Rhythms Magazine

Lucinda Williams On Her Memoir and Latest Album!

Lucinda Williams talks to Rhythms Editor Brian Wise about her recently published memoir Don't Tell Anybody The Secrets I Told You and her album Stories From A Rock 'n' Roll Heart. 

Jody Stephens & Luther Russell (Those Pretty Wrongs)

JODY STEPHENS is the sole surviving member of iconic early '70s power pop legends Big Star, and the only man other than Alex Chilton to play on all three of their peerless original albums. He was also a member of pioneering alt-country supergroup Golden Smog, alongside members of Wilco and the Jayhawks.
LUTHER RUSSELL is an acclaimed singer/songwriter and producer (Richmond Fontaine amongst others) who formed his first band as a teenager with Jacob Dylan (before the son of Bob formed The Wallflowers). 

Luther has made a handful of solo records, having first come to attention as a member of The Freewheelers in the '90s, during which time his songs were described as having "the appeal and personality of those by Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson".
Together, Jody Stephens and Luther Russell are THOSE PRETTY WRONGS, who combine the lyrical and soulful harmony and jangle of both Big Star and classic '90s alt-country.Touring Australia on the back of their new album Holiday Camp, Those Pretty Wrongs will be joined by some special friends and perform their own gorgeous material as well as some classic Big Star.  

Check the tour dates  at: Love Police Touring

 

Jason Isbell on Weathervanes

Brian Wise's guest in this podcast is Jason Isbell. To call Isbell the King Of Americana is not an idle claim. Since 2009 he has won 9 Americana Awards and been nominated for another ten - to add to his four Grammy Awards!

Born and raised in Alabama and got a publishing deal with Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals when he was just 21, joined Paterson Hood in the Drive By Truckers and after five years began his solo career which included forming the 400 Unit and releasing 8 albums, the latest of which is Weathervanes, which follows the album Georgia Blue in 2021.

Brian first spoke to Isbell when he was in Australia for the first time with Justin Townes Earle in 2012 and they have chatted frequently since. Last year they caught up by Zoom to talk about the Fender Jason Isbell Signature model while Isbell was on the set of Martin Scorsese’s latest film Killers of the Flower Moon in which he plays the role of farmer Bill Smith. 

This time Brian and Jason met to talk about the new album Weathervanes prior to Isbell’s show at the Palais in Melbourne during his April tour of Australia with the 400 Unit, supported by Allison Russell.

Willy Vlautin on The Delines

Willy Vlautin is an American author, musician and songwriter. He was the lead singer, guitarist and songwriter of Portland, Oregon rock band Richmond Fontaine from 1994–2016 and is currently a member and main songwriter of The Delines who will be touring Australia from June 8 to June 18 (tour details at lovepolice.com.au)
Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Vlautin released 12 studio albums with Richmond Fontaine and has released another four with The Delines. He has also written six novels: The Motel Life, Northline, Lean on Pete, The Free, Don't Skip Out On Me and The Night Always Comes.
The Delines were formed when singer Amy Boone was touring with Richmond Fontaine and singing the female parts from that band's 2003 album, Post to Wire, which had been performed by her sister Deborah Kelly with whom she had been in the Texas band the Damnations. Vlautin then formed the Delines centred on Boone's vocals. 
Rhythms Editor Brian Wise caught up with Vlautin to talk about the forthcoming tour and The Delines' music.

Rodney Crowell on The Chicago Sessions

For his latest studio album, The Chicago Sessions, acclaimed singer-songwriter/producer Rodney Crowell journeyed to Chicago to record at Wilco's Loft with Jeff Tweedy as producer.

Crowell brought three players with him - guitarist Jedd Hughes, pianist Catherine Marx, and bassist Zachariah Hickman — while Chicago natives John Perrine and Spencer Tweedy (Jeff’s son) split drumming duties. Jeff Tweedy appears on vocals, guitars, and banjo throughout and co-writes one of the songs. 

Most of The Chicago Sessions consists of newly written material but Crowell revisits two tracks from the 1970s: 'You’re Supposed to Be Feeling Good,' one of his songs first recorded by Emmylou Harris on her 1977 Luxury Liner album and Townes Van Zandt’s “'No Place to Fall.'

Rhythms Editor Brian Wise caught up with Rodney Crowell by Zoom to talk about The Chicago Sessions.

 

Rickie Lee Jones On Pieces of Treasure

Pieces of Treasure (BMG Modern Recordings), Rickie Lee Jones’ fifteenth studio album, not only explores her love of jazz but also reunites her with producer Russ Titelman who produced her 1979 debut album and its follow up Pirates in 1981. Of course, Jones has recorded jazz -oriented albums before – Girl at Her Volcano and Pop Pop  - and in 1989 she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Jazz Vocal Performance category for her rendition of “Autumn Leaves” from Rob Wasserman’s Duets album and a year later she won in the same category for her duet with Dr. John of 'Makin’ Whoopee'. But with Pieces of Treasure Jones spends an entire album with the American Songbook.

Pieces of Treasure was recorded over five days at Sear Sound in midtown Manhattan and the studio ensemble consisted of Rob Mounsey on piano, guitarist Russell Malone, bassist David Wong and drummer Mark McLean.

I last spoke to Rickie Lee in 2021 about her Last Chance Texaco: Chronicles of an American Troubadour so I was delighted to talk to her about music and caught up with her by Zoom at her home in New Orleans, where she has lived for the past decade.

Don Walker on Lightning In A Clear Blue Sky

Don Walker is one of Australia’s most revered, respected and most successful songwriters. He first established his reputation as the principal songwriter in Cold Chisel, the most played band on Australian radio and his career has extended through solo albums (under his own name or Catfish) and albums with Tex Perkins and Charlie Owens in Tex, Don and Charlie. Many others have recorded his songs and he is rightfully a member of the Australian songwriting Hall of Fame as well as a multiple ARIA and APRA award winner.  Don’s latest solo album, his first for ten years, is titled Lightning In A Clear Blue Sky and I caught up with him by zoom to have an extensive chat about it. 

Tommy McLain & CC Adcock

Swamp pop legend Tommy McLain began his career in the 1950s and enjoyed his biggest hit, 'Sweet Dreams', in 1966. CC Adcock was a founding member if Lil' Band O' Gold who toured Australia twice and he has also had his own acclaimed solo albums out. CC has produced Tommy's first album in 40 years, I Ran Down Every Dream which features guests Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and Augie Meyers amongst others. Tommy and CC are currently visiting Australia. You can check their tour dates here: love police.com.au 

Robert Glasper talks Grammys, going to school with Beyonce, Nina Simone, jazz and Miles Davis

Five-time Grammy Award winning musician Robert Glasper was raised in Texas and went to school with Beyonce before heading off to New York to pursue his love of jazz music playing with some notables of the genre.

However, Glasper's musical horizons extend way beyond jazz and while he won a Grammy for his work on the music for the Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead he has won another four for his R&B albums, mainly the Black Radio series.

Robert Glasper will be appearing at Bluesfest Melbourne and Bluesfest in Byron Bay as well as gigs in Brisbane and Sydney.

This Rhythms podcast is sponsored by Bluesfest Melbourne.

Steve Earle talks tribute albums, Justin, and Tender Mercies

This episode features Steve Earle, who's been a frequent visitor to Australia since the late 80s when he was riding high in the charts with his third album Copperhead Road.

Earl didn't release his debut album Guitar Town until he was 27 years old, but he'd already established himself as a noted songwriter in Nashville.

By the end of 2022, Steve Earle had released 21 studio albums, many with his long standing band The Dukes.

He's also a published author, has appeared in the TV series The Wire, has produced an album by Joan Baez, and also been involved in several stage plays.

He's also released tribute albums to some of his key influences, such as Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Jerry Jeff Walker, and in 2021 released the album JT - a tribute to his son Justin Townes Earle who died in 2020.

Steve will be appearing at Blues Fest in Melbourne along with Lucinda Williams over the Easter weekend, and also at Blues Fest in Byron Bay, plus the Enmore Theatre on April 3.

This podcast sponsored by Bluesfest Melbourne.