A Gift of Screws

A review of the new Lindsey Buckingham album from the UK Guardian:


At the height of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours supernova, guitarist Lindsey Buckingham suddenly started listening to Talking Heads and the Clash. Gift of Screws' harder moments suggest these influences remain, though Buckingham has returned to the ethereal pop-rock songwriting that spawned the band's classic hits. With the trusty Mick Fleetwood-John McVie rhythm section giving lots of sonic wallop, this is more than just a Mac album without the female vocalists: Buckingham seems to be rediscovering some sort of idealism.

Tune In: Alejandro sings on Leno

One month after exhaustion sidelined his scheduled TV appearance on the Letterman show, Alejandro Escovedo returns to the small screen tonight on the Leno show (NBC). Escovedo performs "Sister Lost Soul" from his acclaimed Real Animal album. He and his band return to Austin for the ACL Fest at the end of the month.

Loving a Hurricane: Ike rearranges the weekend

As reports of Hurricane Ike's threats to Texas increase, the city of Austin prepares for potentially gale force winds. University of Texas officials will announce by Noon Thursday if the Saturday afternoon game with Arkansas is to be cancelled. Also, Sunday's John Hiatt/Joan Osborne show is moved from the outdoors of the Backyard to the cozy interior of the Austin Music Hall downtown.

Seems like good music news at first, until you consider the acoustics of the recently renovated hall. Regardless, tickets are still available at GetTix outlets and the Backyard though it oughta be a buyer's market out on the street.

Also, the Grupo Fantasma show scheduled for Sunday at Antones has pushed back one week until September 21. The event is a fundraiser for the Texas Democratic Party. Tickets for the Sept. 14th show will be honored.

Both sides of Okkervil River

Starting with 2003’s Down the River of Golden Dreams, Okkervil River became a Band to Watch based on its intricate and literary songs. Last year’s The Stage Names continued a string of generally excellent albums over the last five years, earning them the mantle "Rock Stars" (the group was name checked by Lou Reed early this year prior to SxSW) -- though Will Sheff has grown into a somewhat overly dramatic frontman for me. But the band’s strong point is its songs, as always.

New songs like “Pop Lie” and "On Tour With Zykos" are propulsive gems with all the energy and angsty delivery one has come to expect. So here are Pro/Con views of the new album The Stand Ins, out today:

PRO/CON

Okkervil River goes on tour with Zykos in about one week, returning to Austin to play the ACL Fest at 5:30 pm Sunday (Sept. 28).

Tempted: Squeeze giveaway at Austinist site

Pair of tix to tonight's Squeeze show at Antones are up for grabs on the austinist website.

Meanwhile, it looks like Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford and the rest of Squeeze will record another album before all is said and done.

Even though Squeeze reunites periodically, the band leaders have said it has to be emotionally, spiritually and financially appropriate.

Red Dirt Poll: Oklahoma Okaay!

Oklahoma seeks your input on its official "rock and roll" song...

The nominees have been pared to 10 songs, some of which are questionable (All American Rejects, Three Dog Night), some of which are surprising (Flaming Lips, Ventures), and some of which are roughly on target (Leon Russell, J.J. Cale).

Be aware that Oklahoma already has adopted a State Folk Song (“Oklahoma Hills” by Jack and Woody Guthrie, adopted 2001), a State Country and Western Song (“Faded Love” by Bob Wills, adopted 1988), and an official State Song (“Oklahoma” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, adopted 1953).

You have until November 15, 2008 to cast your vote here. Guess it was too much to expect a Ray Wylie Hubbard or Jimmy LaFave song.

Poor Poor Pitiful Steve Earle

Five years (almost to the day) of Warren Zevon's death, Steve Earle is scheduled to appear on David Letterman's "Late Show" Friday night in a tribute to the late L.A. troubadour.

Earle covered Zevon's "Reconsider Me" -- backed by Austin's Reckless Kelly -- on the 2004 tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich, whose title came from Zevon's last appearance on the Letterman show in October 2002. No word on what song Earle will perform Friday.

In a related note, the current issue of Rolling Stone contains an interview with Letterman. Relevant excerpt:

RS: The show you did with Warren Zevon, when he'd been diagnosed with terminal cancer and only had months to live: He'd been on many times. Was it a difficult show to do?

DL: Oh, it was awful. Warren was so good about it. After the show, it was heartbreaking -he was in his dressing room, and we were talking and this and that. Here's a guy who had months to live and we're making small talk. And as we're talking, he's taking his guitar strap and hooking it, wrapping it around, then he puts the guitar into the case and he flips the snaps on the case and says, "Here, I want you to have this, take good care of it." And I just started sobbing. He was giving me the guitar that he always used on the show. I felt like, "I can't be in this movie, I didn't get my lines." That was very tough.