So, with South America making the news this week for all the wrong reasons (the Argentina mistress of our dirtbag South Carolina Governor), here’s a great new clip of a song from Madera, a self-proclaimed “Alt-Country” band from Uruguay, of all places. It’s actually pretty good stuff, kind of like a spanish language Blue Rodeo.
It’s an american icon, the Radio Flyer red wagon; that Zach Seibert chose it for the name of his band says a lot about the timeless appeal of the music they make–sturdy, simple tunes with an easygoing gait that could resonate with a wide range of listeners given the chance to be heard.
Seibert may draw comparisons to Ryan Adams’ early work, but his twang sounds more natural and innate. “Dream of Two,” from the band’s debut CD Learning To Drown, is typical of the direct, yet poetic lyricism he’s capable of. The narrator sounds resigned to his fate of “me being me and you being you”:
“maybe we could work it out
but I’ll stick around and let you kick
this dumb old mule right in the mouth”
The mini-drama unfolds over a musical bed of gentle banjo and hammond organ riffs as he recounts the burial and exhumation of his pride and his conscience, wondering, “Do you dream of two?” while probably knowing the answer already.
Seibert used to play with the band Due East, and this new outfit is an extension of their souful alt-country sound that puts even more emphasis on his songs, and rightfully so.
Seibert and his Red Wagon will play a free show Saturday, March 21st, at the Whig in downtown Columbia, SC. Check out songs from the new album on their Myspace profile here.
Well, not yet. But the guys in Woodwork Roadshow are good enough they ought to be getting heard from coast to coast. Their blend of bluegrass, folk, ragtime, country, and rock is energetic, eclectic, and electrifying despite their mostly acoustic lineup.
I’ve written about them already this year for the Columbia Free Times, so I won’t say much more here except that somebody just posted some very good quality live clips from a recent show at the Music Farm in Charleston. Here’s one of them, for the song “Coast To Coast”:
Since the first installment of Favorite Bands was such an obscure choice, here’s one that’s pretty well known–Atlanta southern rockers Drivin’ N’ Cryin’. I first heard of them in 1986 when they were featured on a compilation album from 688 Records, a label connected with the legendary club 688 in downtown Atlanta. They played Rockafellas in Columbia around that time, and this vintage clip from 1987 should give you an idea of what they were like–it’s a far cry from the later version of the band that toured as the opening act for Lynyrd Skynyrd in the 1990s.
Over the years, I’ve seen DNC more times than I can count, in several different cities and clubs. Their shows at the Windjammer in Charleston were always wild, especially in the original club at beach level, with its lower stage and smaller room.
Long before the alt-country movement spawned a legion of new twang-rockers, DNC were combining country and hard rock; The Drive-By Truckers are but one band who owe a big debt to Kevn Kinney and company. Here’s a more recent live clip that proves they can still rock, over twenty years later.
Madera Alt-Country Band 11:24 am on November 9, 2009 Permalink |
Hi Kev, we are very thanksfull for your comments about our band, we invite you to visit our myspace http://www.myspace.com/altcountrymadera,there is more information of the band,and to listen to more of our songs.we were really surprised since here is really hard to expose this particular style.thank you again and greetings from Madera