This Mornin' I Am Born AgainListen. Get Re-Born

Guy Clark - Texas Cookin'

buy Texas Cookin' (1976)

Todd Snider - Age Like Wine
buy East Nashville Skyline (2004)

Joe Purdy - Worn Out Shoes

buy You Can Tell Georgia (2006)

I know it’s been slow over here lately - I feel like these apologies are coming a little to0 frequently – but May is undoubtedly a huge month for the music world with a multitude of anticipated releases.

In the meantime, Become a Fan (or simply ‘Like’ for you commit-o-phobes) of the This Mornin’ I Am Born Again Facebook Page. I like my posts to be thorough and not simply a news blast, but when I run across some interesting music news, pickup some new albums, or am heading to a show I’ll throw up a little Facebook feed to keep you dear readers in the loop. I promise not to fill your news feed with incessant posting and links – only the important stuff. Plus, you’ll get immediate notification when I put up a new post. So do it. Click above or on the sidebar – it’s that simple. You know you already spend most of your workday on Facebook, anyway. And if you haven’t joined yet… come on, it’s 2010. Your Grandma already has a Facebook account.

Today, Saturday April 17, 2010 is Record Store Day. Support your local independent record store and celebrate the vinyl record with some special RSD exclusive releases. Check out the full list of releases – and find your nearest participating store.

I started the day at Waterloo Records – easily the biggest selection of RSD releases in Austin. But I wasn’t the only one with that idea. By 11am the best grabs were already picked over. The early vinyl release of Josh Ritter’s So The World Runs Away was gone quickly, as were Rolling Stones and Neil Young 7″s. I did manage to find The Black Keys 12″ single, ‘Tighten Up’/'Howlin For You’ at Antone’s. Also picked up a Doors 7″ and an old Doc Watson re-issue.

Check out ‘Tighten Up’ from The Black Keys’ upcoming album Brothers (out 5.18) below:

Tighten Up

Now, off to catch The Happen-Ins in the Hill-Country…

John Prine is easily one of the most underrated songwriters alive today – or ever for that matter. And it seems that the folks who got together to pay tribute to Prine are in the same boat – super-talented yet overlooked in the spectrum of popular music.

With the release of Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, all this may change. The caliber of artists that contribute to this album not only shows the far-reaching appeal of John Prine, but also reveals an often obscured common thread between these artists – many of whom are considered favorites here at This Mornin’…

Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine
Oh Boy Records - 6.22.10

1 Justin Vernon - Bruised Orange (Chain of  Sorrow)
2 Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band - Wedding Day  in Funeralville
3 My Morning Jacket - All the Best
4 Josh  Ritter - Mexican Home
5 Lambchop - Six O’Clock News
6 Justin  Townes Earle - Far From Me
7 The Avett Brothers - Spanish  Pipedream
8 Old Crow Medicine Show - Angel From Montgomery
9  Sara Watkins - The Late John Garfield Blues
10 Drive-By Truckers - Daddy’s Little Pumpkin
11 Deer Tick - Unwed Fathers [ft. Liz  Isenberg]
12 Those Darlins - Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian

Pre-Order available 4.27.10

As you can see, it’s a veritable Folk Music All Star Team. Some of the bigger names like Old Crow Medicine Show, Drive By Truckers, My Morning Jacket, and The Avett Brothers will hopefully introduce some listeners to folks like Deer Tick, Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver), and Those Darlins, all the while shedding some much-deserved light on the genius of John Prine.

I don’t have any tracks to offer up today, but check out this post for some links to streamable songs. Below, see a video of Conor Oberst (then as Bright Eyes) doing his version of Prine’s ‘Crazy As A Loon’:

I know, as a non-mainstream music blogger (are there mainstream music bloggers, anyway?) that’s something I probably shouldn’t admit. But I just don’t care. The game is ridiculously fun.

As someone who never learned much real guitar and fancied himself a sort of music snob, I was reluctant to get into the game. I always thought it would be ridiculous to have a generation full of kids who were experts at Rock Band when they could have put the time and effort into learning how to play actual guitars/drums. But thanks to an irresistible sale last Christmas, I gave in and started rocking – and I haven’t looked back. From the moment I began my psuedo-rock star career though, I noticed a severe lack of good music in the game. Every time I heard a great, rockin’ song from my library, I immediately thought how great it would be to play on Rock Band. I was officially addicted.

If you can look past the pages of Foo Fighters and god-awful death-metal, the game does have it’s fair share of good music. I can get by with decent 70’s rock mixed in with some Weezer, Beck, and other various ‘popular’ artists that are digestible.  With the ability to download additional songs from the Rock Band Music Store, your choices grow and, in some cases, fall more toward the indie side of things. Both smash singles from Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix are available, you can pick up a couple Raconteurs tracks, and of course Oasis is always a good pick. There are even a few tracks that I never knew before picking up that majestic plastic stratocaster:

Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon

Norman Greenbaum - Spirit In The Sky

The cascading flow of colored buttons has even reaffirmed my love for some mainstream rock from over a decade ago. Although Weezer’s ‘Say It Ain’t So’ isn’t part of Rock Band 2, I’ve played it on my Rock Band iPhone app as well as on a Wii Rock Band song pack. The killer guitar solo on the back end of the track makes it one of the best songs to live out your rock star fantasies. Naturally, I had and adored a copy of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory back in the day and couldn’t get enough of ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’. But Rock Band has helped to reveal the forgotten greatness of ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’.

Weezer - Say It Ain't So

Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger

And let’s not forget about that twisted corner of the rock world known as punk. These tunes tend to be higher on the difficulty scale, with more intricate drumming and faster guitar parts. Too bad the catalog in this genre is quite limited.

Social Distortion - I Was Wrong

The Replacements - Alex Chilton (RIP, sir)

Late last year, the people behind Rock Band released the Beatles Version of the game (complete with John, Paul, and George’s replica guitars). Just last month, news landed that a Jimi Hendrix edition of the game was nearing completion. But the most exciting news will likely revolutionize the game. With the recent advent of the Rock Band Network (currently only available to XBox users), the game’s song catalog will likely grow exponentially in the next few months. Now, bands have the ability to create and submit their music for sale in the Rock Band Store. This could possibly become the next powerful medium for new bands to get their music out to the people.

I told you the new music was pouring in.

After months of waiting, Sam Quinn – formerly of The Everybodyfields – has released definite album details for his first solo album. The Fake That Sunk A Thousand Ships is set to hit shelves and inboxes May 11th through Ramseur Records.

Sam says that the album was written to help himself get through some recent personal stuff – “a real bad year in [his] life.” Knowing this, I expect the album to be a slower, melodic piece of folk music. Not unlike most Everybodyfields’ material, but there you had Jill Andrews’ voice to bring spirits back up.  Check out the first unleashed track below. And further down, you’ll find a video of Sam explaining some things about the record.

The Fake That Sunk 1,000 Ships (out 5.11.10)

 1. Hello
 2. Fanboy
 3. So Strong
 4. Suite  Motown
 5. Strange
 6. Gun
 7. Mardis Gras
 8. Help Me
 9. Late The Other Night
 10. River

Pre-Order through Amazon - $11.99

Sam Quinn from Ramseur Records on Vimeo.

Got a string of brand new tracks in the last couple of days. No time for words, as more brand new music is pouring in as we speak.

Enjoy the latest, greatest additions to my music library:

Deer Tick - Twenty Miles
from The Black Dirt Sessions (out 6.8.10)

Band of Horses - Compliments
from Infinite Arms (out 5.18.10)

Dr. Dog - Unbearable Why
from Shame, Shame (out Today)

Ben Kweller - It All Happened
from Esquire Exclusive Download

John Prine - She Is My Everything (live)
from In Person & On Stage (out 5.25.10)

I think I post this every year, but it’s worth the attention. Such a moving song, such a moving story.  Happy Easter to all of you.

On the third day He had risen
Just like He said He’d do
Hell would not become His prison
He broke the chains for me and you

In a crown of thorns
They hung my Lord
They pierced his body
With a soldier’s sword
He forgave them and that spirit
Brings me to my knees
For the One that they hung
Between two thieves

Then He went to His disciples
They put their hands in the nail scarred hand
And to those who had been doubting
They felt the power of God’s plan

Mike McClure - Between Two Thieves
buy Twelve Pieces (2002) [CD][mp3]

Twelve Pieces is a truly great solo debut from Mike McClure. It was clear when this was released 8 years ago that Mike was not meant to front a ‘country’ band forever.  This album ushered in what has proven to be an impressive career from a gifted songwriter and musician. I began a Mike McClure Spotlight some time ago and now have two new albums that need to be appended to it. Here’s to hoping that Mike finds the time to record another mostly-acoustic album like this gem.