Exile in Dunganville

(The following column first appeared in the Charlotte Folk Society January 2007 Newsletter)

by Dennis “Cuz” Frost

It’s unbelievable, but as I write this, we are bearing down on 2007! Last year was another stellar year for roots music in Charlotte and surrounding areas and there is no reason to think next year will be any less amazing. I suppose my highlight of the year occurred back in late April at Merlefest 2006 with a set I caught on the hillside stage hosted by Bay area musicians, The Waybacks.

By the middle of the set they were joined on stage by Bob Weir, Sam Bush, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and the proceedings had reached an energy level between the musicians and the crowd that I’ve only experienced a few times in my life - it was pure magic! This is probably the premier Americana/roots festival in the country and is highly recommended. Although the crowds keep some folks away, you will not find the diversity of acoustic music anywhere on the planet. Hey, it’s right up the road in Wilkesboro!

2006 was another great year in Charlotte, not only for catching national acts, but for the diversity of local and regional music available right here in our own backyard. The area music scene just keeps getting stronger by the year through the support of you, the listening audience. I think a New Year’s resolution worthy of consideration, in addition to losing those ten holiday pounds, is to support more local music. After all, these are your friends and neighbors!

By the same token, try to catch as many of your favorite national roots artists as is affordable. I don’t know about you, but not too many of the folks I listen to sell a bunch of CDs and most make their living on the road. Think of it as investing in art.

Speaking of recordings, there are a few out there that caught my ear in the past month. About every few years “The Dawg” (David Grisman) reconnects with his bluegrass roots and briefly abandons the “Dawg” jazz he’s become famous for through the years. Such is the case this time around with The David Grisman Bluegrass Experience. Although this band has been burning up the Bay area music scene with standing room crowds for several years, this is the first time this incarnation has been heard on disc. Highlights here include the Carter Family classic “Engine 143″, Charlie Poole’s “Baltimore Fire”, and the hippie classic, “Old and in the Way”. These tunes have the feel and freshness of being played under a big old oak tree at your favorite spring festival.

The next disc has been out a little bit, but is becoming a favorite with each listening. If your cup of tea is a fusion of old time, mixed with a bit of jug band nuance, you may enjoy the new one from Old Crow Medicine Show called Big Iron World. This is not a slick recording, but it is definitely a passionate one that mixes fifty-year-old covers and originals with ease. Produced by David Rawlings with a guest appearance by Gillian Welch, this one is just plain fun.

Last and certainly not least is an odd recording from J.J. Cale & Eric Clapton called Road to Escondido. I guess I say odd because of the fact that while Clapton has been in the spotlight his whole life, Cale has seemingly spent a career seemingly trying not to be famous. (He may tour every seven years or so if we’re lucky!) Well, this go round J.J. Cale is in the forefront & Clapton appears in a supporting role as Cale has written all the tunes but two on the disc. This one has that smoky, deep-fried groove that has become a J.J. Cale trademark throughout is career - a keeper.

That’s about it for this month as we are in the doldrums of the year in terms of new releases. That will all change next month as January typically has avalanches of new releases for the body and soul - I can’t wait to share some with you. Happy New Year to each and every one of you & remember those resolutions!

As someone who prides themselves on having the pulse of the local music scene, I have to admit I dropped the ball somewhere along the way. North Carolina native Chuck Brimer has been writing and playing tunes for quite a while now. Now if I can only figure out what time machine and decade this guy came from, I’ll feel better about myself.

Brimer’s latest record I’m Gonna Be Your Hero offers thirteen songs that sound to be inspired by music recorded from the 1950s through the 1980s. Brimer creates music grounded in the past, yet sounds timeless in the year 2007.

Brimer’s music can not be summed up in one word or phrase. Once you think you have figured the answer out, he changes the questions on the next song. Is he rockabilly or honky-tonk? Is a tender balladeer or a rock ‘n roller?

One thing I do know is that Brimer writes pop music - - but not just any pop music. I call it smart pop. Writing smart pop music takes a lot of skill. It goes way beyond finding a catchy hook. Brimer finds a way to weave intelligent well-crafted lyrics into his melodies and instrumentations to create infectious catchy tunes that you’ll be humming long after you are finished listening to his record.

However, the bottom line is that this is a fun record. Brimer won’t leave you feeling down. With all of the negative news floating around each day, we all need a record that will pick us up after a bad day. Brimer has created that kind of record. And that in itself makes Chuck Brimer my hero.

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More information and samples of Chuck Brimer’s music can be found on his website at www.chuckbrimer.com.

The cliché states that if you are in a rock n’ roll band, you have to have started in the garage. Not so if you are a member of the Shelby, North Carolina-based band Mama Said. Their band got their start in the kitchen. Little did they know at the time they had all the right ingredients to put out great rockin’ roots-based music.

Mama Said founders Helen Owen and Phil Ruff knew their music was too good to keep in the kitchen. They released their first full-length album of tunes in 1998. Eight years later would prove to be a pivotal year in the life of the band when they signed a record deal with the Colorado/Nashville-based Americana Records. In November of 2006, Mama Said released their third album Turn It Up.

Owen and Ruff handle most of the writing credits on the new record with the exception of one tune - one in which they cover Desmond Dekker’s big hit “Israelites”. Whether the band is playing Americana or “Jamericana”, their musical approach is organic in nature; crafting top quality songs using a variety of styles and instruments.

Mama Said has left the kitchen and is now out serving up great rockin’ roots flavored tunes to a venue near you. Sit back and enjoy. And don’t forget to give your compliments to the band.

How many bands do you know in today’s musical landscape that has an actual mission statement? Not very many would be my guess. Of course, like most rules, there are always exceptions. That exception is a band that goes by the name of Volatile Baby.

This all-female trio, comprised of Brenda Gambill, Allison Modafferi, and Gina Stewart, has been plugging away in the Charlotte music scene for a few years now. Their friendship is strongly grounded in their collective love of the arts. That’s actually how they met.

All three women worked in theater together long before making music became a topic of interest. It just so happens that the music and harmonies they create are simply byproducts of their strong friendship.

Volatile Baby released their first full-length album Traveling Light on Silver Meteor Records in May 2006. The album contains eleven tracks and even features a guest appearance from country great Carlene Carter on the first track “50 Miles of Elbow Room”.

When you first listen, it’s the vocal harmonies that grab you first. However, once this album grabs you, it won’t let you go. As you go in for repeated listens, you can really appreciate the instrumentation that permeates the album. String instruments (cello, violin), the clarinet, harmonica, and the auto harp fit nicely with the piano and guitar arrangements.

Their website clearly identifies their mission statement for all to see. It reads “to lift spirits and vibrations of the room with music, lyrics and vocal harmonies at each performance”. With the release of Traveling Light, I think the girls can agree they’ve accomplished their mission.

While I may have taken a break from posting my thoughts and musings, another cat just down the road from me has decided to do the opposite.  Michael Evans is a relatively new columnist at Charlotte’s Uptown Magazine and is writing a music column for them each month.  I can’t think of anyone more passionate or qualified to write about the state of our strong music scene in Charlotte than Mike. 

Please check out his latest column on the Americana music scene in the Charlotte area in the November edition of Uptown Magazine.  

The following column will appear in the November 2006 edition of Gaston Alive:

Michael Reno Harrell is a storyteller first, and perhaps a musician second. Both skills are great by themselves, but when Michael melds them together, he offers a snapshot of life into each and every one of his songs.

Michael says he drives for living, and rewards himself by making music. Our reward is the stories and images he takes with him along the way.

A Tennessean by birth, and now a North Carolinian by choice, Michael takes up residence in Burke County, NC. However, some would say his true residence is in his car traveling all around playing his music for people he meets along the way.

Enter his brand new release Drive (Dancing Bear Records), Michael reminds us that this thing we call life is a journey, and if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you’ll miss the best parts. Maybe that’s what Michael does for us. His music forces us to stop and appreciate this ride we call life.

Michael tells us that songs are everywhere. They are found on cold East Tennessee mornings, in old trucks, in dreams, and lastly - blowin’ in the wind. In a world where everyone’s patience is at an all-time low, and busyness pervades our lives, Michael just so happens to be the medicine we need to help us stop and reflect upon the journey of life.

Michael’s medicine doesn’t require an extensive health insurance plan or tons of money in your bank account. All it requires is that you enjoy great stories and music and the willingness to stop to appreciate “the drive”.

The following column will appear in the October 2006 edition of Gaston Alive:

It’s not often that an opening act outshines the headlining act. That’s simply not the job for the opener. Their job is to simply warm the audience up. They are the appetizer, the pre-game show, and the late-night show host monologue all rolled up into one.

I once attended a show where Danielle Howle stole the show. She was the opening act that night, but apparently had not read the rules about how an opening act was to perform. Call it ignorance, but something tells me that Danielle wouldn’t have followed said protocol that night even if she knew better. That’s just how she is.

Her latest release Thank You, Mark (Valley Entertainment), again shows that Danielle doesn’t like to be kept inside a box. Her new release welcomes all forms of American music into the fold including jazz, country, swing, down-home rhythm and blues, and more.

I wouldn’t expect anything less from this South Carolina native. Howle has soaked up every ounce of what this region has to offer musically, yet hasn’t forgotten to add her own personal touch. Ultimately - it’s her vocals here that draw you in.

So, whether you pick up her new CD, or find her playing in your backyard (as an opener or as the headlining act), you can’t go wrong with an evening with Danielle Howle.

The following column will appear in the September 2006 edition of Gaston Alive:

This just in…Bill Noonan is back.

This breaking news may not mean much to many of you, especially if you haven’t experienced the area’s recent explosion of local music in the last few years.

For those who are in the know, you may remember the name Bill Noonan from when he was the leader and chief songwriter of the band “The Rank Outsiders”. Bill, along with Gigi Dover, and the rest of the band turned heads and wowed crowds for over 10 years playing roots-rock to crowds all over the region.

Now Bill is back, fresh with a new band, creating the great country rock he was known for in the 90’s. With a brand new album, entitled Catawba City, slated for mid-October release, it seems Bill is set to re-emerge as one of the elite bands in the area’s music scene.

Three new tracks from his forthcoming release are now available for download on his MySpace page. These songs and more are available on his website at www.billnoonanband.com. Listen for yourself and see what you think.

The mayor of Concord, NC, Scott Padgett, recently attended one of Bill’s shows and described his sound this way: “It’s sorta rock, it’s sorta country. Who cares? It’s good music. Just enjoy it and have a good time.”

Listen to Bill now, so you can have a good time when he comes to a venue near you.

The following column will appear in the August 2006 edition of Gaston Alive:

The band Tater is:

A) a four-piece act from Spudsville, Idaho

B) a cheesy circus act on the traveling festival circuit

C) a local group that annually serenades the local Potato Princess at the Spud Festival

D) none of the above.

If you chose answer D, then you most likely have been Tater-ized at one time or another.

If you didn’t choose answer D, then here are the facts. Tater hails not from Idaho, but from Shelby, NC. Cheesy they are not. In fact, this quartet is quite talented. And lastly, to my knowledge, they have never serenaded the Potato Princess at any Spud Festival.

Tater has been around since 1998, and over time has created their own brand of music by mashing together every genre of music known to man to create what they call “Hi-Test Hillbilly Grass n’ Roll”.

Tom Petty in a recent edition of Esquire that the worst thing that ever happened to rock n’ roll was that they chopped off the rock. Tater has brought the roll back to the rock. If you don’t believe me - check out the song “That Ain’t No Banjo” on their 2005 release Hi-Test Hillbilly.

The following will appear in the July 2006 edition of Gaston Alive:

The Americana Music Awards have just named their 2006 honors and awards nominees. And in the last year or so, Americana Music Association has been increasingly attracting such country castaways as Radney Foster, Patty Loveless, and the Dixie Chicks just to name a few.

As the face of today’s country music gets younger and better looking, veteran artists are pushed out in favor of the “beautiful people”. Whether they should be in this format is up to you. However, we can’t forget about those artists who have been cutting their teeth in the Americana scene for years and years - even before being Americana was cool.

Mount Holly’s David Childers is a prime example of a guy who doesn’t latch on to trends and bandwagons so easily. He plays music that comes from deep in his soul. Sometimes it’s a spiritual, or sometimes it’s about the devil (and how it made his baby cry). He can rock out or strum slow. It makes no difference to him.

David Childers may not be getting any younger or better looking. Time has a way of doing that to all of us. But he still maintains a strong presence in the local and regional music community - grooming and inspiring younger musicians to play the music that resides in their soul.

In the end, trends will come and trends will go. And David Childers will continue to write and play the songs that live on forever. And that’s an honor that no one can take from him.