Album Review: Chris Knight - Little Victories

For the past, oh, I don't know, ten years, Chris Knight has been writing and recording songs that have affected my conscious more than any songwriter. I'm talking about Enough Rope, Dirt, Long Black Highway, and Crooked Road; all songs that describe the determination and anguish of country life. Knight continues that feat with Little Victories - another gritty and raw release that is both political and powerful.  It starts with the first track In The Mean Time with "Sometimes I wonder where my next dollar gonna come from...I keep my head up, if sumptin' falls out of the sky". Then there's the title track, where Knight trades verses with John Prine. "Little Victories" seems to sum up life the last few years. So does You Can't Trust No One - with "can't we all come together" but "pack a picnic lunch ..and pack your gun". My favorite tracks: Out of This Whole and Hard Edges - back from Trailer Tapes. And, yes, Chris Clark is back on mandolin. Knight does it again.

John Prine & Emmylou Harris Duet at WolfTrap

Last night John Prine and Emmylou Harris were the co-bill for an awesome show at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap. The night featured each artist performing separately with their bands, but also included duets between Prine & Harris with In Spite of Ourselves, Angel from Montgomery, and in the encore, Paradise. What a duo - I would love to hear an entire evening of them performing together - Prine's powerful songwriting and simple melodies combined with the angelic voice of Harris. Will Kimbrough sitting in again on the banjo would be an added bonus. Prine started the evening off like last time with Spanish Pipedream and made sure he included Lake Marie and on the complete opposite side - Lets Talk Dirty In Hawaiian. The most moving song in Harris' set was her tribute to Gram Parsons and when John Starling, formerly of The Seldom Scene and now fronting John Starling and Carolina Star joined her onstage. Thanks to both artists for appearing in the DC area.

Here's the only video I was able to capture last night before told to put the camera away.


Update:emmylunatic has posted a couple videos of the show on YouTube such as Angel from Montgomery.

Kasey Chambers Inspires Us with Storybook

You miss the old styled country vocals of Patsy Cline or Loretta Lynn? Well there's a contemporary artist who sounds quite similar, Australian Kasey Chambers. And on Monday July 30th, Sugar Hill Records releases her latest CD, STORYBOOK, a " fifteen song release of songs that inspired Kasey to become a musician".  There are several "iconic" songs from Gram Parsons (Return Of The Grievous Angel), James McMurtry (Too Long In The Wasteland), John Prine (Leave The Lights On), and Townes Van Zandt (If I Needed You) - among many others. Even Cyndi Lauper and True Colors; Chambers' vocals are something special with that song. My favorite, though, is Fred Eaglesmith's Water In The Fuel; but then there's Paul Kelly's Everything's Turning To White - quite the powerful song. And then Kelly joins her on Hank Williams' classic I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. An unbelievable duet.  Okay, there's something special with every song on this CD. Check it out. And for those in the Washington-Baltimore area she will be performing at the The Birchmere on August 10th and the Rams Head Onstage August 13th. Hope to see you there.