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Concert Mon Mar 31 2008
It's a family affair for The Felice Brothers and Justin Townes Earle at Schubas on Tuesday night
Not since Uncle Tupelo helped coin the term "no depression" and the resulting alt-country/americana movement of the 80's have there been so many great bands emerging that rely on a sound rooted in the folk songs of Woody Gutherie, the near jam band grooves of The Band, and the literary songs of Bob Dylan. Off the top of my head I'm thinking of Chatham County Line, The Avett Brothers and AA Bondy.
In the case of The Felice Brothers the boys in the band (actual brothers) even have a shared geography with The Band. They're natives of upstate NY; a stones throw from both the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains. To say they've absorbed and been influenced by this region is to undersell the importance their rural background has on their everyman tales of lovable losers. The Felice Brothers' American debut has just been released by Connor Oberst's Team Love Records and this is their first headlining tour of the states.
[mp3]: The Felice Brothers - "Frankie's Gun"
[mp3]: The Felice Brothers - "Wonderful Life"
Sure he's Steve Earle's kid and yes he's been saddled with a tough middle name to live up to. But on his new record for Bloodshot Justin Townes Earle makes a fairly clean break from his family ties and delivers a record that's more diverse than anything his two namesakes ever recorded.
You can hear one of the directions that he heads in on the breeezy, 1920's-jugband-meets-speakeasy tune "Hard Livin'". Meanwhile on “Who Am I To Say” JT does sound like dear old dad at times, but before drugs, middle age, smoking and a hard living altered his voice to the point that it’s now just a low growl. The song itself is an autobiographical tale that attempts to deal with his dad’s myth and his flawed relationship with him. This is one hell of a lineup for a Tuesday night in Chicago.
Catch both bands at Schubas Tuesday night starting at 9pm.
[mp3]: Justin Townes Earle - "Hard Livin'"
[mp3]: Justin Townes Earle - "Who Am I To Say"
P.S. The Felice Brothers are busking fools, so if you see a group of scruffy cats set up on some street corner on the northside of Chicago you can bet it's them getting a quick set in before or after their Schubas gig.
BONUS: We've got an autographed copy of the brand new Justin Townes Earle album The Good Life (thanks to the nice folks at Bloodshot Records) to give away to one lucky reader. Just be the first to email us at contests (at) gapersblock (dot) com with the subject "The Good Life" and you're the lucky duck! [UPDATE: We have a winner! Congrats to Cassi!]