment, at least sonically. But, for me, it was more than what I was hearing that night. It was what I saw -- Timmins' face as she sang the words her brother, Michael, wrote:

It's been thirty summers that I've spent with him
and I expect thirty more to pass
he has blessed my life in so many ways
that I could never turn my back.

There is something about Michael Timmins' words, and the way his sister, Margo, sings them that has always fascinated me.

And this is still the case with their latest offering, The Wilderness, the last volume of the four-part Nomad Series, a collection of albums that has turned out to be some of their best work. Let's have a quick listen to "Angels in the Wilderness."

Cowboy Junkies - Angels in the Wilderness

If you enjoyed that taste of The Wilderness, you have the chance to hear more of it live, as Cowboy Junkies will be performing at one of Saint Louis' best venues, The Sheldon, on Wednesday evening (4/18). All tickets are reserved ($30-35), and the show begins at 8 PM; there is no opener.

We recently had a chance to chat with Margo Timmins, who just happens to be one of our favorite interviews. Once again, she didn't disappoint.

The last time we talked, you had just released the Demons album, which was Volume Two of The Nomad Series. And now, you're at the finish line with The Wilderness. How did you pull this off (four albums in eighteen months)?

(laughing) I don't know! I have to say, you know, when we were doing it, we were just doing it, just trudging along. And then now, you're right -- now that it's over and I look back, it's like, "God, how did we do that? It's crazy!" (laughs)

And also, I knew we wouldn't release anything I wouldn't have been proud of; if it doesn't sound good, you don't put it out. And if we didn't make our 18-month mark, well, too bad. You can't compromise because of a date. But, I am amazed when I look back -- there is a lot of material, all of which I'm really proud of, some more than others. But, there is nothing that I've done that I'm like, "well, you know, I compromised on that one." (laughs).

So, I'm amazed. I think I am more amazed with Mike's abilities than anyone else's, because he's the one who went every day to the studio and twiddled knobs -- you know, I didn't have to be there every day! (laughs) My hat's off to Mike, he's the one.

A lot of the songs on The Wilderness -- some of these are really emotional.

Yeah. My favorite of the three will always be Demons, for many, many reasons. But, I think the last one is a really beautiful record. To me, that's the one for the fans -- The Wilderness album is the one most Junkie, the kind of sound they tend to connect Junkies to. So, I think, that's our gift.

Where, Sing In My Meadow, is a little (laughs) ... even though I know if you're a Junkies fan, you've seen us play that sort of stuff, it's a hard album to sit through and get into, and the same with Renmin Park -- that's a hard, hard record. So, this one's an easy one to sort of put on when you're having one of those long drives! (laughing)

You know, all of this is really challenging for the listener.

Hmm.

It's what you sort of have done for almost twenty five years.

Yeah, yeah. Well, I think it's respect.

Absolutely. There's a song called "Fairytale" on The Wilderness that's...I think it's one of the most beautiful songs Mike has ever written. I was listening to it for a while the other day, and I felt something different every time I listened to it.

That's great.

Which is a great thing about music.

Yeah, totally.

When Mike hands you a song like that, how do you feel?

Well, you know, it's funny, because that is an amazing song, and when I first got it -- you know, again, when I'm handed these songs, and when I get one like "Fairytale," I go, "oh my God, I have to get this more right than, say, the other ones." And I agree with you, I know I've been given something special. And I knew it also had a lot of references to Townes Van Zandt, which means a lot to Mike and to the band.

So, when I first got that song, which was a while ago, because we were touring, I did it live a couple of times -- and I knew I hadn't gotten it, I hadn't sort of found the right space for it. And when it was time to record the vocals, oddly enough, I had been spending a lot of time with my young niece, who is in her young twenties, and is sort of in that stage of life where you look at your future, and all you see is a big black void. (laughs) You know? No answers; you don't know what you're supposed to do. And I went into the studio, and I think that being with her and sort of re-living those feelings -- you know, I went through that, too, in my twenties -- we all do, that lost feeling. It helped me find my way back into "Fairytale" in a different way, because what I was doing with it before, was just really singing it sort of, I don't know ... poppy, where the way I recorded it was much more, a little bit dirtier -- when you get to the chorus, there is more of a poppier, sort of hopeful sound -- but the verses, you know, are kind of really dark! (laughs) It's like, "Whoa, there's the black void my niece is in."

So, anyway, that's where I found my inspiration for it. But, you're right -- a song like "Fairytale," when we're on the road in the coming months, will change -- it will change from missing my son, to an argument on the phone I had with my husband, or from a happy day I've had on the road. You know, I just might sing it really poppy one night (laughs) -- a happy little ditty! (laughing) So, they change, and a good song should. And Townes Van Zandt certainly often said to us, "Songs -- often you don't know what they mean or where they come from, and they mean something different to everybody who listens to them, and a good song should." You bring your life to it, and I'll bring mine to it.

I could see Townes Van Zandt singing a song like that.

Yeah, I could too, actually. Totally. You know, and you'd be sitting there going, "huh?" (laughing)

Well, with these four releases, I think what's really cool is that there is a book that will eventually come out by a pretty interesting artist, who I don't really know much about.

Yes. You know, I'm not involved very much in the process of the book, but I do know a lot about Enrique (Martinez Celaya) -- he's been a friend of the band for a long time. I met him, oddly enough, about five years ago or so. He called -- he's been a fan of the band for a long time -- he was having an art exhibit in L.A., and he wanted to open the art exhibit -- his vision was to open his exhibit with me standing in the middle of the gallery singing "Mining for Gold." That was his vision, you know? No stage, no nothing, I just come out and sing the song. (laughs) I said, "okay, you're mad!" (laughing) And I -- I don't do that sort of thing, I really ... just think, "oh no, not going to do that."

So he then sent his art books to me -- he said, "well, just look at my art." So, I say, "okay, free art books, great!" So, I looked at the art, and I really liked it. And I never studied art, I don't know anything about it except what I like and what I don't like. I was really was intrigued by the art. So, you know, what the hell, this is a crazy idea, I like the idea, I don't know if I have the guts to do it, but I like his art, so I'm going to do it. And I did! (laughs)

The weird thing was, I arrived at the art gallery, and all his new paintings were hanging on the wall, and they were these huge pieces. And when I walked into the art gallery -- it was empty, because it was during the day, and the show was that night -- so I had a chance to sort of just be alone with these big pieces, and I looked at them and said, "oh my God, Mike needs to see this." It was our music in art.

That's what I saw. He did it all in tar and feathers, and it was really rough and ugly and mean, but it was beautiful at the same time. And I go, "this is us, this is us in art, it's so weird!" (laughs) And I was so excited. So, I told him, "you have to meet my brother, you would really like my brother, and my brother would like you!" (laughs) So, we figured out a way for them to meet, and they've been friends and have done a lot of different projects over the years, and this is one of them, and it's one of those collaborations that came together in some weird way. Because even the idea of me saying yes to the project was just so bizarre -- I never say yes to those things. So, it was meant to be.

Well, when I saw the first cover for Renmin Park, I just thought, "now that's a Cowboy Junkies cover."

Yeah. Oh yeah.

I think that's a good thing about art and music, which I think, unfortunately, a lot of people miss out on these days when they just download a file.

Oh, I know. Totally. I totally agree. Enrique has said that when he's painting, the two musicians that he likes to listen to while he paints is us and Leonard Cohen. And I agree, I think there's a lot of connections between painting and sculpture and music.

Especially with a series like this. I was reading something where Mike was saying that these songs are about different characters. And with The Wilderness, like you were saying earlier, it might be a little more defined with a Junkies sound. But, did you have a different mindset with these particular songs? Was there anything that tied the four albums together?

Well, there were definite themes. When we went at it, we didn't go at it as a foursome, we went at it as individual albums. The idea was really that what would bind the four together would basically just be a period of time that we recorded them in. And over the years, we discovered that definitely the period of time that you are recording in does have a huge impact on the result of the album. Because, like with anything, it's what's going on in your life, and whether you're happy or sad, or your marriage is good or bad -- so time has a huge impact on the outcome, so that's what would bind the four.

But each album in themselves had a specific theme. Renmin Park was definitely about Mike's China visit and the feeling of being a stranger in a culture that you know nothing about, and could never totally understand anyway if you tried, in a lifetime.

And Demons was the Vic (Chesnutt) album, and that was ...  you know, after Vic's death, that seemed to make sense that we did that. And also, we've often talked about doing an album of cover songs, which was always something in the back of our heads to do, because it would be such a challenge, you know, to take on a body of work as opposed to just one song. And when Vic died, it was just obvious it should be him.

And I think that Sing In My Meadow, again, is a side of the Junkies, unless you've been to our concerts, it's a side you don't know about, because that kind of psychedelic music, maybe we might do one song like that on an album, but for us to do an entire album that way was a real challenge, especially for me, because that's not my forte! (laughs) So, that was, again ... each album had its own challenges.

And that's the beauty of the band -- it's always been like that for the listener, a challenge.

I think that comes from the fact that, before anything, we're fans of music. We have never said, "oh, we can't do that because we're not a punk or jazz band." We've just played the music and done the albums we wanted to do, and we've had great success in that we're still around. But, maybe that's the answer as to why we've never had a big hit, either! (laughs) People don't know who we are or what we're doing. (laughing) We're too schizophrenic for them, or whatever. But, we're still here, and we still enjoy it, and I think that's why -- it's still a challenge, it's not boring.

And you have control.

Well, that was the best ... when I write my memoirs, if I ever do, I think one of the best decisions we ever made -- and it came at the right time -- was when we decided to drop the majors and go our separate ways. Which was scary, because the majors have the money. (laughs) But, they don't really have that freedom, and I think if we had stayed with the majors, especially with the way they are today, there would have been more and more restrictions on us and demands for singles and all that crap that was irritating us. So, I think that was great when we decided to go our separate ways when we did.

Cowboy Junkies
Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 8:00 PM
Sheldon Concert Hall, Saint Louis, Missouri (for tickets, click here)

Contest | Win Tickets to Cowboy Junkies at The Sheldon (Presented by the Old Rock House)

Tweet

There they go like shadows, darling
between this world and that
never knowing where the light will shine
but I can tell you one thing, sweetheart
we share a place in time
nothing more is needed 'cause you're mine

It's been four years since Cowboy Junkies played a show in Saint Louis, the last being on 3/26/08 at the Sheldon, but there's a good reason for that -- they've been plenty busy. The band from Toronto recently finished its Nomad Series project, which gave us four wonderful, complex albums in 18 months -- Renmin Park, Demons, Sing In My Meadow, and The Wilderness. Here's one of our favorite tracks called "Damaged From the Start," from Volume Four, The Wilderness.

Cowboy Junkies - Damaged From the Start

We'll have an interview with lead singer Margo Timmins posted next week, but for now, we want to give away a pair of tickets to their show at The Sheldon next Wednesday, April 18th (8 PM, $30-35)!

To enter, please do one of the following:

1. Simply copy and paste this into a tweet: I entered to win 2 tickets to see @CJmusic on 4/18 @sheldonstl on @speakersincode! You can, too - just tweet this to enter!

2. Send an e-mail to jason.speakersincode@gmail.com. Just say you want the tickets. Takes 10 seconds.

3. Leave us a comment on our Facebook page. You can say anything. Really.

The contest will run through April 13th at noon, and we'll randomly pick and e-mail the winner later on that night (if you enter through FB, we'll announce your name on our FB page). Good luck!

[Premiere] Pajammy Jam of the Day | Cowboy Junkies - I Let Him In

Tweet

Some wounds will never heal
loneliness becomes an expectation
but you're stretched there by my side
and you whisper those foolish incantations

I'm quite excited to tell you this: The Wilderness, Cowboy Junkies' new album to be released on March 27th (pre-order here), and the last offering in their four-volume Nomad Series, is one of their best. And that's saying a lot about a band who has been around for almost 25 years now.

I don't know why it is that I expect their music to trail off and become weaker as they get older, but that has not been the case, especially with The Nomad Series. Its final chapter offers a little bit of everything. Here's what songwriter Michael Timmins says of the songs:

“The title, The Wilderness, in some odd way seemed to define what these songs were actually “about”: fragility, emptiness, loneliness, beauty, chance, loss, desperation, the delicate balancing act that makes up a life. They are about being lost in the wilderness of age, the wilderness of parenthood, in the wilderness of just trying to find meaning and substance, happiness and truth in one's day to day life. They are about standing alone in middle of it all, breathing in the cold still air and wondering.”

Today, we're proud to bring you a standout track from The Wilderness, "I Let Him In." Stream below, friends!

Cowboy Junkies - I Let Him In

MP3 | Cowboy Junkies - Angels in the Wilderness

Tweet

Will I make you confess it?
Or will I leave it alone?
And if it consoles you, will I take it away?

Toronto's Cowboy Junkies are finally nearing the end of their Nomad Series, the final offering being the fourth volume, The Wilderness, which drops on March 27. They'll be performing in Saint Louis at The Sheldon on April 18 ($35 Orchestra, $30 Balcony), a show that's being presented by the Old Rock House.

Here's a glimpse of The Wilderness, a track called "Angels in the Wilderness." Classic Cowboy Junkies if you ask us.

Cowboy Junkies - Angels in the Wilderness

Jam of the Day | Sugar & The Hi Lows - See It For Yourself

Tweet

I'm not very good at comparing artists with other artists, or creating new genres like shoegaze-art-rock-hippie-angst-folk, so I won't start now. But Nashville singer-songwriters Trent Dabbs and Amy Stroup, the duo who perform as Sugar & The Hi Lows, do deserve to be called something, and it ain't country. It's not pop, either.

But you know, come to think of it, I didn't know what to call Cowboy Junkies' or Neil Young's music when I first heard it. So maybe that's when I know I like something -- when I can't categorize it. Congrats, Sugar & The Hi Lows: you fit that bill nicely.

Here's the first single off their debut LP, which you can purchase now.

The Best Songs of 2011 | 75 - 51

Tweet

Check out songs 100-76. And keep up with the list on Spotify here.

75 The Kill Van Kulls - Lost and Found [buy the single] [more Kill Van Kulls on Speakers]

MP3 | Cowboy Junkies - Sing In My Meadow

Tweet

I'm big on the idea of doubt
Yeah, I'm big on the idea of doubt

Now this is what I really love from Cowboy Junkies. When they turn it up and give us dirty rock and blues, sort of like a mix between Open and Whites Off Earth Now!!. I like it when Margo Timmins sings like she's a wee bit crazy, and when her brother, Michael, lets his guitar scream and bleed.

The band from Toronto will release Sing in My Meadow on October 18th, part three of a collection they're calling "The Nomad Series." They recorded the album in four days. Here's the title track (you might also want to take part in this Cowboy Junkies contest to win cool stuff).

Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies (The Extended Interview)

Tweet

I've had the pleasure of meeting Margo Timmins a few times, but there was one conversation that really stood out.

It was a few years ago, at The Sheldon in Saint Louis. She and the Cowboy Junkies had just finished their sold-out show. They had played most of Trinity Session, and even covered Neil Young's "Powderfinger." You could say I was already pretty much in love.

But, she was out in The Sheldon's lobby, and, as always, was willing to talk. This time, though, was different. She noticed I had a copy of the book they were selling, a beautiful collection of photographs called XX. We flipped through the book for a few minutes, and she would tell me stories about this photograph and that photograph. I saw her eyes light up, I could feel her mind wander back through the years. It meant the world to me.

And Cowboy Junkies' music means the world to me. Their latest album, a collection of covers by the late Vic Chesnutt called Demons, is striking. It's volume two of what they're calling "The Nomad Series," and in my book, Demons, and the first volume, Renmin Park, is some of their best work to date.

In our latest interview, Margo Timmins talks about the history behind Demons, her relationship with Vic Chesnutt, Renmin Park, and the challenges of recording cover songs. Enjoy.

Photo Credit: spaceamoeba

How are things going?

Well, they are going pretty good. We're slowly starting up again. We've been on holidays since December, so it's been nice.

Well, the last time we talked, you had just released The End of Paths Taken, and a lot of things have happened since then. Especially with the project ( The Nomad Series) with four albums in the next so many months. And the next one is Demons, the Vic Chesnutt album. What spurred this on? I know you were friends with Vic, and performed with him, and he's since passed. What were the initial discussions about maybe doing this?

Actually, the initial discussions were with Vic. Vic did Trinity Session Revisited with us, and his voice and my voice really work nicely together, in an odd way. So, after we did that project, we sort of talked about maybe doing another project with us playing his songs and vice versa, just sort of collaborating on each other's songs. Old songs, but doing them differently, and singing them together, or apart -- nothing was sort of concrete -- but some sort of project along that line.

And then, as you said, he died last December (2009), and obviously that put an end to that project. Which was really disappointing; not just his death, but not being to work with him further. It was an opportunity really missed. I love his material, and the idea of really getting into it deeper, than just as a listener, it really excited me. I guess we just realized that we didn't totally have to end the project, we can do his songs, and so we did. And it was a true adventure, that's for sure.

I would imagine. When I listen to the album, it hits me right away. The second song, "I Flirted With You all My Life," talks about "Oh death, I'm not ready." It's kind of prophetic.

Yeah, well...it's funny, That's a really complicated song, like most of his songs are complicated, because he was a really tricky guy, and had strong feelings on both ends. He was very shy, and yet, once you knew him, very social. He was very depressed and wrote these beautiful songs. And "Flirted," you know, to me, is just a true, true Vic song. He's singing about death and fighting it off, so obviously it's haunting him and fighting at him, which is a scary thought, and I know he was always fighting with death. But in the end, he's victorious. So, it's a victorious song! (laughs) Which is weird.

It's similar to a lot of Cowboy Junkies songs. You have to find the positive.

Exactly!

Sometimes, you just have to listen.

I think some songs take a little bit of patience, a little bit more work. And certainly, Vic's songs are like that -- they take a little more work. His style of singing made it even harder for people to appreciate. And then, his physicality really sort of was hard for people, because he was handicapped, and we live in a world where beauty is all that we want to see. So, he made it difficult! (laughs) So, they missed out. Those who don't get it are missing out.


What was your relationship like with him?

You know, Vic was...on one hand...I don't want to use the word "shy," because I don't like that word -- I don't like that word when it applies to somebody who is not very gregarious or outgoing. He wasn't sort of somebody who was going to make the effort to talk to you, but if you started to talk to him, he was very open to the conversation. I don't think he was all that comfortable, like a lot of men, around women. So, we would talk, and I liked him very much, and I think he liked me, but I wouldn't say we were like he was with my brothers. With me, he was a little more reserved. I think they would have more one-on-one stories in that way than I would. I think maybe because I sort of stood there and stared at him with these googly eyes, because I was such a huge fan! (laughs)

And the last time you sang with him was for the Trinity Revisited album, right?

Yeah, yeah.

I think that really came off well.

I was really happy with it. It was a very scary project to do, because we were tampering with Trinity Session, an album that a lot of people have very close ties to, and people don't like you to mess with what they like. We invested a lot of money in something that could have turned out pretty bad. We didn't even know how well...I hadn't really sung with Vic -- we didn't really know what we were going to do, and how we were going to do it. Same with Ryan (Adams) and Natalie (Merchant), and it seemed to work really, really well. You know, it's funny, because the personalities of Ryan, Vic, and Natalie are all different, and we were wondering how all the egos would work, and it was great.

Since then, Mike has done a lot of writing. The Renmin Park album really intrigued me because that was something that was inspirational to him -- going to China with his family, bringing back these songs. Was it hard to relate to some of that material?

Yeah, that album was really difficult for me. One of the things Mike and I have always done as a singer-songwriter team...he's 18 months older than I am, and we spent our entire lives together. And pretty much, Mike writes from his own life experiences. So, I'm usually in the same zone. When he was getting married, I was getting married, when he was getting old, I was getting old, too, you know? (laughs) We're always sort of in the same ballpark as to what our life experiences are. And because we're brother and sister, I think we sort of analyze life pretty much the same, and we like the same artists and the same writers. So, it's easy for me to sometimes get into his head, and therefore into his songs.

But with Renmin, for the first time, he was handing me material that I had no connection to. And this album was very much about sounds...sounds that he's heard in China, and smells, and attitudes, and being sort of the only white people in the city that he was in. Even that, I've never...I have traveled in the East, and I have been in areas where I'm sort of the only white person I can see in the group, but I've never lived -- always been there as a tourist. So, I come in to look at everybody, and then leave! (laughs) Where, he was actually living and living with his children, and that's a whole other thing.

It was a very intense...these songs were very intense and important to him, and I had nothing to grab hold of -- it took me a long while to actually find my way into these songs and give them what they needed. It was tricky. At one point I even went down -- here in Toronto we have a very huge Chinese community, I think it's one of the biggest in the world -- and at one point I even went down to Chinatown, walking around, as if it didn't have anything to do with me and China, but maybe this would help! (laughs) Of course, there are tons of English people walking around, so you really don't feel all that isolated. It was interesting -- of course I've been to Chinatown many times -- but I tried it to view from the perspective of if this was my everyday life -- if these were the faces I saw, and these are the foods. If you go into a grocery store, there are all these vegetables, and you go, "What are these? What do you do with this stuff?" (laughs)

Going back to the Demons project, and singing Vic's songs -- I know you've covered songs before, but it is difficult for you and the band to interpret someone else's lyrics and music?

You know, it is. It's tricky. It's interesting because when we're working on one of our own songs, we're pulling a song out of mid-air, and that is complicated in itself, and I never quite know how that works. But when we're covering somebody, there is something already there -- the words are there, there is some sense of the melody, so there's a simplicity to that. But the hard part comes in where...you don't want to just do it again, the way that the original person did it, because what's the point? Usually you're doing songs that you're a fan of, so the song in itself is very important to us, and you don't want to mess it up! (laughs) And I feel, and I think the boys would agree with me, when you do a cover, it's a big responsibility, and you have to handle it with care.

A lot of songs that we've tried to cover, sure we can play them, and sure they sound okay, because I can sing nicely, and the boys can play. But, what's the point? You know, we listen back to it, and go, "Okay, so what?" We've done nothing to this song, we've done nothing new -- except we've played it like we're some cover band. Those don't come out, they stay in our rehearsal room. And what we'll do though...I remember we did this Bruce Springsteen song...uhhh...it's this huge famous song....(singing) "The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves..."

"Thunder Road?"

Oh yeah, "Thunder Road!" Gosh, thanks. We did that at first, and again, it just sounded like Margo Timmins singing "Thunder Road," and it was really bad, in the sense that, you know, who cares. So we put it away, and about three years after that, we tried it again, and this time around it seemed to have an intensity to it, a different point of view. You know, I think I was just that much older as a person, and that much older as a singer that I was able to find myself into the song, and that's how I express doing a cover -- you've got to find a way into a song. And that's sometimes tricky.

Oddly enough, the Demons album I thought was going to be really, really difficult. Because Vic's songs are so dark, way darker than anything we do. I thought it would be really hard, but it wasn't. I guess my soul is darker than I thought it was! (laughs) I really enjoyed doing these songs...maybe I have some issues I have to deal with! (laughs) I loved every minute of it, I was so into this album.

From the first listen, I got attached to it. And I didn't know how I was going to feel about it, really.

Yeah...

Maybe it's because no one has really covered a lot of Vic's songs.

I think so. I think that's a part of it. Well, I'm hoping...like we were talking about before, Vic is a very difficult artist in many ways, and I think it takes a real skilled listener to become a Vic Chesnutt fan. And I'm hoping our approach...certainly my voice is easier to listen to that Vic's is...you know, for the Vic fan, yeah, it will be challenging. Because if you're a Vic fan, you're a true fan, and you don't want anything to tamper with his stuff, and you're a skilled listener. But, for those who are unsure of whether they like him or not, I'm hoping this will open the door to them listening to his songs and understanding them, and therefore going back to him and going, "Okay, now I get it." I don't know, we'll see. This album will be very mixed as far as people liking it or not, because of that loyalty to Vic.

Is there maybe a fear of people maybe not liking it, or taking the songs the wrong way?

Yeah. Well, maybe not a fear. We've been doing records now for so long that, if they like it, great, if they don't, whatever! (laughs). I hope they do, but if they don't, I will do another album anyway. I have a feeling some people will be kind of angry or pissed off. I mean, even the song you were talking about -- "Flirted" -- you know, the way we did it was more anthemic, more victorious, and some people will be really mad that that's the way we sort of thought. But, that's okay...I think when people get mad you, that means they really listened to the song. And, you know, so, it didn't connect with them, and they wanted it this way, and that's okay. I've done it myself. I think Vic would like it, though, and that's all that counts! (laughs). I really do, I think he would really like this album.

Listen to "West of Rome"

Purchase Demons here.

Concert Review: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at The Pageant in Saint Louis

Tweet

Photo Credit: Chris Lay

Waiting for Grace Potter isn't all that bad. For some artists, that isn't the case. In 2001, I waited a good 90 minutes for Lucinda Williams to show up at The Pageant, and the same album -- Cowboy Junkies' Open -- played over the PA twice. A great, dark album, but not necessarily a way to perk up people waiting for a show.

Potter, she's different.  She's got the place sweaty, licking their chops, drinking their bourbon. The J. Geils Band's "Angel in a Centerfold," Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again," and Queen's "We Will Rock You" blast the audience in the enticing moments before she's out there strutting her stuff in a short skirt. This is a way to begin this kind of rock 'n roll show. The only way, perhaps. And I would have to believe it was planned.

You see, Potter, like I said, is different when it comes to any artist - male or female - fronting a rock band. She's a got a little Robert Plant in her, a little Kathleen Edwards in her, a little Chrissie Hynde in her...a little Kiss in her. And her band, the Nocturnals, know just what to do with her, which is, let her be exactly what she is: a budding rock star.

Look, it's no secret that Potter is good looking. If that's all you want, great. Anyone can point that out in a picture, or if you saw her on the street. But to simply define her as a pretty face with long legs is to vastly undermine the fact that she is a dynamic artist, capable of singing, dancing, mastering her Hammond B3, and thrashing her Flying V through an extra loud and furious rock show.

However, especially after watching her live, it's obvious that Potter knows how gorgeous she is, and she plays it up. She's sexy as hell, shows off those legs, and shimmies her way to the front of the stage with total confidence. It's all part of the package. But, there's more.

I've read a lot in recent days about how Potter and the Nocturnals are a blues-rock band, but, to me, that's terribly misleading. Blues-rock doesn't blow your eardrums; it doesn't shake, rattle, and roll like the Nocturnals' two guitarists, Scott Tournet and Benny Yurco, who, at one point in the show, delievered an excruciatingly loud (and perfectly awesome) wall of sound that went well beyond arena rock. After their two-hour performance, it's clear to me that Potter and the Nocturnals are more of a kick-your-ass-on-the-street dirty rock 'n' roll band. Their blues meter is dusty and rusty, probably hidden somewhere on the back of their bus with an old case of Busch Light and a damp pack of Marlboros.

What I saw at The Pageant was a glowing band, tight with their extended jams, cool and cocky with their stage presence. They played many of the tunes off their latest self-titled album, but also reached back and delivered a flawless version of "Ragged Company," off 2005's Nothing But the Water. I did not see a band resting on its laurels; I saw a band honoring their new-found fame, yet still determined to work and show off their blue collar attitude like a hungry dog who has been drinking dirty water and hasn't seen a treat in years.

Photo Credit: Chris Lay

Potter, with all her talents I've already mentioned, gave her fans what they wanted, song after song, even hamming it up during the encore with a smoking version of Heart's "Crazy On You." She fiddled with her Flying V before violently launching into "Paris (Ooh La La)," a song that really, and I mean really, gets her hips shaking. She even kept the momentum during a brief acoustic interlude that brightly showed off her vocals, which have unlimited range.

But perhaps the moment I'll remember most from Potter was when she assumingly left the stage for good during "Medicine," the show closer. Sure, she could have gone back in her bus, kicked her heels off, and got out of that skirt, hell, maybe even start to watch a movie or something. Instead, moments later, she pranced back onto the stage, still smiling (oh, her smile!), and gave us one more reminder that she's "got the medicine that everybody wants."

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I'd wait for them any day of the week.

Our Most Anticipated Albums of 2011 (Quarter 1)

Tweet

Welp, it's 2011. And today, we're proud to say, we're celebrating our first birthday. It's been a very fun year for us at Speakers in Code, but we're extremely excited about what's in store - musically, especially - for 2011. Here are the 25 upcoming albums we're, like, totally psyched about, coming your way in the next three months.

The Best Albums of 2010 | Part Two

Tweet

Artwork credit: Alyssa Shapkoff

Today, we continue on with paragraphical odes to our favorite albums of 2010. To see the entire list so far, go here!

Best Coast | Crazy For You (Mexican Summer) [buy]
Surf. Garage. Indie. Motown. '50s pop. Grunge. Lo-fi. Fuzz. Doo-wop. Roll up all of these genres together in equal portions, and you have Best Coast, a charming trio from Los Angeles, California, composed of Bethany Cosentino, Bobb Bruno, and Ali Koehler. Their exceptional debut LP, Crazy For You, is replete, from start to finish, with the commonly linked themes of love, longing, pining, wanting, missing, and desiring to just start over. Sprinkle in several references to smoking grass and Cosentino's cat (Snacks), and you've pretty much nailed the thematic elements to Crazy For You. The record is book-ended with a dead-on starter and closer that flaunt Best Coast's sound and lyrical themes. "Boyfriend" lays down straight forward riffs and harmonizing backing vocals as a pedestal for Cosentino's lament that a certain someone is seeing someone else: "The other girl is not like me/ she's prettier and skinnier/ she has a college degree/ I dropped out when I was seventeen." "When I'm With You," the concluding track of the record, is just aces. Grungy rhythm guitar, a surf rock solo, and Cosentino wailing: "I hate sleeping alone." After the success of Crazy For You, we bet that she may have a few more bed buddies from which to choose (aside from Snacks, of course).

Suckers | Wild Smile (Frenchkiss) [buy]
Brooklyn's Suckers, a quartet from Brooklyn, have a touch of weirdness to them... But what interesting and unique rock band from Brooklyn doesn't? Somewhat reminiscent of Yeasayer (but darker and more brooding), Suckers has crafted one of the year's best records, start to finish, in Wild Smile (incidentally their self-titled EP was produced by Yeasayer's Anand Wilder). At the record's center, there lies in wait one of the best one-two punches of rock tracks on any record this year. "A Mind I Knew" starts out with a steady pace and builds into a frenetic epic that gets down in it: "Your heart is like a crippled demon / semen on your clothes / kill everything I built around me / nervous I suppose." "Roman Candles" lightens the mood a bit ("Roman candles / and empty liquor handles / and a way with words has pulled you through") but continues to rock nonetheless as, again, the offering builds to a cacophonous end. Wild Smile's penultimate track, "2 Eyes 2 C" is also noteworthy. Hell, all of the songs on Wild Smile are pretty darn solid, hence the appearance on this list. We anxiously await to see what 2011 has in store for Suckers.

Sharon Van Etten | Epic (Ba Da Bing) [buy]
“You were high while I was doomed,” Sharon Van Etten sings on the magnificent “Love More,” which closes out Epic. Somewhere along the way, some dude really messed with her. Note to future dudes who want to screw with Van Etten: she’ll write songs about you, and the subject matter won’t be pretty. It only takes six songs for Epic to convince us that Van Etten knows how to tug at the dark corners of our hearts. Sure, there’s a lot of regret in these songs; but here’s to also finding the lurking hope that exists. Van Etten is a rising star.

The Black Keys | Brothers (Nonesuch) [buy]
For all intents and purposes, Brothers is the record we've always hoped The Black Keys would make. It's a soulful and tough-as-nails example of how contemporary blues still has a place, not only in the modern music world, but in pop culture itself. It's a record that speaks to the duo's faithfulness to those who have come before them but also gives major nods to those who have helped them move far beyond their previous works with a renewed fire and focus. "Next Girl" and "Everlasting Light" are brilliant examples of their blues-twinged songwriting skills, while "Tighten Up" illustrates just how important their previous work with Danger Mouse at the production helm has been. This LP points The Black Keys in a new direction, and if they keep things real one more time, the sky is the damn limit. This is for sure.

Clare Burson | Silver & Ash (Rounder) [buy]
Silver and Ash is Clare Burson’s album about the life of her grandmother, Helga Rabinowitsch, who fled from Germany before the Holocaust. Even though the underlying subject matter is dark, we’d argue this album shines because of the warmth and optimism it brings us, similar to Bruce Springsteen’s post-9/11 The Rising. This album is beautiful because of its depth and because Burson eliminates any idea of a comfort zone. “Remember for me,” she sings on “I Will/With You.” If you listen to Silver and Ash, you’ll never forget Clare Burson.

Yeasayer | Odd Blood (Secretly Canadian) [buy]
It's no secret that MGMT's 2010 album proved to be majorly divisive, earning just as many critics as avid fans. And if you were anything like us, mostly looking elsewhere for hot jams that implored us to get our asses on the dance floor, you turned to Yeasayer's Odd Blood. Mixing synth, catchy melodies, and oft-times, world beats, this year, the mighty Brooklyn group swooped in to save the dancehall day. From not-so-subtle '80s nods to prog-rock aberrations, Yeasayer fills our empty art-pop tanks and leaves us wanting more.

Cowboy Junkies | Renmin Park (Razor & Tie) [buy]
Forget what you already know about Cowboy Junkies, Renmin Park showed that even a band with 25 years under their belt can break new ground. Michael Timmins once again proves he’s one of the best Canadian songwriters not named Neil Young, penning songs that were inspired by a lengthy family trip to China. A few of the songs are even structured around field recordings Timmins captured on his trip, such as two men playing badminton in Renmin Park, which opens “Sir Francis Bacon at the Net.” Of course, Timmins’ sister, Margo, is still a star behind the microphone. Yeah, it’s true, she can still sing a little. But it’s her brother, Michael, who ultimately steals the show with his ability to create something out of nothing. Renmin Park shows that the Junkies can still blaze a few trails and are kicking with fervor.

Mumford and Sons | Sigh No More (Glass Note) [buy]
We can't lie - we've been listening to Mumford and Sons, a leader in the recent Brit-folk invasion, for a long time. Well before the London four-piece made its 2010 stateside debut with Sigh No More, we were knocked backward by its haunting harmonies, manic foot-stompin', and feverish desire. But, this album is just too perfect to not include on our year-end list of favorites. Mumford and Sons' brand of across-the-pond-Americana is an explosion of unbridled emotion. On "White Blank Page," lead singer, Marcus Mumford, requests, "Lead me to the truth, and I will follow you with my whole life..." Well, consider us disciples because we're never letting this band out of our sight.

Common Prayer | There Is A Mountain (Big Potato) [buy]
There Is A Mountain crept into our inbox over the summer and had its way with us. Common Prayer, the project of Jason Russo (of Hopewell) and Alexandra Marva (with John Anderson and Karen Codd joining live), gave us perhaps the biggest surprise of 2010. This music sounds earthy and feels free, stomping barefoot through frolicking guitar, organic percussion, and sing-around-the-campfire lyrics. "Sara G" quirkily skips back and forth among its various layers: random laughs, a female chorus, a cabasa that keeps the beat. On the gospel-driven "Everything & More," the duo poignantly harmonizes, "We may never pass this way again/ this could be the last time, my friend..." If ever there were music about living in the right here and now, this is it.

Lissie | Catching a Tiger (Fat Possum) [buy]
I'm tired of saying that I won't get lost ever again/ Who knows? Maybe I will..." These are the first two lines from "Record Collector," track one off Lissie's debut album, Catching a Tiger. We think there's a massive amount to be said about her opening statement, her cool confidence that immediately deflates the idea that one must have her head about her at all times. While heartland songs like "Bully" feel like recognizable extensions of Lissie's debut EP, Why You Runnin', our favorite Midwestern lass also tries the likes of unrestrained pop, '60s girl group bliss, and gritty soul on for size. After all, she's already told us she's comfortable meandering off the straight and narrow path.

Like Pioneers | Piecemeal (Abandoned Love) [buy]
Last winter, members of Chin Up Chin Up, Bound Stems, The Narrator, and Vacations got together over two weekends in Chicago to record some songs. The resulting LP, Piecemeal, was something you only get when a ton of like-minded musicians collaborate on a project that is impulsive and free in spirit. Piecemeal is something truly magical, an album that hit us completely by surprise. "English Garden" is the clear standout from a repeat listen standpoint, but other tracks like "Some People" and "Gift from a Holiday" are better than 90% of the songs we heard this year.

How To Dress Well | Love Remains (Lefse) [buy]
Love Remains is an album we would file in the "academic section" of our LP library. Not because the words are literary, or because the music is classical or grandiose, but because you actually have to do some homework in order to fully get it. You have to sit down with some notecards and study it before it finally clicks. But when it does - good lawd, it does. “You Won’t Need Me Where I’m Goin’” and “My Body” offer up some glorious pop moments while “Walking This Dumb” and “Mr. By & By” offer beats suitable for da club. But Tom Krell, the sole member of the group, is an R&B tailor at best, somehow weaving ghostly chants into quiet, rain-ready slow jams. Just give it five spins and a few hours. It's well worth your time.

Big Boi | Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty (Def Jam) [buy]

You probably know that Big Boi (AKA General Patton AKA Sir Lucious Left Foot AKA Daddy Fat Sax AKA Sgt. Slaughter AKA Antwan Andre Patton) is one half of a little hip hop duo hailing from Atlanta known as Outkast. What you may not know is that with his debut solo LP, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (we don't count Speakerboxxx released with Andre 3000's The Love Below), Big Boi establishes himself as a rap juggernaut standing on his own, completely independent from Andre 3000. "Shine Blockas" and "Shutterbugg" may just be the two best rap songs of the year (sorry, Kanye). Both tracks highlight slick beats, Big Boi's signature southern drawl lyrical delivery, and quality rhymes ranging from the inspirational on "Shine Blockas": ("But we shall overcome and succeed, indeed/ But with success comes a great responsibility/ We chose to lead not follow/ It's a hard pill to swallow/ Better get prescriptions filled/ 'Cause there might not be tomorrow" to the gangsta on "Shutterbugg": "Not to flex but to protect my neck like the Wu-Tang / Self-preservation is the rule when you do aim/ Or get in something more sinister/ You gotta be the finisher / To make it sure the doctors, they can't replenish him." These are just a couple of the many superb highlights in a complete record that varies in pacing, mixes up the beats, and dabbles in all sorts of subject matter. Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty, simply put, is jam after jam after jam. 

Concert Review | Cowboy Junkies at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon

Tweet

"Sad songs, they make me happy," Margo Timmins said midway through Cowboy Junkies' set on Wednesday night, one of her many references to sad songs throughout a performance that featured Junkies favorites like "Misguided Angel" and Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane."

If you've been to a Junkies show, you know it can often go one of two ways: the guys and gal from Toronto can play a more uptempo rock set, usually set aside for festivals or crappy GA rock clubs, or they can take a step back and rattle off an evening of blues and mid-tempo selections from their vast catalog, which is what they decided to do in Portland.

Personally, I have come to happily expect this from a Junkies show (especially at a seated venue like the Aladdin). If you are familiar with most of their songs, you know the themes: darkness with a touch of hope, murder, dreams, relationships gone sour. Basically, real life.

For some, though, I would also expect that this could be too much to take in at a concert. Unless the Junkies bust out "Anniversary Song," which Margo Timmins often jokes about as the only time her brother, Michael, has written a happy song, you really get no "happy" break when they deliver a pulsing, bluesy set of tunes. It's pretty much a direct kick to the part of your brain where all the darkness lurks and will always exist.

Last night's show in Portland mostly focused on the Junkies' wonderful new album, Renmin Park, their upcoming Vic Chesnutt cover album, Demons, the album that made them popular, Trinity Session, and a healthy dose of cover songs like Townes Van Zandt's "Rake" and Neil Young's "Don't Let It Bring You Down," which were both highlights.

Renmin Park is a bit of an experiment when delivered live. Some of the songs are played along with the field recordings that Michael Timmins captured while in China, resulting in multi-instrumentalist Jeff Bird to accomplish many things at once, which he is used to doing, and doing well. "Cicadas" and "Sir Francis Bacon at the Net" were the two that captured Renmin Park's organic beauty, while the title track was gorgeously delivered during the Junkies' short acoustic set.

The tunes played from Trinity Session, outside of the aforementioned "Misguided Angel" and "Sweet Jane," were mainly what gave the set that dark, brooding feel. Waylon Jennings' "Dreaming My Dreams" was especially somber (Margo Timmins voice never sounded better), and the lengthy "Working on a Building" allowed guitarist Michael Timmins to stretch the sound of his fractured solos. His guitar work was also top notch during a psychedelic take on Robert Johnson's "Me and the Devil Blues."

When the show concluded, I remained affected by "Hold On To Me," the only song of the night performed from Lay It Down, the most. Something about that tune sums up the Junkies live experience for me: they ask a lot of their fans - to go down dark and haunted roads, to trust that it will all work out in the end, and to always hold on to them, no matter the request.

"I'll hold on to this gift we share, it is as slippery as it is rare."

Can a gift be more beautiful or real?

Cowboy Junkies - Hold On To Me

10 to Spin | Cowboy Junkies

Tweet

Cowboy Junkies' music has been a big part of my life now for almost 10 years. While some of my friends shrug them off as being a band who play simply some sad songs, I hear a lot more. Sure, there's darkness. But there is a lot of light, too. The truth is, the words that songwriter Michael Timmins writes, which in turn his sister, Margo, sings, hit home so real that you would be hard pressed not to find a few of their tunes that connect with your life.

This year, they released an album called Renmin Park, and it's a keeper. Amazingly, the band from Toronto is set to release another album, a set of Vic Chesnutt covers called Demons, in November. And after one listen to "Wrong Piano," which you can listen to below, I'm already excited.

I'm also a firm believer that their live show is one of the best around - it rocks and soothes in all the right places. Luckily, I'm going to see them in a few days in Portland, Oregon, and I couldn't be more pumped, as it's been almost three years since I've had the chance. Please check back later this week for a review.

If you have been to a Junkies show, you know that the bassist, Alan Anton, is one of those guys who lurks in the background, seemingly going about his business without a care in the world. He's a central piece to many of their songs, like "Dragging Hooks" and "Lay It Down." He's also the cool cat who has given us our latest 10 to Spin, a collection of songs to enjoy while relaxing with a few drinks. We certainly applaud his choices.

"It's 5:30 on a Monday Afternoon on the patio and time to get my drink on.  The sunset's gonna be psychedelic, so I'm gonna need some psycho-poppyness in the outdoor rock speakers.  The speakers that look like rocks but they're actual speakers. Sound pretty good, too.  We're gonna start off slow and end a bit heavy.  Refresh your cocktails every third song and enjoy the view." - Alan Anton

Radar Bros. - Dear Headlights
 

Spoon - Stay Don't Go
 

Television - Marquee Moon
 

Lou Reed - Coney Island Baby
 

Eels - Love Of The Loveless
 

Mark Lanegan - Strange Religion
 

Patti Smith - Ain't It Strange
 

Rolling Stones - Ventilator Blues
 

Local H - California Songs
 

Nirvana - Love Buzz

Jam of the Day | Cowboy Junkies - My Fall

Tweet

I could list thousands of reasons why I love Cowboy Junkies: their wonderful live show, Michael Timmins' lyrics, Margo Timmins' voice, their ability to challenge me with every album, etc. If you don't consider Neil Young a band, then they are, unequivocally, my favorite Canadian band.

And sometimes, you get a great little pop song out of them.

This one is actually a cover of Xu Wei’s “My Fall." Michael Timmins discovered Wei's music on a recent trip to China, which resulted in the Junkies' latest wonderful album, Renmin Park.

Have a listen!

Cowboy Junkies - My Fall

Mary Gauthier Returns With 'The Foundling'

Tweet

Singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier isn't afraid to write about any subject, even when it means writing bout her adopted and wandering past. Her new album, The Foundling, was released on May 18th, and it's an autobiographical journey that talks about Gauthier's search for her birth mother.

Gauthier explains that "when I was 45 years old, I searched for, found and was denied a meeting with my birth mother. She couldn’t afford to re-open the wound she’d carried her whole life, the wound of surrendering a baby. The Foundling is my story.”

The Foundling was produced in Toronto by Michael Timmins of Cowboy Junkies, who, as Gauthier puts it, "understood my story and was able to create a musical landscape that captures the nuances of the narrative.”

Catch Gauthier on tour this summer, and listen to "Sideshow" below.

Mary Gauthier - Sideshow