hissing lawns

great new video of original song from the Savannah Music Festival’s Acoustic Music Seminar

by bill • April 13, 2015

I already reviewed the Savannah Music Festival‘s Stringband Spectacular, the finale show from the Acoustic Music Seminar, so I’m not going into too much background here.

The following video was posted today by Josh Turner, the guitarist you see here. Turner has an amazing YouTube channel (such versatility as a musician!), and he certainly has learned a few things about getting quality sound in tricky conditions. Here’s a performance in Warren Square by Joe D’Esposito on violin, Josh Turner on guitar, Jacob Warren on bass, Ethan Setiawan on mandolin, and Sam Armstrong-Zickefoose on banjo of “Mona”, an original song by Armstrong-Zickefoose in honor of his grandmother.

Caleb Klauder Country Band at ArtLab Sessions – new video

by JWaits • April 12, 2015

Here’s a video from ArtLab Sessions of the Caleb Klauder Country Band from Portland, Oregon. Caleb and the gang came through Savannah recently, playing with The Accomplices to a sold out crowd at the American Legion Post 36 on Victory Drive.

More band info, their touring schedule, and press reviews can be found here.

the Mountain Goats at The Jinx – more photos

by bill • April 11, 2015

Thanks to MusicFile Productions (parent company of Savannah Stopover and Revival Fest) for bringing the Mountain Goats to The Jinx recently. It’s pretty amazing to see a band of the Mountain Goats’ stature in a venue that holds 100 and change.

I had never seen the Mountain Goats before, and I don’t have much to add to Petee’s excellent review and photos. I think I was most struck by John Darnielle’s quirky, warm stage presence, by the beautifully crafted songs, and by the sheer adoration of the crowd, many of whom had apparently already memorized most of the lyrics of Beat the Champ even though the album hadn’t even been officially released yet.

Also, one of the most bizarre things happened. There was a fight, quickly quelled, that broke out in the silent barroom as Darnielle played solo on keys. I have seen some wild shows at The Jinx — but the first fight I witness is during the Mountain Goats? I didn’t get a shot of the fight itself, but here’s Darnielle and the crowd as they realize something is up, and you can see a few more shots of the Mountain Goats and opener Ides of Gemini after the jump.

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check out The Train Wrecks’ cover of Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country”

by bill • April 11, 2015

We are big fans of The Train Wrecks here at hissing lawns — and for good reason.

Here’s an especially fine new cover of Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country” from the Savannah-based band. Why did the band release it now? Here’s the answer:

During the session for 'We Roll On' a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Girl From the North Country' was also recorded but was later…

Post by The Train Wrecks.

And here’s the song:

Black Water Choir at ArtLab Sessions – new video

by JWaits • April 10, 2015

ArtLab Sessions has been at it again, this time recording Savannah’s Black Water Choir. The brainchild of Matt Eckstine of The Accomplices, and Jay Rudd of City Hotel, ArtLab Sessions hopes to give locals a spotlight, and touring acts another avenue to showcase their talent. We’ll be posting more links from this DIY group of musicians & creatives as they become available.

Larry Jack’s Magical Music Tour – 4/9/15 – 4/14/15

by Larry Jack Sammons • April 8, 2015

Hey guys,
It looks like there are a few more good shows going on this week. If you are out on Thursday and can stand the smell, Mississippi John Doude always puts on a fun show at the Warehouse. There have been a lot of social media chatter about Friday’s Prom Show at the Jinx, I am looking forward to seeing an exciting show there. Sunday looks like a good day to spend at the Beach, with a couple of early shows. And you can’t get more authentic old music than you will see at Foxy Loxy on Tuesday with Joe Nelson. Have fun this week and don’t forget to drop some money in the bucket if you see something you like.

Thursday 9th
Eric Culberson (Sav’h blues) – Bayou Cafe
Mississippi John Doude (Mississippi blues) – Warehouse
Casket Sharp (Sav’h Southern rock/ blue-eyed soul) – Ampersand

Friday 10th
Rock n Roll Prom (Jeff Two-Names & The Born Agains, COEDS, Wave Slaves, Pussy Launcher, Hermits of Suburbia) – Jinx ($7, $5 in costume)
Hypnotics (Sav’h garage rock) – Molly MacPhersons
American Hologram (Sav’h Americana goth pop) – Rocks On The Roof
Kota Mundi (Sav’h reggae rocktronic) – Congress St. Social Club
Shane Baldwin (Sav’h rock) – Jazz’d

Saturday 11th
Train Wrecks (Sav’h Americana) – N. Beach Grill
Craig Waters & The Flood (Athen blues funk soul) – Congress St. Social Club
Bottles & Cans (Sav’h blues) – Jazz’d
Rosies (Sav’h acoustic pop rock) – Basil’s
Old Flings (NC rock pop punk), Sav’h Sweet Tease – Jinx

Sunday 12th
Paving Gravy (Sav’h old time) – Tybee Social Club (noon – 3p)
Velvet Caravan (Sav’h gypsy swing) – N. Beach Grill

Tuesday 14th
Joe Nelson (Sav’h old time) – Foxy Loxy (7p)

The Mountain Goats with Ides of Gemini at The Jinx – photos

by Peterson Worrell • April 7, 2015

It’s hard to always know what to expect when catching The Mountain Goats live. The group, headed by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist John Darnielle, has gone through numerous evolutions since its initial conception as the lo-fi solo recordings of Darnielle.

While the songs of The Mountain Goats may range from tragic singer-songwriter solo efforts all the way to ballads featuring instrumentation nearly orchestral in nature, there is a single common theme that permeates through all of their work. That shared motif is a resonating, ever present earnestness within each of their tracks. Sometimes it’s a subtle implication behind mixed metaphors and indie-folk tunes as seen with tracks like “Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1” on 2012’s Transcendental Youth. Other tracks, such as “Pale Green Things” off of 2005’s The Sunset Tree hit you in the face with such emotion, that it’s hard not to relate to what Darnielle or the characters he’s carefully crafted for several of his albums have or are going through.

One would think such an experience would be relatively difficult to reproduce in a live setting, but The Mountain Goats somehow manage to pull it off on a consistent basis and last Saturday at The Jinx was no different of an occasion. The sold out show hosted by Savannah’s own MusicFile Productions was a similar environment to the last Mountain Goats show I attended. They somehow manage to make a packed room seem like an intimate living room show.

Sure, things may have gotten a bit rowdy and raucous at times (I’m not sure how many fights have ever broken out at a Mountain Goats show but the band can now put at least one on that list), but overall the crowd was focused on singing along with classic tracks like “No Children”, “The Diaz Brothers”, and “Up The Wolves” as well as new tracks like “Foreign Object”, “The Legend of Chavo Guerrero”, and “The Ballad of Bull Ramos” off of their latest, professional wrestling themed album, Beat the Champ.

When paired with Ides of Gemini, the openers of the night who played reverb laden, gloomy metal, the show was certainly an interesting one, and one I’d gladly like to experience again.

Check out a few shots of Ides of Gemini and The Mountain Goats below and make sure to hit the jump for the full set.

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a reunion of sorts as Gymshorts performs with Triathalon and Wet Socks at Hang Fire

by bill • April 7, 2015

I’m not sure if the word “reunion” is appropriate here — maybe all the musicians who will be on stage tonight (Tuesday, 4/7) at Hang Fire are just too young for any sort of reunion.

Still, it’s going to be quite a night of barroom rock — with elements of garage, surf, punk — that reunites bass player Mike Younker, now with Providence-based Gymshorts, with his friends and former bandmates in Triathalon and Wet Socks, both based here in Savannah.

Mike was the bass player for Triathalon when I started following the band over three years ago. Here’s a shot from a No Control show in spring 2012 (yes, Mike looks a little different these days):

Not long after this, Mike’s side project Sauna Heat soon started gaining steam, and Mike was also an early collaborator with Hunter Jayne on the first incarnations of Wet Socks, which now consists only of Hunter and drummer John Zimmerman. In 2014, Mike landed in Rhode Island with Gymshorts.

We’ve been lucky to have so many talented young musicians fueling the local scene in recent years — and a lot of that talent will be on hand for the 4/7 Hang Fire gig.

All these releases are worth a listen, and there are a few pics after the jump:

<a href="http://gymshorts.bandcamp.com/album/no-backsies">NO BACKSIES by GYMSHORTS</a>

<a href="http://wetsocks.bandcamp.com/album/drips-2">Drips by WET SOCKS</a>

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Maggie Palooza at Southbound Brewing Company – photos

by JWaits • April 6, 2015

Maggie Palooza was held this past weekend at Southbound Brewing Company to benefit Maggie Metzler, a Savannah transplant and Southbound employee who is currently undergoing treatment for a second bout of uterine cancer. Southbound put out the call to Maggie’s favorite Savannah bands, requesting their participation in a day-long music festival at the brewery. Contributors from around the region came together to provide food, auction items (both live & silent), and dedicate their time & energy to helping Maggie fight the good fight.

My personal experience was that this was one of the best events I’ve had the pleasure of both attending, and performing at, since moving to Savannah. Without getting too deep into my own personal beliefs & philosophy I’ll simply say that when one takes themselves out of the picture, and focuses on helping others…there is a very real spiritual reward. The day was deeply moving to many, a financial success, and the very first time that friends & musical comrades The Accomplices, City Hotel, Jeremy Riddle, Waits & Co., and The Train Wrecks had played an event all together. What better way to make that happen that to come together for a common cause.

Waits & Co. photo credit: Catie Pizzichemi

The Accomplices

City Hotel

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a short review of the Savannah Music Festival’s “Stringband Spectacular”

by bill • April 5, 2015

A few years ago, my friends Jackie and Ken Sirlin raved about the Savannah Music Festival‘s annual Stringband Spectacular, the finale show for the Acoustic Music Seminar, a key program in the festival’s ongoing educational efforts. So I checked the show out that year, and I’ve been plugging it every chance I get ever since.

I know, education, blah, blah, blah. It’s hard to market educational programs as concerts worth attending on a Friday night — especially on day 16 of the marathon 17-day festival.

But Stringband Spectacular really is one of the highlights of the festival. Many SMF programs appropriately feature established artists who are closer to the end than to the beginning of their careers, but the AMS finale fills the stage with 16 stellar musicians aged 22 and younger.

Who knows which will establish great careers and return to the SMF in the decades ahead? Who knows which might change course and pursue other things?

Of course, there are some adults involved in this production, including Jenny Woodruff, the SMF’s education director. The awesomely talented Mike Marshall is the AMS associate director; he was joined this year in running the program by Casey Driessen and lead clinician Julian Lage. I gather there were also sessions with a number of other visiting performers.

In the middle of this year’s Stringband Spectacular, mandolinist Marshall, guitarist Lage, and fiddler Driessen joined forces for a stirring rendition of “Gentle on My Mind” which segued into Duke Ellington’s “Caravan”. As good as those two songs were, the show was rich enough just with the work of the seminar participants. In fact, I think my favorite thing about the instructors’ performance was the opportunity to watch the delight on the faces of the young people behind them.

In a stroke of genius, SMF staff decided years ago that all 16 seminar participants would be seated in a semicircle on stage throughout the show. They just bring their instruments forward to the microphones when they are ready to play. Friday night’s show featured 14 songs either written or arranged by the participants, and there were typically about five musicians per song. By the time the applause had died down from one tune, the next ensemble was ready to roll.

Before I continue, here’s a list of this year’s AMS attendees:

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a few thoughts on The Barr Brothers at the Savannah Music Festival

by bill • April 5, 2015

During the beautiful Monday night set by The Barr Brothers at the Savannah Music Festival, Brad Barr quietly observed that the band wasn’t entirely accustomed to such polite, reverential audiences. He mentioned typically having folks talking loudly back by a bar. Given the subtle maneuvers of the musicians, I can’t imagine how distracting a loud barroom must be, but I also can’t imagine anyone on-stage asking for quiet — so nice, so polite, so appreciative of the audience (so Canadian).

The Barr Brothers’ show with The Apache Relay really displayed the SMF at its best. A packed house at the Morris Center, few of whom had heard the bands before but many of whom have grown to trust the festival programming. And what a choice to bring in The Barr Brothers (click here for their Facebook page).

I’d love to have some original photos of The Barr Brothers to share here, but the SMF is justifiably wary of photography at shows. It’s all about the music. If you don’t know The Barr Brothers, check out any of the videos below:

Larry Jack’s Magical Music Tour – 4/2/15 – 4/7/15

by Larry Jack Sammons • April 1, 2015

Hi guys,
Well, a new month has started. I have always thought that March was one of the funnest months, with the Savannah Stopover and St. Patrick’s Day, and a change in the Savannah weather. I can’t imagine that April will be filled with as much music as March, but the month is definitely off to a good start this weekend. The Jinx has a member of Goddamn Gallows on Friday and the Mountain Goats on Saturday. And don’t forget Saturday’s benefit for Maggie Metzler at Southbound on Saturday, it will feature many of the best Savannah bands and the $20 price includes beer and food. And there are plenty more shows spread throughout the weekend. These are some of the shows that I recommend.

Thursday 2nd
Accomplices (Sav’h lowcountry string band) – Dub’s Pub

Friday 3rd
Accomplices – Rail Pub (7p)
Waits & Co (Sav’h Americana) – Foxy Loxy Cafe (7p)
Gravy (New Orleans progressive funk/ soul) – Congress Street Social Club
Jeremy Riddle (Sav’h singer) – Molly MacPherson’s
Mickey Classic and His Lonesome Spur (Goddamn Gallows singer), Call Me Bronco (KY) – Jinx

Saturday 4th
MaggiePalooza – Southbound Brewery (2-7p, $20)
Hope For Agoldensummer (Athens sister duo, they play a saw), Black Water Choir (Sav’h folk) – Sentient Bean
Mountain Goats – Jinx (SOLD OUT)
Charlie Fog Band (Sav’h Grateful Dead covers) – Molly MacPherson’s
Dope Sandwich (Sav’h hip hop), Big Lo (Pensacola hip hop) – Hang Fire
Listen 2 Three (Sav’h groove rock) – Congress Street Social Club