Full disclosure: I played a set with Crow Moses’ Mike Musikanto last fall here in Portland. But if I recused myself from writing about the music of people I actually know then you all would miss out on SOOOO MUCH.
Crow Moses has a familiar feel to it, without being same-y or derivative. It has some lovely melodies and lilting vocals that open into impressionistic lyrics about people and places you might recognize, but not quite remember. Produced by The Jayhawks’ Gary Louris, the sound of the album is warm and home-y. There are pedal steel guitars peeking in an out, jangly guitars waft through.
Title track, “Horse Heaven Hills” is lush without being overwrought. It sounds like a lovely place to sit and watch the sun set over your hometown.
Looks like that’s changing. Billboard reports, Jayhawks Reuniting For Summer Shows. The reunited Jayhawks played a festival in Spain last August, and they’ll be playing some more this summer:
[Olsen:] “That was the first time I’d played with the Jayhawks in over 10 years. It was really fun. It was Karen [Grotberg] and Tim [O’Reagan] and Marc [Perlman] and Gary and me. We played pretty much all of “Hollywood Town Hall” and “Tomorrow The Green Grass.”
“I have some friends in Spain who were very persistent about getting a Jayhawks show there and they really wanted the ‘Green Grass’ lineup,” says Louris, who owns a house in Spain and splits his time between there and Minneapolis. “Since Mark and I are now buddies again, and the fact that Karen is now willing to do some shows because now her daughter is old enough for her to leave for periods of time, its just become more viable.”
The A.V. Clubtalks to Gary Louris about his new album, Vagabonds, and about trying to release the 1986 Jayhawks debut that’s never even been issued on CD:
Well, we did have the rights to the first record, but we sold it to Lost Highway with the idea they were going to put it out, and then it got stuck. So we should have hung onto it, at least for that part of it. But of course, the Jayhawks name is kind of stuck. Anything that’s released with the Jayhawks name is technically still under contract to Rick Rubin, so it’s not like we can just go start putting out Jayhawks records. We would still be begotten to our contract.
I’ve heard the album on vinyl (thanks, Vit!), and it’s good. Very, very Sweetheart of the Rodeo, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
Woo hoo! Former Jayhawks Gary Louris and Mark Olson have finished a new album. According to Billboard, they’ve actually had Ready for the Flood in the can for over a year.
Produced by the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson in Los Angeles in January 2007, it will be their first album since 1995’s Tomorrow the Green Grass.
“We’re hoping it will come out either in the summer or the fall,” Louris says… “It’s taken a backseat to his solo record [The Salvation Blues] and my solo record [Vagabonds]. I’m not really sure if we’re putting it out ourselves or if we’re going to get a label involved. It’s great. I love it — we did it in eight days.”
Big news for fans of acoustic guitars, tight harmonies, and pretty melodies.
Songs:Illinois has an mp3 of the first single from Gary Louris’ solo debut Vagabonds, due February 19 on Rykodisc, who gave their blessing to this leak.
Fans of Louris’ vocals and songwriting on his work with the Jayhawks and Golden Smog will not be disappointed. People concerned about his recent work with the Dixie Chicks and Nickel Creek need not worry too much. “True Blue” sounds like classic Gary Louris, just a little less jangly.
Jayhawks Principals Regroup For Tour: “There’s obviously an audience for it and we like to do it. Sure, it’s a bit of a money-maker, it’s a job, but it’s going to be fun,” Louris tells Billboard.com. “One of the really appealing parts is to hang out with Mark and be friends again.”
