ryan boldt of the deep dark woods
watch for their new album winter hours coming february 17, 2009. check out the first track released from the forthcoming album at their myspace page called all the money i have is gone.
- The Impressions self titled best of album, Curtis Mayfields first band. I've had the album for many years, but I put it on a couple months ago and listened to the track I Can't Stay Away From You and I couldn't believe my ears.
- Bob Dylan's Tell Tale Signs. Best album of the year. There is a song called Across the Green Mountains, an 8 minute civil war ballad that will make you weep and cry. The man still has it and has never lost it. There is a lot of fools out there that think he has.
- Waylon Jennings Ramblin' Man, this year was my year to get into country music and Waylon did that for me. I was mostly into folk music before this year, other than Hank Williams and Willie. Ramblin' Man did it for me, there is really wonderful songs on there and I've been listening to it non stop for 6 months. Amanda, Cloudy Days and of course The Ramblin' Man. Thank God for Waylon, what a mighty good man.
- The Deep Dark Woods played the Railway Club in Vancouver for the second time with our friends Shuyler Jansen and The Sheepdogs. The place was completely packed 300 people passed through that night. I've never rocked so hard in my life. We were scheduled to go on after the other two bands, we weren't to pumped because that meant we were going to on at around 12:30 or 1. We thought everyone was going to leave, but nobody did, it was packed right until the end. It was incredible.
- We played the Broadway theatre in Saskatoon right before we went to record our record in Vancouver. It's a 400 seat theatre. I was skeptical about playing such a large venue, but we showed up and it was packed, the sound was great and we brought our friend Ryan Spracklin up for several songs to play fiddle. The place went wild at the end of the show, loads of people rushed the stage, everyone was dancing. I'll never forget it.
- We played The North Country Fair with Shuyler Jansen. We played our own shows but unfortunately we were cut off early because the sound man needed to eat, it pissed us off, but we played with Shuyler on the mainstage and tore it up. We hadn't played with Shuyler for a couple months and hardly rehearsed for the show, but we got up there and had a great time. We had some sound issues (The power went out for about 2 minutes during the set) so Lucas did a drum solo, as soon as the power came on we went right back into Shuyler wonderful song Hellhounds continuing where we left off.
- Leonard Cohen Death of a Ladies Man. For some reason someone told me to stay away from this album, so I did for many years. I always loved the early albums, Songs Of, Songs From A Room and even the later stuff like Various Positions and I'm Your Man. I decided I would try it, bought it and was blown away. Every song on there is great, produced by Phil Spector. Songs like Don't Go Home With Your Hardon, I left A Women Waiting, True Love Leaves No Traces, Iodine and my personal favorite Memories.
"Frankie Lane was singing Jezebel, I pinned an iron cross to my lapel. I walked up to the tallest and the blondest girl and I said you don't know me but very soon you will, oh won't you let me see your naked body."
Fantastic lyrics and the melodies are fucking great. Cohen is very underrated when it comes to his melody writing
- Hank Williams brand new unreleased songs box set. There is a lot of radio performances and lot of stuff that is very different than what you usually hear from him. Songs with Hank of acoustic guitar and his band just singing along. Alot of old southern baptist hymns and old songs he'd been taught as a child and some wonderful duets with his wife Audrey Williams.
- One of my favorite songs I've discovered this year is from a band called the Spaniels, a Doo Wop band from the 50's. The song is called "Jessie May". The guy singing lead has the lowest voice I've ever heard on a lead singer and he also has a bit of lisp. It's great song and band rocks hard.
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-I found a record called "Over There: Songs of World War II" There is song on there called The Old Lamplighter from Billy Williams and His Choir. It could make a grown man weep. "You'd hear the patter of his feet as he came toddling down the street, His smile would cheer a lonely heart you see if there were sweethearts in the park he'd pass a lamp and leave it dark, he made the night a little brighter that old lamplighter from long long ago."
