Five Records With… Matt Hillyer
Posted on | January 15, 2010 | 1 Comment
Matt Hillyer is the frontman for Dallas-based honky-tonkers Eleven Hundred Springs. I interviewed his bandmate Steve Berg here. Eleven Hundred Springs’ new record This Crazy Life comes out February 2nd. Five Records is an occasional feature of artists talking about the music that inspires them. Read more of these posts here.
“This is really hard to find nowadays, I found it at a local record store. I remember seeing the cover and wanting to do what they did — there’s only three guys, and it doesn’t seem like rocket science, but its pretty intricate and interesting. “
“He made no apologies for not being commercial enough. His dedication to his songwriting and his show are what I always admired. I was lucky enough to be right there, he was like my uncle, and a professional on his own terms. He knew when to say no, when it made sense.”
“I listened to this record while we were making This Crazy Life — he had a sound that spanned a whole lot of genres, being able to blend his influences into something all his own. I never like to limit myself to western swing or honky tonk, I like to mess around with all of it. Doug showed that people are supposed to have their own sound, their own voice.”
“I wish I had written “True Love Ways” — that song is just really hard to beat. He wrote it when he was 22, and brought strings into rock music. By today’s standards, he might be considered a nerd, but he is definitely one of the fathers of rock and roll.“
“At times I don’t even know what to think about him — he used to open our shows with just an acoustic guitar. It seems like his contemporaries are moving in one direction, and he just throws something out that no one expected.”
Eleven Hundred Springs – Every Time I Get Close To You
Ryan Bingham – “I Don’t Know”
Posted on | January 11, 2010 | 2 Comments
1. As music industry pundit Bob Lefsetz said (paraphrased), its a crazy world we live in when fake country music created for a movie is better than most real country music out there. I find that there is still a lot of good country music being made today, but I agree that the Crazy Heart soundtrack has some great vintage sounding numbers. Maybe this should be a Throwback Thursday post, since Ryan Bingham’s version of “I Don’t Know” sounds so much like a Waylon outtake — and that’s not a bad thing.
2. Ryan’s voice accompanies a trebly guitar over spare sounding drums to great effect, creating a live feel with a bit of Sun Records brightness. Bingham finds himself in limbo, wondering what to make of a relationship, noting that he could “write a book” about what he doesn’t know. Truth be told, there isn’t a lot more to this song, lyrically speaking. Its strengths lie in its heavy backbeat and simple feel. Once upon a time, music didn’t have to reach climactic emotional peaks with string sections and boys choirs to have an impact. In turn, Bingham is able to capture a simple feeling of uncertainty and let that be enough.
3. This track, written by T-Bone Burnett and Stephen Bruton, has its roots in the 70’s outlaw country movement that produced Jeff Bridges’ fictional character. In the film, Bingham and his band back up Bridges at a stop in New Mexico, taking over when Bridges is racked by sickness. In the real world, Bingham is a perfect candidate to continue blazing the outlaw trail, with his latest offering being a great blend of 60’s rock and troubadour country (read my review of “Country Roads”). Burnett and Bruton have produced a soundtrack that fits seamlessly with the music from that time period, and with enough musical integrity to stand alone, apart from the film. Bingham’s personal style fits well enough to make this track a success.
Top 20 of 2009: #10-1
Posted on | December 31, 2009 | 1 Comment
Here is some of the music that struck me in 2009. In case you missed it, read the manifesto for this site. It might help you understand where I am coming from. If you didn’t see the Bird List, now might be a good time to check it out.
This music should be kept in museums. The finale of his trilogy on grace and forgiveness, and not a bit cheesy. Read the original review.
The only American member of the band continues to show people around his homeplace, 40 years and counting. Read the original review.
Building on what he started with his first record, JTE’s pen gets deeper and wiser. Read a single review.
One of the best young voices in country harnesses his rocking sound with a little 60’s touch. Read a single review.
Rollicking good time from an indie rocker exploring the music he grew up on.
Most of the time we hear stories from the big cities of America. These are stories from the areas in between. Read a single review.
Don Was strips Todd down, pulls him together, and puts out his most consistent record yet. Read the original review.
Lovett uses his keen eye for songs and delicate touch, as always to great effect. Read the original review.
Cowboy beat poet ruminates on the American west and the history that lies beneath. Read the original review.
Rawlings proves that quality always trumps quantity, with a 9-song record that stuns from beginning to end. Read the original review.
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