FAS: Andrew Greer

Continuing my “Best of Affiliates” series, which is featuring a few of the amazing musicians I have had the pleasure to play with that have recently released albums, including MK & The Gentlemen, Amy Stroup, Katie Warren, Manic Bloom, Andrew Greer, and Paul Banks & The Carousels, we hit upon the Nashville super-one-man-group Andrew Greer.

ANDREW GREER

Nashville artist Andrew Greer will make you think. Nashville artist Andrew Greer will also make you forget.

With his most recent release, Open Book, this Azle, TX native brings in a feeling of nostalgic wonder and has really come into a great sound all his own. Andrew finds the perfect balance with hints of country, pop, contemporary and indie stylings that keeps you on your toes and provides a thoroughly enjoyable music listening experience.

Teaming with such heralded artists as Ginny Owens and a plethora of successful Nashville musicians backing him, Andrew’s natural composing talents really shine. He seems to always find the common thread that ties all people together, be it through his writing, composing, producing, or interviewing. No matter what the medium, Andrew’s true talent is making people feel comfortable and at peace. He comes from a place of selflessness, servitude, creativity and confidence, all of which are shown throughout the album.

I first crossed paths with Andrew after my sophomore year of college when a good friend (and former band-mate) (and crazy talented person), Julee Duwe – who produced Andrew’s GREAT music video, which you can see below – called me up asking if I wanted to do a small summer tour playing bass with some classmates of hers from Nashville. I jumped at the opportunity and soon found myself cramped in a silver Durango pulling a U-Haul across 5 states, practicing every morning and playing most nights. It was a great time in my life and one that I am very thankful for having. It was the only time that I have been what would be considered a “full-time musician” on the road.

The next summer I landed an internship up in Nashville at EMI records and Andrew and I shared an apartment. He almost killed me one time. And I introduced him to tequilla shots. We were bosom buddies.

He frequents Texas and Nashville concert halls and if you have a chance definitely look him up.

• Buy “Open Book” on iTunes
• Visit his official website
• Follow Andrew on Twitter

“Learning To Live” by Andrew Greer

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“Emmylou” by Andrew Greer

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“Gone Are The Days” by Andrew Greer – Music video produced by Julee Duwe

GONE ARE THE DAYS Official Music Video from Andrew Greer on Vimeo.

Cheers,

FAS: MK & The Gentlemen

After a few week hiatus, the FAS is back in full force.

In the past few weeks there has been an onslaught of great music coming out from some incredible musicians. And while they are all very different in style, they have one very important thread tying them together – me.

It was the plan to have a “Best of Affiliations” post, due to the massive amount of previous bandmates that are putting out records right now. MK & The Gentlemen, Amy Stroup, Katie Warren, Manic Bloom, Andrew Greer, and Paul Banks & The Carousels are all stellar, STELLAR, S-T-E-L-L-A-R musicians whom I have been lucky enough to play with at one time or another. But unfortunately all their albums aren’t out yet for purchase, so instead I will push one a week.

This week’s FAS comes from good friend, former band mate of Mick Kelleher and The Ray Smiff Project…

MK & The Gentlemen

That funky beard touting bard, Mick Kelleher, has done it again as he puts out his second EP, Mixed Tape EP.

Changing the moniker to “MK & The Gentlemen” (first coined on this poster), Mick’s sophomore EP is a fantastic listen. The sound and writing have matured while still keeping the irreverant, tongue-in-cheek tales of bars, strippers and travels that promises a party where ever Mick plays. And the addition of horns and keys perfectly compliment the funky grooves and are reminiscent of Bob Schneider‘s early SCABS work (who he gives a subtle shout out to during “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang“).

Mostly made of new work, he also brings back a remastered “Baby Come Back,” a superbly remixed “Hollywood Hello,” and redoes a WAAAAY early crowd favorite, “Go On.” Those that have followed Mick from his beginnings opening up for College Station super-group Bobbing For Tucker will not be disappointed, while this album carries the momentum to pick up plenty of brand new listeners.

Also of important note, MK&G recently sold their souls to reality tv (we would all do the exact same thing if given the opportunity… but Kristi already shot down my goal of being of Real World/Road Rules Challenge). Be sure to catch Style Network’s Dallas Divas and Daughters this week where the girls hit up a MK&G concert at the Dallas House of Blues. The episode features Mick and the song “Highland Park.”

I had the pleasure to play with Mick during his start in College Station and travel back and forth to Los Angeles to record his first EP. I also got to work with him at Winter X Games, US Open of Surfing, and a few Dallas shows when he was still writing all the songs on the new release and he was just testing them out live.

There are too many to choose, and am tempted to put the whole album up, but I had to limit it. Take your pick below but be sure to pick up your own copy on iTunes.

“Tonight” by MK & The Gentlemen (explicit)

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“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” by MK & The Gentlemen

“Highland Park” by MK & The Gentlemen (featured this week on Dallas Divas & Daughters)

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“Baby Come Back (Remastered)” by MK & The Gentlemen (featuring the bass stylings of yours truly)

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** UPDATE  – I just found out that AMY STROUP‘s song “Hold  Onto Hope Love” will be featured this Sunday as well on ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters” at 9PM CST. Man, two former band mates both on shows this Sunday… Be sure to check them both out.

Cheers,

FAS: “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin

For the next three weeks we will be choosing songs done by each of the savant guitarists featured in It Might Get Loud, which includes Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Jack White (White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather), and The Edge (U2). If you are a guitarphile or simply interested in people who take their craft to a whole other level, this movie is a must see.

This week is from, in my opinion, the greatest rock n roll band of all time, Led Zeppelin.

“Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin

I could go on and on and on and on about the history of this band (a super group), the scandalous stories that surrounded their career (the “shark” incident), and the recording intricacies (headphone bleed throughs and squeaky drum pedals that you can hear on certain songs), but I will leave that for your own study because it requires a much much much longer post than what this is for. You’ll just have to buy me a beer sometime and listen to me wax poetic about them. Right now we will focus on the song alone.

“Ramble On” is from Led Zeppelin’s 1969 album Led Zeppelin II and is listed in the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. But this song is famously known not only for its catchy acoustic intro and “bongos” throughout (it is actually Bonzo hitting a plastic trashcan), but for its heavy use of The Lord of The Rings references. Speaking of either Frodo Baggins as he travels to Mordor, or that of Aragorn as he has to choose between staying with his love Arwen or going to destroy the Ring in Mordor:

“Mine’s a tale that can’t be told,

My freedom I hold dear,

How years ago in the days of old,

When magic filled the air.

Twas in the darkest depths of Mordor

I met a girl so fair.

But Gollum, and the evil one crept up

And slipped away with her.”

Also the opening line – “Leaves are falling all around” – is guessed to be a paraphrase of the opening line of Tolkien’s poem “Namárië“. The poem may also be the inspiration for the entire first verse.

And now ladies and gents,

“Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin

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[Geez, I (Kristi) posted this for Blake and then he FREAKED OUT and insisted I add "Cheers!"  So here it is.  Cheers!]

FAS: Double Shot of The Felice Brothers

Hal Denbar is never wrong. Whenever I get a message from him telling me to check out a band, it is guaranteed to be a winner. He first introduced me to FAS’s own Black Joe Lewis, and recently a group called The Felice Brothers. I cannot stop listening to their album, and it was too hard to pick a single song to represent this week’s Friday Afternoon Song so I chose two.

THE FELICE BROTHERS

“Theirs is a world of moons and moonshine, mountains and cabins, a place where men get drunk on Jack Daniels and stalk off, guns in hand, to confront their cuckolding wives. The Tennessee-bred Kings of Leon sang about a familiar world… but while those siblings were blessed with a fashion sense and rugged good looks, the Felices are ragged, scruffy, and dirty-faced. They’re a pack of earth-stained country boys from the wilds of the Catskill Mountains…”

The Felice Brothers – which originally consisted of 3 real life brothers, which one eventually left to start his own group – got their start playing a their father’s afternoon barbecues for his fellow carpenter colleagues, and eventually moved their show to the New York subway system. They began doing small tours and putting out a couple records on their own dime. Playing at arts festivals and folk festivals the brothers slowly got momentum and notoriety from their lively, upbeat live shows, and word quickly spread. They began touring with some larger acts (most notablyConor Oberst & the Mystic Valley Band last fall) and landed their first record deal in 2007 from a European label.

The band now consists of two of the brothers, Ian and James, and their friend Christmas (bass player who was previously a traveling dice player… really), and Greg Farley (who plays the washboard and fiddle).

The vocals are uncannily reminiscent of Bob Dylan – that is if Bob Dylan was in tune.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

“Frankie’s Gun!” by The Felice Brothers

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“Take This Bread” by The Felice Brothers

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• Buy the album on iTunes
• Official Website

Cheers,