Music You Should Check Out: Noah Earle

I have often thought of musicians as falling into one of two categories "chops" musicians, or "feel" musicians. While this is often a useful way to think about things, there are times when you encounter someone who falls into both categories. So it is with Noah Earle. His music combines his incredible command of his instrument, his dynamic singing voice and his incredible wit and sense of compassion. Most good musician possess one of these things and know how to work it, Noah has all three and works all of them.

It's obvious that Noah has worked very hard to cultivate his gifts and make them his own. Although he lives in central Missouri, he tours continually all over the place. I've seen him in person a number of times and the shows have all been good. I've also had the pleasure of talking with him at length and in addition to being a great musician he is also a great person. A modest, down to earth guy who you can't help but like. You should definitely check out him out.

Noah and a number of other great roots musicians including Cindy Wolf and Big Smith are on the May Apple Records label.

Music You Should Check Out:The Black Keys

April 1st Marks the release of the latest album from the Indie Rock duo The Black Keys entitled Attack and Release. If you are unfamiliar the Black Keys are Patrick Carney (Drums) and Dan Auerbach (Guitar and Vocals) from Akron Ohio (and rep it hard). They play bluesy music ( and have a number of releases on Fat Possum Records), but have made it clear they are not a "blues band" given that the blues, as practiced by many purveyors, is a often a poor facsimile of itself . Carney's drumming is fierce, and Auerbach's raspy, soulful vocals and screaming feedback heavy slide guitar playing are often right in the pocket.

This new album is departure from their previous efforts in a number of ways. Their last few albums were self produced and recorded in their own home studio. Attack and Release was recorded in an out of the way Cleveland area studio and produced by DJ Danger Mouse of The Grey Album and Gnarls Barkley fame . The snip its I've heard sound good, you should check it out.

Barack Obama

The most thoughtful discussion of race that I've heard in a long time. An incredibly eloquent speech. A rare thing in our time.

Ningen Isu

I love bluesy hard rock and early heavy metal. For me a few bands stand out AC/DC, Mountain, and Black Sabbath. It's rare that I find anything that has the same kinda feel, but Ningen Isu might. They are a Japanese heavy metal band. They rock pretty hard. Here are some Youtube videos.

Inevitablity

I'm tired of television. Since the writer's strike started I've really come to loath it. Now that many of the programs that I used to watch are coming back, I'm not that interested in watching them. With all the re-runs that were on the last few months I realized how much TV I actually watch.

This feeling was brought into sharper focus last night when I watched the John Frankenheimer's classic Grand Prix. It was beautiful. It was art. And despite Eva Saint Marie, a lot mediocre dramatic scenes and the fact that the film is 40 plus years old it’s one of the best films I’ve ever seen. It was a thoughtfully made thing. After watching this movie, which is quite long, and viewing all the special features which confirmed the directors devotion to authenticity, I shut off the DVD player and flipped through the channels. I was so put off by the offerings I just shut it off. It just felt so shoddy and mediocre. I was done.

One example of the shoddy product I'm talking about is "Reality TV". Thanks in large part to the writer’s strike TV is inundated with“Reality TV”. The whole concept of this genre is a farce. It has writers, producers and editors. Real life has none of those things. At no point in my life have I been asked to eat a bug, sing a song, or live on an island with 12 people for money, let alone fall in love with a rock star or live in a house with a bunch of washed up celebrities. Even the late night “news” programs repulse me. If I see one more 48 hours “mystery” about some perfect family, in some perfect town who were torn apart by a homicidal, sociopath, kleptomanical husband, wife, child neighbor, grand parent or garbage man I’m going to scream.

I’m done. Perhaps I’ll watch baseball this summer and a few of the show I like on-line. I knowthis whole piece is silly. Me and TV are in an abusive realtionship. I know I’ll pick up the remote and watch more mediocre, meaningless crap as soon as I get over this mood.

Avalon Mississippi

Welcome to my new blog Avalon Mississippi. Avalon Mississippi is the hometown of country blues legend Mississippi John Hurt. It's a very small town that for many years wasn't even on any maps. I kind of liked the idea of a little out of the way place that you might find somethings you like.


I'll write a lot about music, books and sports. I hope you enjoy!