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Elly Roberts reviews
Honest Jons Records
- Released: July 2006
- Rating: 6/10
When Matt Button moved from behind the bar to the mic at the infamous Springwater Club, he began an unexpected musical journey.
Having left Louisville Kentucky and relocated to Nashville looking forinspiration, he struck gold. His only friend in his new environment wasmusician Josh Garcia, with whom hed written some songs.
Soon, Button was attracting attention, and was joined by ex-Lambchop drummerBen Martin, followed by Sam El Amri (guitar), Brian Nicholls (lap steel), RyanNorris (keys) and Eric Williams on bass. More people seem to be joining bythe minute, it appears. Lambchop leader Kurt Wagner was so impressed withthem he named a song after them.
Wagner said, “The way they put intricate melodies together was veryinteresting in a post-rock kind of way.”
When thoughts of an album materialised, they turned to Lambchop tweeker MarkNevers to produce. The net result is a sublime album of jazz-country-rockinfluenced gems. Combining soft and easy sojourns and edgy rock riffs(occasionally cacophonous) its potent, but un-commercial stuff, possiblygroundbreaking even, that musicians of alternative Americana fans will droolover.
Themes such as horseracing, rehab centres, dive bars, bitter-sweet nostalgia,both good and bad luck are spread over the wholesome 13 tracks.
Favourite bits: Fight Song, Aught Years and Sleepy Time Down South.
Weblink:Black Label Empire.com/loneofficial
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Pony Ride
2. Fight Song
3. Stall Of The Steed
4. Amelia Earhart
5. Monarchos
6. Bacon Creek
7. Sleepy Time Down South
8. Aught Years
9. Le Coq Sportif
10. Lost My Ass
11. Country Strong
12. Pretty Waters
13. Dumbwaiter
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.