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Win Big: The Beach Boys “SMiLE Sessions”

SMiLE may be the most famous album never heard. After unleashing Pet Sounds, arguably one of the greatest albums ever recorded, Brian Wilson wanted to further explore the complex and innovative recording techniques of that release. Painstakingly recording an array of instruments and meticulously layering vocal harmonies, Wilson was on a quest for perfection.

Forty-five years later the vaults have been opened and the recording sessions that would have led to the storied release are now a reality. Although Brian Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine participated in the compilation, it is hard to say that the release reflects what could have been all those years ago. Nonetheless, it is a stunning view into the band’s creative process at a pivotal moment in their careers. To say that it is mind-blowing just doesn’t do it justice.

Want to hear it for yourself? Twangville is giving away a copy of the double disc of the sessions, filled with completed tracks, alternate versions and studio explorations. The give-away also includes this nifty t-shirt. To win, post a comment with your favorite Beach Boys song. A winner will be selected at random when the contest ends on Saturday, 12 November 2011 at midnight ET.**

For more information on the Beach Boys SMiLE Sessions, click here.

**By participating in Twangville contests you agree to allow Twangville to post the winner’s name and city on our web site. We pass along the winning addresses to the record company or pr agency for fulfillment. Twangville will not use your address for any other reason. Contest open to US residents.

Mason Jennings – Minnesota

Mason Jennings’ latest effort, Minnesota, is a lyrical romp with Jennings’ characteristic musical hooks that teeter on the edge of sappy but that work for him.  Every song on Minnesota is worth the listen.  The multi-instrumental Jennings opens with the subdued piano-based ballad “Bitter Heart” followed immediately with “Raindrops on the Kitchen Floor,” a retro Lovin’ Spoonful-like song that implants itself in the listener’s subconscious – an benign earworm. The excellent “Hearts Stop Beating” follows, which punctuates the album and establishes a pattern that basically alternates between ruminating folk tunes and uptempo rock numbers. The entire album has a retro feel, owing much to the dreamy, psychodelic folk of the likes of Donovan, Cat Stevens and Nick Drake. The haunting “Wiches Dream” exemplifies that retro vibe. The introspective “Wake Up,” about coming to grips with alcoholism (I’m not sure whether it is autobiographical – if it is, Jennings is lucky to make the realization at a relatively young age with his career on track), may be the highlight of the album.

The Minneapolis-based Jennings is a masterful songwriter, consistently crafting high-quality material.  Among his early career highlights were his second album, Birds Flying Away, and Use Your Voice, his fifth outing.  Writing songs since he was a teenager, Jennings has a devoted cult following, which one suspects will grow over time as he continues to write and to tour. Although not his best album, his ninth album, Minnesota, is solid and definitely worth the price of admission. It adds yet another quality work to his prolific career.  The playing time, at just over 31 minutes, is a bit on the short side -you may want to bring something else along for that Chicago commute – but you will find yourself singing along with Jennings’ inspired nuggets in no time, making that drive time seem to pass a little more quickly.

Monday Morning Video: The Frames

If you only know Glen Hansard from the Swell Season, then you’ve been missing out. For much of his career Hansard has led the Frames, a merry band of Irish musicians whose music radiates a powerful intensity. Here are two versions — one acoustic and one electric — of “Fake” from 2007′s The Cost.

Americana 2011: The Sounds

MUSCLE SHOALS TRIBUTE SHOW Detroit may have by Motown and the Funk Brothers, but Alabama had Muscle Shoals. Side-stepping which was the better musical factory, it is impossible to ignore the impact that Muscle Shoals has had on American music. This performance provided irrefutable evidence to the greatness of this legacy. The set was loose [...]

David Bromberg and Ry Cooder

The release of new albums by two masters of roots music this summer flew pretty much under the radar. Both David Bromberg and Ry Cooder have churned out album after album of Americana spanning folk to R&B since the early 1970s.

Bromberg’s career has been the oddest, with long periods of withdrawal from public performance to pursue his passion as a violin-maker. Between 1971 and 1980 he released no fewer than ten albums (check out Demon in Disguise and Wanted Dead or Alive for some of his best), but since 1980, he has entered a recording studio only a handful of times. Between 1990 and 2007 he released no records (although his old record company rereleased most of his back catalog and produced a retrospective in 1998). In 2007, he released his ‘comeback’ album, the all-acoustic Try Me One More Time, which featured a bit more slide guitar playing than his 1970s efforts but otherwise was totally in character. With his newest release, Use Me, Bromberg has upped the ante, this time calling on longtime associates Levon Helm, John Hiatt, Keb’ Mo’, Dr. John, Tim O’Brien, Vince Gill, Los Lobos, Linda Ronstadt and Widespread Panic to collaborate. For those who are songwriters, he asked them to write him a song to play on the album. The album includes songs by Bromberg, Hiatt, O’Brien, David Hidalgo (of Los Lobos) and Dr. John. Then he performed each number with its songwriter, and collaborated with the non-songwriters. And Use Me was no acoustic effort. The cover photo of Bromberg clutching a Telecaster was the first indication this album would be different than the last. Its up-tempo tone makes puts it among the most listenable Bromberg albums ever – equal to his radically eclectic early work (R&B and bluegrass on the same disc!). Bromberg’s singing style makes his him an acquired taste, but to the initiated that doesn’t matter. Among the album highlights are “Blue is Fallin’” (with O’Brien), “Diggin’ in the Deep Blue Sea” (with Keb’ Mo’), “The Long Goodbye” (with Los Lobos) and “Lookout Mountain Girl” (with Vince Gill).

Ry Cooder has mined many of the same veins of roots music but has gained more notoriety with the wine and brie set with his forays into movies and world music (most of which, don’t get me wrong, are excellent). But Cooder’s own work is more down home, and his guitar playing distinct (check out Into the Purple Valley or Paradise and Lunch among his 1970s work). In recent years, he has been focusing on concept albums that spotlight Cooder’s populist political bent. Although Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down is not a concept album, it does feature some of the populist themes of those recent effort and takes a tone somewhat similar to 2007′s My Name is Buddy. Featuring all original songs, it opens with Cooder’s musical diatribe about the financial crisis – “No Banker Left Behind.” The album runs from the gamut from folk to Spanish-tinged ballad to rock to blues. As always, the playing is excellent. Check out “John Lee Hooker for President” for an uncanny homage to both the singing and guitar playing style of Hooker.

Monday Morning Video: Richard Thompson

“This is a simple “boy meets girl” story, complicated somewhat by the presence of a motorcycle.” Enjoy this version of Richard Thompson’s classic “1952 Vincent Black Lightning.”

Americana 2011: The Awards

The hands-down highlight of the Conference was the annual Americana Music Awards. In this instance, the words for such a magical evening are hard to come by. Set aside any the speeches and performances, the event was held in the legendary Ryman Auditorium. Originally built for religious revivalist meetings, it achieved great fame as the [...]

Americana 2011: The Scene

This year, Twangville made it’s first trek to Nashville for the annual Americana Music Conference and the 10th Annual Americana Music Awards. Over the next week I’ll be highlighting some the moments, musical and otherwise, from this year’s event. WHAT’S IN A NAME? The running joke all week was how to define Americana. The context [...]

Monday Morning Video: Peter Wolf and Butch Walker

This past weekend was a big one for music in Boston with both Peter Wolf and Butch Walker teaching clinics in how to deliver a high energy show. Don’t believe me? See below for the evidence. Wolf serves up a version of “Love Stinks” tailor made for Twangville while Walker and his band the Black Widows tear the roof of a club with their sonic blast.

I’ve also included a bonus clip from Twangville faves Shovels & Rope. The South Carolina duo opened for Walker and invited him to join them for this rave-up.

Laurie Lewis – Skippin’ and Flyin’

Timeless.  That’s the single word that best describes the latest release from Berkeley, CA-based songstress and multi-instrumentalist Laurie Lewis.  Skippin’ and Flyin’ is a sort of tribute album to Bill Monroe.  The tribute is an abstract though, that includes Monroe songs, songs from others that were inspired by Monroe, and even songs that just evoke Monroe’s style or approach to music.  In some ways the album is performance art–you really need to get the physical disc so you can read the liner notes to get the full experience.

The album starts off with Old Ten Broeck, a traditional song that has a Monroe version.  Lewis’ version includes additional lyrics uncovered by folk archivist (and half brother to Pete Seeger) Mike Seeger.  Lewis’ notes give a little bit of the history of the song and the horse the song is named after.  In a microcosm, this is what the whole record is like.  A song, with some changes to the original, and notes on how they came about.

From Old Ten Broeck the record moves to What’s Good For You, a tune recorded originally by Flatt & Scruggs, and featuring Linda Ronstadt on harmony on Laurie’s version.  Next up is The Pharaoh’s Daughter, a Lewis original that elevates the courage of the woman who rescued tiny Moses in the reeds.  Then comes Harfordtown 1944, about a tragedy that killed many people that’s made a little more personal by the anecdote included in the notes.  Musical highlights abound here, but others worth noting are the vocals on Jimmie Rodger’s Tuck Away My Lonesome Blues, the Lennon Sisters-like harmony with Nadine Landry on I Don’t Care Anymore, and the tasty instrumental solos on I Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow.

Skippin’ and Flyin” is an extremely personal album, maybe best highlighted by the reprint of the picture Monroe autographed for Lewis that leads off the liner notes.  The record is filled with traditional and traditional-sounding bluegrass.  Unlike Gillian Welch’s release earlier this year, it doesn’t have a modern production sound: it could have been recorded yesterday or 40 years ago.  But it’s that lack of technical identity along with the song selection and the insights from Lewis herself that transforms a tribute album into a love letter to Bill Monroe that’s being shared with the world.