Author Archives: philfavorite@gmail.com

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Reverend Deadeye

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Praise the Lord! Reverend Deadeye (left) with Brother Al at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Wildwood Sessions: Reverend Deadeye

Blistering heat took its toll on just about everybody on Saturday afternoon at this year’s Willdwood MusicFest & Campout, and just as temperatures in the Oregon valley were reaching triple digits, Reverend Deadeye and his partner Brother Al hit the main stage to entertain the masses.

With a mix of aggressive blues, gospel fury and good old-fashion storytelling, the good reverend lit the place on fire. Fortunately for the podcast team, he had a little something left to share during an interview and performance as the sun began to set on Saturday eve.

We supplied some water and a bit of whiskey as Reverend Deadeye told us about his recent touring exploits and his impressions of the festival. He also shared some information about his art and the influences who have helped shape his musical vision.

And taking a turn on his beat-up (but super cool sounding) resonator guitar, and with Brother Al riding shotgun on tambourine, Reverend Deadeye performed a tune about a former teacher of his called “Wade Wilson.” Mr. Wilson’s fate is cast in the first line of the song, but how he gets there proves well worth the listen.

Be sure to watch for Reverend Deadeye on the road this fall, and get familiar with his records at https://reverenddeadeye.bandcamp.com.

 

 

Episode #55 featuring Stars of Cascadia

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Our three Stars of the game (l to r): John, Mandy and Scott from Stars of Cascadia. Photo by Anne Barrett

Episode #55 with Stars of Cascadia

Shifting winds brought smoke from the raging Western wildfires into the Portland area this past weekend, smuggering up the sky and blocking out our beautiful weekend stars. And while our thoughts are with the folks east of the Cascades adversely affected by the fires, we at least were able to enjoy a visit in The Helm from a few of the folks in Stars of Cascadia, a new alt-country band emerging on the Portland scene.

The Stars are led by an old friend of the podcast, Scott Jeffries, who first appeared on the show as a member of the psych-rock band Spirit Lake. He’s joined here by singer Mandy Allan and fiddle player John Nyen, who make up key elements of the full seven-piece outfit the Stars have evolved into.

During the interview, we learn how Mr. Jeffries left Spirit Lake to pursue his country muse. He formed Stars of Cascadia with a group of like-minded supporters of our local men’s professional soccer team, the Portland Timbers, and rounded out the lineup with all the necessary accouterments — telecaster, pedal steel, etc. — to bring their version of original twang to the masses.

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The Stars of Cascadia entertaining the nurses in The Helm.

Having played shows for more than a year now, Stars of Cascadia are picking up momentum and making big plans for recording and live playing. Here they share a couple of Scott’s original songs with Mandy and John playing prominent roles in the performance. Scott also talks about the influences that drove him toward country music, including his upbringing in California, a constant source of inspiration in his song-writing.

The interview evolves into a healthy debate about who was the best singer in The Band — Rick Danko, Levon Helm or Richard Manuel. Too bad none of these greats is alive to defend his particular legacy, though we came to the conclusion that as awe-inspiring as these singers were individually, they were all better when singing together and making those magical harmonies. Listening to the show, you’ll appreciate the harmonies laid down by Scott and Mandy, who produce a little magic of their own.

And while our hot, dry summer has brought dangerous conditions for wildfires, it also brought a wave of our favorite artists as their summer tours roared through the Pacific Northwest. On this episode we share a playlist full of music by some of the great bands and singers our hosts have had the pleasure of witnessing since the last time we gathered in The Helm, including Jason Isbell, American Aquarium, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit and Possessed By Paul James.

We also share some new music from artists D.L. Marble, Jonathan Tyler and a track from the new solo album by Slobberbone front man Brent Best. So there’s lots to dig into for Episode #55. Have at it!

Here’s the playlist:

Daddy Was A Liar, Brent Best
Heart On A Shelf, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit
Country Love Song, D. L. Marble
The Man I Am Today (Live In The Helm), Stars of Cascadia
Modjeska (Live In The Helm), Stars of Cascadia
Shoulda Known Better, Possessed By Paul James
Wolves, American Aquarium
This Is How We Do Things In The Country, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club
Palmetto Rose, Jason Isbell
Run-Down Neighborhood, Lindi Ortega
Hold You Like A Harness, Hip Hatchet
Riverbottom, Jonathan Tyler

 

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Adam Lee & Matt Woods

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Road warriors: Adam Lee and Matt Woods are Bass & Trouble.

Wildwood Sessions: Bass & Trouble

Listeners to That Much Further West Podcast are well aware of our love for Matt Woods, the hard-driving troubadour from Knoxville, Tennessee. We practically wore out his amazing 2014 album “With Love From Brushy Mountain” playing track after track on the show, and have featured him multiple times with guest interviews and performances. That’s why we were super stoked when it was announced that Matt would be performing at this year’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout in Willamina, Oregon.

But Matt’s appearance at Wildwood was made extra special by the presence of his touring partner, honky-tonk superhero Adam Lee. Known for fronting his band, The Dead Horse Sound Company, and also for his role as Johnny Cash in the Chicago-based musical The Million Dollar Quartet, Adam’s distinctive deep baritone voice and killer showmanship helped entertain crowds during a pair of performances at Wildwood.

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Adam Lee and Matt Woods dropping some podcast love on co-host Phil Favorite at the Wildwood MusicFest & Campout.

The two touring mates have put together an act they call “Bass & Trouble,” and a theme song of the same name that they perform at the end of this interview from the podcast RV. It’s a rollicking fun (if a bit naughty) ditty the two worked out on the road after hooking up for the first of several tours they’ve now done together.

During the interview, we learned how the friends met and decided to take their act on the road, and their plans to head to Europe this fall. So if you’re over there, be sure to check ’em out — these two dudes are the real deal. Before then, be sure to look for Adam in Chicago and learn more about him at www.adamleeband.com.

Meanwhile, Matt will be road-dogging it around the Southeast U.S.A. while gearing up for their European swing. Be sure to check him out at www.therealmattwoods.com.

Review of When The Darkness Come by Michael Dean Damron

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When the Darkness Come, Michael Dean Damron (2015, Sad Crow)

I am listening to When The Darkness Come by Michael Dean Damron. This is Mike D’s fifth solo album over the past 10 years and he has more albums with his kick-ass rock band, I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House. There is a certain thread of melancholy, despair and darkness running through Mike D’s songs. I don’t feel depressed when I listen, however. There is a pool of tears right below the surface and I struggle to keep them from overflowing when I understand that Mike speaks for a whole lot of people in this world.

Listen to “The Butcher” The Butcher

A troubadour on the slow march to Hades, Mr. Damron gives us a soundtrack about life in our current state of affairs. We are all the common man or woman trying to make it work against great odds. Mike is a lifetime musician on the constant struggle to scratch together a living with his music. He is a monster on stage performing yet thankful and humble for all he gets from each song, performance and fan. His songs and his music make me realize the struggle is real for the plumber, the cook, the dancer, the mechanic and all of us trying to make sense of what is happening around us.

Listen to “Simmer In The Pot” Simmer in the Pot

We need sad songs. We need songs that are not afraid to go out in the rain and stroll on a dreary, grey day. There is beauty and life in these moments just as much as the upbeat, sun-shiny songs. I encourage you to listen to this collection of 11 songs collectively called When The Darkness Come but don’t forget to wear your raincoat.

Listen to “Now You’re In The Mud” Now You’re in the Mud

So it goes.

— MIKE LEE
That Much Further West Podcast

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Emily Herring

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The bespectacled bad-ass, Emily Herring. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Wildwood Sessions: Emily Herring

Heartbreak has been a part of country music from the beginning, and Emily Herring broke a lot of hearts when she moved from Portland to San Marcos, Texas, a few years back. But the move has been fruitful for Ms. Herring, and for that — and for her occasional visits back to Oregon — Emily’s friends back in Oregon are happy and grateful.

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Emily Herring: purveyor of good ol’ fashioned honky tonk music. Photo by Christopher Sohler.

That’s why we were psyched to see Emily on the bill for this year’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. She delighted the crowd at Wildwood with a Saturday afternoon set of original songs, backed by a band made up of old Portland friends, including our own co-host Eric Kotila on drums.

Afterward, she dropped in to the podcast RV to record this interview. Hear how she’s settled into life about 30 miles southwest of Austin, an area that boasts its own classic country music scene where new voices mesh beautifully with old-timers and honky-tonkers.

She also shared a beautiful original song, “The Last of the Houston Honky Tonk Heroes,” a tune about one of the musical Marys that Emily cites as a big influence — fellow bad-ass Mary Cutrufello. Check it out, and be sure to look up more about Emily at www.emilyherring.net.

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Joshua Esterline aka Acousta Noir

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Joshua Esterline, aka Acousta Noir, stirring up a Tempest in the podcast RV at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com).

Wildwood Sessions: Acousta Noir

Podcast co-host Eric Kotila likes to call them road dogs — musicians who have the need to hit the road and share their music with folks across the country and overseas. These road dogs always have a special place at the heart of That Much Further West Podcast, and Joshua James Esterline of the one-man band Acousta Noir fits the description perfectly.

Joshua describes his music as “Southern Oregon Dark Acoustic,” and has earned a reputation among his peers as a stand-up guy delivering high-quality, high-energy music with consistency. From his base in Roseburg, Ore., he’s been cranking out quality recordings and taking his music on the road for years now.

After a spring and early summer of traveling both in the states and in Europe, Acousta Noir returned home to deliver a first-ever performance at the Wildwood MusicFest & Campout, but In our interview you’ll learn of Joshua’s deeper ties to the festival. As a carpenter he’s helped expand and improve the festival facilities and as a music fan has soaked up performances by many of his one-man-band friends and heroes.

a1509935161_16This year Acousta Noir fired the festival’s opening salvo — a fantastic set of original music that kicked things off Friday night and had show-goers tapping their feet and clapping along. Before that, Joshua stopped by the podcast RV to chat about life on the road, some of his festival memories and also to share a killer song called “Tempest” from Acousta Noir’s 2014 album “Suffer & Overcome.”

Enjoy the interview and performance and look for Acousta Noir in your local music listings. Joshua’s sure to be coming to a town near you soon. Also, check out Acousta Noir music at https://acoustanoir.bandcamp.com/.

 

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 with Dustin Hamman of Run On Sentence

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Another beard to envy: Dustin Hamman of Run On Sentence joins the podcast hosts in the RV at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com).

Wildwood Sessions: Run On Sentence

Though he had never previously attended the festival, this year’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout was a homecoming of sorts for Dustin Hamman. The New Mexico-based singer-songwriter has deep ties to Oregon from his days living in Portland, where his band Run On Sentence formed in 2007.

At Wildwood, Hamman surrounded himself with old friends while leading the band through a smoking-hot set on opening night of the festival. He also stuck around all weekend, even taking a turn fronting the festival all-star band that delighted the crowd with a killer set of outlaw country tunes on Sunday afternoon.

runonsentencealbumBut before all that, the soft-spoken Mr. Hamman took a few minutes to join the podcast team in the RV for an interview and performance. In this session we learn of Dustin’s ties to the festival and the Portland music scene as well as his punk rock upbringing in middle America and some of the influences that shaped his songwriting and performing. He also shares a solo acoustic version of the song “Run To You,” from the 2014 album Feelings. It’s an emotional rendition made even more powerful by the aggressive pounding and pulling on his nylon-string guitar.

Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out more of Run On Sentence at their Bandcamp page, https://runonsentence.bandcamp.com.

TMFWP Special: Wildwood Sessions 2015 featuring Willy Tea Taylor

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Willy Tea Taylor performing solo at the 2015 Wildwood MusicFest & Campout. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Wildwood Sessions: Willy Tea Taylor

knuck·le·ball
ˈnəkəlˌbôl/
Baseball
noun: knuckleball; plural noun: knuckleballs; noun: knuckler; plural noun: knucklers
  1. a slow pitch that has virtually no spin and moves erratically, typically made by releasing the ball from between the thumb and the knuckles of the first joints of the index and middle finger.

If you we’re picking a Most Valuable Player at this year’s Wildwood MusicFest & Campout, you could build a very strong case for Willy Tea Taylor, the California-based singer-songwriter who delighted showgoers with not one but two scintillating performances. Our podcast hosts roped Willy Tea into the festival podcast trailer to record this session while he was in between sets: the first a daytime solo performance; the second came later as he was leading his band, The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit.

Of course, Willy Tea isn’t interested in being the MVP, though we think he might settle for the Cy Young Award. Now 39 years old, he still hasn’t given up on his dream of pitching in the major leagues. With his new album, titled “Knuckleball Prime,” due in September, the wonderfully bearded Mr. Taylor explains that pitchers who master the art of the knuckleball can extend their careers well into their 40s. So there’s hope for him yet!

But as a songwriter and performer, Willy Tea has been in his prime for years now and doesn’t seem to be losing a thing. All he needs is his voice, his famous four-string guitar and a story to tell. Here he performs a beautiful new song, “Lazy Third Eye,” that he wrote with friends Jay Cobb Anderson of the band Fruition and Taylor Kingman of The Hilldogs. Enjoy.

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Always a Wildwood Fest favorite, Willy Tea delighted the masses with a Saturday afternoon solo performance. He returned to the stage later that night with his band The Good Luck Thrift Store Outfit. Photo by Christopher Sohler.

Episode #54 featuring Ray Vietti of The Harmed Brothers

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“No, ma’am, we’re musicians.” The Harmed Brothers (l to r): Alex Salcido and Ray Vietti. Photo by Christopher Sohler (www.christophersohler.com)

Episode #54 featuring Ray Vietti

The podcast crew survived another action-packed weekend at the Wildwood MusicFest & Campout here in beautiful Oregon, and upon returning to Portland the lads went right back to work in The Helm producing Episode #54.

Having hosted one half of The Harmed Brothers earlier in the year, we figured it was time to bring in the other half — singer-songwriter Ray Vietti. Known to his touring pals as “Donny Baseball,” Ray’s been spending much of the first half of 2015 in the Midwest, playing shows and traveling with fellow troubador Soda Gardocki.

On this episode, Ray tells us of his travels with Soda and his efforts to work on his performance skills without the help (or hindrance, as it were) of alcohol. The two spent significant time in Soda’s hometown of Chicago, playing Whiffle Ball and music with friends and cohorts.

Ray also talks about his early travels from his hometown in Missouri and the path that led him to “fall in love” with Portland and settle on the West Coast.

Now back from his early 2015 travels, Vietti has reunited with his Harmed Brothers partner, Alex Salcido. The pair are playing shows and building momentum for their next record, due out in early 2016 on Fluff & Gravy Records. They’re currently soliciting contributions to cover the cost of recording and producing the record through a crowd-funding campaign via Indiegogo. Check out the page here, and see the related video at the bottom of this post.

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Ray Vietti, kicking out the jams in The Helm.

Then, with Alex riding shotgun on banjo, Ray shares a couple of acoustic songs — one expected to be on the next record called “A Life In Progress,” and another called “Ode To Uncle Tupelo,” one of the first songs the two wrote together. Later, Alex grabs to the spotlight to sing on “Sail Away,” the Randy Newman classic. We capped the interview and performance with a couple of songs from the Harmed Brothers’ critically acclaimed record “Better Days.”

We also have some great music to share from some of our favorite country and Americana artists, including Elizabeth Cook, Adam Lee, Lilly Hiatt and Nikki Lane. Co-host Eric Kotila’s songlist contributions serve as a tribute Owen Mays, the great young songwriter who passed away recently.

So dial it up and make it happen. Here’s the playlist for Episode #54:

Sometimes It Takes Balls To Be A Woman, Elizabeth Cook
Drinking, Cheating, Loving and Leaving, Adam Lee and the Dead Horse Sound Company
Too Bad, Lilly Hiatt
A Life In Progress (Live In The Helm), The Harmed Brothers
Ode To Uncle Tupelo (Live In The Helm), The Harmed Brothers
Sail Away (Live In The Helm), The Harmed Brothers
Never Went Away, The Harmed Brothers
Love Song For The Assumed, The Harmed Brothers
Same God, The Calamity Cubes
Way To Go, Dogbite Harris
Crooked Smile, Jayke Orvis and the Broken Band
Don’t Ya Blame Me, James Hunnicutt
I Don’t Care Anymore, Owen Mays and the 80 Proof Boys
Another Dead Friend, Leroy Virgil
Myrna Lee, Blue Mountain
Lies, Nikki Lane
If You Think You’re Mine, James Sasser

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3j9lyPJ1Hw

 

Episode #53 featuring Mike Coykendall

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The one and only Mike Coykendall. Photo by Chad Lanning (courtesy of Fluff & Gravy Records)

Episode #53 featuring Mike Coykendall

We’re gearing up big time this week for the upcoming Wildwood MusicFest & Campout here in beautiful Oregon, but we made time to gather with friends for another hot summertime episode in The Helm, this time featuring local musical treasure Mike Coykendall as our guest.

Mike has a fantastic new record coming out this week on Fluff & Gravy Records called “Half Past, Present Pending,” the follow up to his terrific release from a few years back, “Chasing Away The Dots.” He’ll be doing promotional shows all week locally, so if you’re in the Pacific Northwest and want to see a truly original performer, be sure catch one of these handful of gigs (click on our “Live Music Portland” tab for a listing of local shows).

On this episode, Mike tells us about his musical upbringing and the path that led him from America’s heartland to Portland via San Francisco, where he formed and made three great records with the band Old Joe Clarks in the 90s and early oughts. Mike also is a very-much-in-demand audio engineer and producer, having worked with the likes of M Ward and Richmond Fontaine, and has toured the world as a member of M Ward’s band and its popular spinoff, She & Him.

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Mike Coykendall, telling stories and sharing songs  in The Helm. Photo by Christopher Sohler

Mr. Coykendall also shares a couple of sweet live performances on his Baby Taylor acoustic, both songs from the new record. One is a cover of Syd Barrett’s “Late Night,” and the other an original tune called “You Don’t Have To Treat You That Way.”

We also play a couple of recordings from the new record, including “Spacebaker Blues,” a song quite reflective of what Mike’s “rig” shows sound like . . . one man singing, jamming fuzzed out guitar, playing drums with just his feet and occasionally twisting the knobs on an array of assorted electronics. His spin on Roger Miller’s “In The Summertime” illustrates his ability to take somebody else’s song and put his personal stamp on it.

This episode also has new music from some of our favorite artists and bands, including Aaron Lee Tasjan, Jason Isbell, Heartless Bastards and The Swearengens. Lots to chew on with this episode.

So dial it in and crank it up, folks! We’ll see you at Wildwood at the end of the week. Here’s the playlist:

American Tan, Aaron Lee Tasjan
Something More Than Free, Jason Isbell
Ode To Whiskey, Deception Past
Late Night (Live In The Helm), Mike Coykendall
You Don’t Have To Treat You That Way (Live In The Helm), Mike Coykendall
Spacebaker Blues, Mike Coykendall
In The Summertime, Mike Coykendall
Cigarettes, Matthew Lindley
Black Cloud, Heartless Bastards
Last Ride, C.W. Ayon
Stono River Blues, Shovels & Rope
Long Lonely Winter, The Swearengens
Cherokee, John Moreland
Nobody Asked To Be Born, Shane Sweeney
15 White Horses, HIllstomp
I Still Believe, Frank Turner