5 Questions with The Dunwells @folkalliance

02/29/2012 By

One of the biggest buzz bands at The 24th International Folk Alliance Conference was The Dunwells. They traveled all the way from Leeds to charm the attendees with their British take on Americana music. This was their second visit to the bluff city, the last time they were here they got signed to their record deal and were whisked away to Austin, TX to record their debut album at Willie Nelson‘s Pedernales Studio.

The quintet seemed to be quite big fans of Memphis music history as we chatted about the sound board that Led Zeppelin mixed their infamous third album on in Memphis back in the early 70s. Hopefully they are big enough fans to come back and record in Memphis real soon!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: 5 Questions With Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

My First Record: Ben Bassett of Vintage Blue

02/09/2012 By

I can picture it now, the first album I ever remember owning.  I may have only been a few years old, but I can picture the cover of the album in my head right now.  Red, Yellow and Blue stripes across the front and I seem to recall some skeletons.  I was so young that I really could not even tell you the names of most of the songs on the record, but if I heard them now, you would catch me singing along.  “There’s a little black dot on the sun today.”

As for the first record I ever purchased, that is a whole different story.  I grew up with a step-brother who was ten years older than me and was into Guns n’ Roses, real early Metallica and those hair bands of the 80’s.  By the time I had eventually moved on from Sting, Bobby Brown and Michael Jackson I was ready to rock.  I remember gathering up some cash from allowance and whatnot and walking down to the music store in downtown Chico and buying (what was then a pretty new technology) a CD!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: My First Record Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Warm Up with Wagons

09/16/2011 By
The Warm Up with Wagons [ 18:36 | 42.55 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Wagons, from Melbourne, Australia, are a lot more country than we expected them to be – them being from down under and all – but then when we thought about it – it made more sense. Afterall, we did see Australia, the movie!

Actually, the band is a lot more country & western than we expected them to be. Which is good. When we think of “country” these days, we think of girls from the south that shop at the mall, y’all! Wagons are much more of a musical mixed bag, with a lot of old school country influences like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and maybe even a little Elvis.

The guys were a lot of fun to chat up and were very excited to be playing in Memphis. We think we will be hearing a lot more from them in the future! Check out our interview with the band as they profess their love for late period Elvis and talk about being on the road with tour mates Those Darlins. They also play some music! Then go see them TONIGHT at The Hi-Tone!

From the land down under, Wagons take the best of rock n roll, country, funk, cabaret, psychedelia and soul and tie them all together with the help of lead singer, Henry Wagons, delightfully twisted vision. After being called one of Australian music’s best kept secrets, and dangerously close to the best thing ever, by Time Off Magazine, Wagons has become a hugely popular act in their native Australia. Looking to America for much of its inspirations, the band has incorporated the sound of iconic figures like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Hank Williams while also adding a hint of author Cormac McCarthey s trippy Western novels into their new album Rumble, Shake & Tumble.

Henry Wagons charming but slightly dangerous way with music has propelled Wagons on their tour across America, including a triumphant 2010 SXSW appearance, that has opened up the eyes of unsuspecting U.S. audiences. We play like every show is the headlining slot at Woodstock, he says after being called the figure every frontman with balls aspires to be. Wagons will be delivering their unique brand of dark country rock to the United States in all of its wild and sweaty glory, so get ready to Rumble, Shake & Tumble.

Filed Under: The Warm Up Podcast Tagged With: , , , , ,