DC-based These United States have recently prepared their 4th studio album in the last 2 1/2 years. I like that pace. What Lasts has been called a darker writing effort than previous TUS albums – lead man Jesse Elliott wrote the album in 2009 following a near-death experience on Lake Michigan. The album is appropriately named, too. The title track was the only song from the album to survive a laptop theft in which Elliott lost some 300 demos. Below, check out the tracklist , download the first single, and check out some photos from a TUS show I attended last month in Austin:

What Lasts (out 7/20/10)

1.  Nobody Can Tell
2.  Dug Him in the Dirt
3.  One You Believe
4.  The Great Rivers
5.  Just This
6.  Life&Death She&I
7.  Ever Make You Mine
8.  What Do You Want with My Heart?
9.  What Lasts
10. Water & Wheat

The boys from Deer Tick drop their 3rd full-length album today, June 8th. You can pick it up digitally at Amazon for only $3.99 – TODAY ONLY. Here’s a track that caught my attention the first listen through:

Deer Tick - Piece by Piece and Frame by Frame

buy The Black Dirt Sessions: [Amazon mp3 $3.99][Vinyl][CD]

Remember, Amazon has monthly mp3 deals that just might blow your mind:

June's $5 Albums:
Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova - Once Soundtrack
Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild Soundtrack
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Spoon - Girls Can Tell
Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Bob Dylan - Together Through Life
Devendra Banhart - Nino Rojo
see all 100 here...

June's $6.99 Albums:
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
The Avett Brothers - The Second Gleam
Sea Wolf - White Water, White Bloom
Stoney LaRue - The Red Dirt Album
Joe Pug - Nation of Heat
see all $6.99 albums here...

June's $7.99 Albums:
The Black Keys - Brothers
John Prine - In Person & On Stage
The Hold Steady - Heaven Is Whenever
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
She & Him - Volume One
Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away
The Jayhawks - The Bunkhouse Album
The Black Keys - Attack & Release
Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
Band of Horses - Cease To Begin
Patty Griffin - Downtown Church
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
see all $7.99 albums here...

Samantha Crain and her Midnight Shivers are set to release their 2nd full-length album in just four short days. From the songs I’ve heard from You (Understood), Samantha seems to be continuing on a path to folk stardom. Her undoubtedly unique voice is further aided by friendly melodies and an ever-improving backing band. You (Understood) is easily the most polished sound to come from the Oklahoma youngster yet, and already leaves me wanting more. Get a track below and then check out another in the video.

You (Understood) -- Ramseur Records, 6.8.2010
1. Lions
2. Blueprints
3. Equinox
4. We Are the Same
5. Religious Wind
6. Holdin' That Wheel
7. Up On The Table
8. Sante Fe
9. Wichitalright
10. Two-Sidedness
11. Toothpicks

Pre-order

Your options are: Digital Download – $7.99, CD + Digital – $9.99
You can also pick up Samantha’s entire catalog in Digital format for only $19.99

Dawes – When My Time Comes

The Black Keys – Tighten Up

also check out the preliminary version, featuring a singing dinosaur.

Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers – Sante Fe

Scott Avett – Marriage (Bombadil Cover)

Josh Ritter – Change of Time (live)

Phoenix – NPR Tiny Desk Concert

This installment explores a blues/bluegrass standard that’s just about as close to ‘traditional’ as you can get. Written in 1914 and has since gathered more than thirty verses, the refrain being the only consistent part.

How long have I got to wait

Can I get you now

Or must I hesitate?

My introduction to the song came from Old Crow Medicine Show’s 2001 album Eutaw. The band treats the song fairly traditionally, Ketch Secor’s fiddle carrying the melody that will become familiar soon enough. Willie Watson begins with a verse heard nowhere else:

I was born in England, raised in France. Aw, they sent the coathanger, wouldn’t send the pants.

but the second verse is present in nearly every version, and might just be my favorite:

I was raised in Alabama, born in Tennessee. If you don’t like my peaches, don’t you shake on my tree.

Cover: Old Crow Medicine Show - Hesitation Blues

Since finding the song, I’ve located quite of few live bootleg versions from some of my favorite artists. Scott Avett does what sounds like an impromptu version that reveals the often indiscernable lyrics. He begins with a common verse:

If the river was whiskey and I was a duck, I’d dive to bottom and I’d never come up.

Cover: The Avett Brothers - Hesitation Blues (live)

My favorite version from my library is performed by none other that Justin Townes Earle. Justin fingerpicks that lovely melody all while strumming the rhythm and delivering an impassioned performance. He includes a verse I’ve yet to hear elsewhere:

Now I ain’t the doctor, but I’m the doctor’s son. Mama, I can play the doctor ’til the doctor come.

Cover: Justin Townes Earle - Hesitation Blues (live)

Moving to some older recordings, we find the Mayor of MacDougal Street, Dave Van Ronk, doing his version of the staple from back in 1960. Blues legend Leadbelly included a recording of the song on what would become his last ever recordings, done in 1948.

Cover: Dave Van Ronk - Hesitation Blues

Cover: Leadbelly - Hesitation Blues

Most songs this old, with so little consistency within the lyrics can’t be traced back to any one writer. But the men that wrote ‘Hesitation Blues’ just so happened to be in the music publishing business. Billy Smythe, Scott Middleton, and Art Gillham formed a band in 1914, and while on the road, penned multiple verses to go along with the above-mentioned chorus. One of the earliest recordings of the song was done by Art Gillham, also known as The Whispering Pianist. His lyrics show that the song was always meant to be lighthearted and improvised:

I’m going down to the levee. Gonna make a rocking chair. If the blues don’t leave, gonna rock away from there.

I had a sweet mama, so bashful and shy. When she mends her underwear, she plugs the needle’s eye.

A doctor’s in love with my girl, they say. I got her eating apples just to keep him away.

You must love your neighbor, like the good book say. But that don’t mean to love her when the husband’s away.

Uncovered: Art Gillham - Hesitation Blues

Over the last few months I’ve posted quite a few notices of Album Releases spread across April, May, and June. Here’s a re-cap for your pre/late ordering pleasure all in one convenient place:

April

6th/ Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame

buy: [CD][Vinyl][Digital]

I only recently became a Dr. Dog fan, but since I finally gave their 2008 album Fate a listen, they’re basically ALL I’ve been spinning. I also had the pleasure of catching their live show in Austin a couple weeks back, and it was THE BEST rock and roll show I’ve ever seen. If at all possible catch this tour – the light show is mindblowing.

Dr. Dog - I Only Wear Blue

20th/ Horse Feathers – Thistled Spring

buy: [CD][Vinyl][Digtal]

The third album from this acoustic folk outfit from Portland dropped late last month. I received my vinyl copy a few weeks ago, but haven’t had the chance to fully enjoy it yet. This one sounded good on the first pass:

Horse Feathers - Vernonia Blues

May

4th/ Josh Ritter – So Runs The World Away

buy: [CD][Vinyl][Digtal]

I’ll be honest, So Runs The World Away kinda bored me on the first listen. The second time through, the latter half of the disc sounded better – especially this one with it’s busy acoustic guitar:

Josh Ritter - Lark

11th/ Sam Quinn + Japan Ten – The Fake That Sunk 1,000 Ships

buy: [CD][Digtal]

Sam’s first solo endeavor, The Fake That Sunk 1,000 Ships showcases the heartbreaking songwriting ability we all came to love with The Everybodyfields.

Sam Quinn + Japan Ten - So Strong

18th/ Band of Horses – Infinite Arms

pre-order: [CD][Vinyl][Digtal]

I’ve given this one a few spins since picking it up and I like just about everything I’ve heard. This one seems to be a more melodic record than previous Band of Horses albums.

Band of Horses - Laredo removed by request

18th/ The Black Keys – Brothers

pre-order: [CD][Vinyl][Digtal]

The world’s best Blues/Rock duo has done it again with Brothers, the band’s 8th studio album. They continue to invent the grooviest of grooves, but Brothers isn’t as raw as the rest of their catalog – Dan’s songwriting shows through nearly as strong as on his solo album.

The Black Keys - Howlin' For You

June

8th/ Deer Tick – The Black Dirt Sessions

pre-order: [CD][Vinyl]

Following their meteoric rise over the last two years, the Providence Grunge-Folk Rockers Deer Tick release their third full album. They opened for Dr. Dog this month in Austin and from the sampling we heard, this one should be stellar.

Deer Tick - Twenty Miles

22nd/ Various – Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows (John Prine Tribute Album)

pre-order: [CD]

An All-Star cast of today’s best folk musicians came together to pay tribute to one of folk music’s best songwriters of all time. Whether it’s Justin Vernon, Josh Ritter, Willie Watson, or John McCauley doing the singing, the simply perfect melodies never let you forget you’re hearing a John Prine song.

Old Crow Medicine Show - Angel From Montgomery

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.