Fun Stuff > BAND
Alt-Country, Folk, & Roots: The Twang Thread
Johnny C:
Jon-Rae Fletcher is a truly incredible Canadian artist. He sings heavily gospel-influenced folk music, which itself is pretty rad, but what really makes his music special is his keen lyric eye and his truly exceptional voice. The son of a travelin' preacher, Jon-Rae sings in a rich, full-bodied and intensely expressive tenor, giving his songs revelatory power.
That he even released Oh, Maria at all is a bit surprising. You see, Jon-Rae used to be the frontman for a band named Jon-Rae & The River, a full-band gospel revival act that sang about drinkin' and fuckin' and all the good crude things in life. They toured with Ladyhawk and the Constantines and released a really great, upbeat record titled Knows What You Need. The River - including Jon-Rae's wife - were doing pretty alright. Unfortunately, Jon-Rae's drinking spiraled out of control and it's generally surmised that at some point he fucked around on his wife. The River dissolved and Jon-Rae left Toronto, disappearing west. A friend of mine saw him working at a 7-11 in Kamloops, half-drunk.
Last year, he re-emerged in Vancouver, touring by himself with bands like WOMEN. Eventually he sat down with friends like Ladyhawk's Darcy Hancock and Immaculate Machine's Kathryn Calder to write and record Oh, Maria, a devastating song-cycle that mixes his betrayal of his wife with the narrative of a serial killer. The songs are sparse, beautiful and emotionally complex - despite their grim subject matter, what they ultimately inspire is sympathy for the devil. These are uplifting hymns for the regretful. Through them, Jon-Rae voices the eternal fuckup's hope to make mistakes right again. It's an album of shocking passion and overwhelming hope for the redemption of the human spirit, tender and quietly glorious.
This is one of my favourite albums of the year!
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Scandanavian War Machine:
that sounds pretty great, Johnny. downloadin' now.
in the meantime, here is The Esther Caulfield Orchestra's album Good Morning, Whiskey Breakfast which i mentioned earlier and have posted on these here forums once or twice before because goddamnit it is good fucking music and not nearly enough people appreciate it.
The Esther Caulfield Orchestra - Good Morning, Whiskey Breakfast
album art (link because it is pretty big)
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if the term "psychedelic country" sounds appealling and intriguing to you, then i recommend downloading this record pronto.
bonus: you don't have to feel bad for downloading it because he* gives it away for free on his website anyway.
*oh yeah, did i mention that all vocals and instruments are the work of one man? yeah.
gospel:
This thread is paying off rediuclously awesome dividends. Much appreciation, Johnny; that CD/singer is really amazing, to say the least.
michaelicious:
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I never really listened to Jon-Rae & the River but this new album seems pretty damn awesome. Have you ever listened to Timber Timbre? He is a really humble dude from Toronto who sings gothic folk/blues songs. His music seems like the kind of thing you would be into. He was recently signed to Arts & Crafts after putting out a few amazing records for a smaller Toronto label Out of This Spark. I can't even begin to describe how powerful this dude's live show is. The songs are really awesome on record, but live they sound absolutely apocalyptic. He usually shuts out all the light and plays the songs with just a very ominous guitar, and sometimes violin accompaniment. His voice is so haunting. I have seen him everywhere from someone's living room to a crowded bar full of dicks who wouldn't stop talking to a church and every time it is incredible.
scarred:
The Old 97's are freaking great; their last couple albums have been a little weak, but you can't get any better than "Satellite Rides."
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