Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#471 in the Series) is Dave Alvin, Eleven Eleven  (YepRock Records) December 8th 2009, Dave Alvin & Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys shared a bill together in Los Angeles, California.  Wilson from the nearby suburb of Hawthorne and Alvin from the equally working class town of Downey were both products and interpreters of the “California Dream” and the idealistic mythology of the golden state in the late fifties, sixties, and on into the seventies. While both artists may have helped to create the mythological western vibe, Brian Wilson’s world consisted of surfing, riding around in woodies, and going to the hop on weekends.  Alvin’s world is definitely less utopian and more “Gypsy’s, Tramps...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#468 in the Series) us Chris Hillman, The Other Side. I think most people that are frequent visitors to the Cool Album of the Day site are familiar with our love for “Americana” music are probably familiar with Chris Hillman.  I’m not going to take for granted that that means you!  So before we talk about this 2005 project called The Other Side, allow me to give you a little background on this talented musician. I’m not going to start from the very beginning, that would take hours.  Believe me though when I say it’s a fascinating story.  You would not be wrong by saying that he was one of the originators of the...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#462 in the Series is John Hiatt, Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns Sometimes it amazes me how long I’ve been listening to music that John Hiatt either wrote for others, or for himself.  I think the first time I ever heard something written by John was when I would listen to my Three Dog Night, Hard Labor album back in 1974.  He was in good company there, ‘T.D.N.’ always chose some great songwriters, Hoyt Axton, Laura Nyro, Randy Newman etc. I also heard some of his songs when listening to my dear Rosanne Cash albums. Her covers of tunes like “Pink Bedroom” and “The Way We Make a Broken Heart” were two of...

Freebo – Something To Believe In a cluttered world that seems to thrive on excess, self-promotion, and personal and political agendas, listening to Freebo and his new album is like riding on a cumulous cloud of peaceful awareness. Freebo, in the music business since the sixties, has been part of Bonnie Raitt’s band for more than a decade and has become a sought after session musician working with the elite of Rock & Roll aristocracy including Ringo Starr, John Mayall, Crosby Stills & Nash, Maria Muldaur, The Bluesbusters as well as many others. Since embarking on his own Freebo has released four albums of his own cosmic blend of country, rock, soul, and folk, ear pleasing genre defying music....

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#445 in the Series) is the debut, self-titled debut from America America? Cool? I say heck yeah, especially this album. This was 1971. I remember walking up to Roseland Music Store and buying my first ‘45s’ ever. In fact, they were just about the only 45s I even bought. I went pretty much right into albums. That day, however, I did by two. They were two songs by two artists that I think we’re very similar at this time. They were America, “Horse With No Name,” and Neil Young, “Heart of Gold.” Similar, at this stage of their music, absolutely. Listen to Horse With No Name and tell me that that couldn’t be...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#434in the Series) is Carlene Carter, I Fell in Love Youngsters from musical families have a huge advantage over the majority of society.  Not only is music given to them via their genes, but having it in their ears from before birth is just a wonderful way to grow up. A dear friend of mine was from a musical family.  He’s a guitar player/singer/songwriter etc. etc. He married a singer/dancer and yes, their two children have grown up to be extremely musical in their own write.  In fact the daughter has been headlining places like the Rainbow Room and Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles all this summer. But what else makes...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#432 in the Series) is John Mellencamp, Scarecrow I was not even close to being a John Mellencamp fan when this was released. I was not even close to ever being interested in buying one of his  albums and definitely was never interested in buying a John Cougar album either.  I will admit that the long version of “I Need a Lover” isn’t too bad; I’ll give him that one. As time went on, I started reading that John wasn’t a big fan of some of the other things either, and he especially wasn’t a fan of the way Riva Records wanted to package him as some a pop star. He’d write and...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#420 in the Series ) is John Hiatt, Slow Turning. Three Dog Night- “Sure As I’m Sitting Here; Rosanne Cash –“This is the Way We Make a Broken Heart “and “Pink Bedroom,” Jeff Healey Band –“Angry Eyes,” Eric Clapton and BB King – “Ridin’ With the King – Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit and Desert Rose Band – ”She Don’t Love Nobody,” Bonnie Raitt –“Think Called Love.” You may know many of these songs. They all did quite well and they were all written by John Hiatt.  For years he was known as the guy that put out hits for others but couldn’t quite make that success carry over to his own...

David Bromberg’s new Use Me tickles the ear with a spicy smorgasbord of the many musical ingredients that make up the “Americana” genre. David’s concept for the CD was to ask a wide variety of singer-songwriters and musicians to write (or choose), produce, and perform on songs showcasing his versatility as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist. Answering his call were some of the greatest talents in contemporary music: Dr. John, spreading New Orleans “fonk”; Los Lobos (with a Mexican-flavored waltz); country music’s Vince Gill and bluegrass’s Tim O’Brien; Linda Ronstadt, making a rare appearance (on a Brook Benton ballad); Levon Helm (playing on two chunks of Woodstock blues and goodtime music), Southern jam band Widespread Panic, contemporary roots singer-songwriter John...

Today’s Cool Album of the Day (#417 in the Series) is Fire Town, The Good Life It’s funny how you can really like an album, then over time completely forget about. Then all of a sudden, you see something catches your eye or you run across it in your collection and you jump up and it all comes back to you, and you wonder why you ever let it get away.  For me, Fire Town, The Good LIfe is the perfect example of that. I really liked this release and then.. it was gone for years, but now it’s back. So who is Fire Town? Were you a fan of this great pop act back in the late 80s?...