All posts tagged WYCE

Music to Sooth the Savage Soul

By JR | September 17, 2008 | competition, lifestyle, music | No comments

As I lick my wounds from the beating I took at the Silver Lake BBQ Competition, I used a little a music to bring back a healthier perspective on life.  No matter how dry a brisket might turn out, there is still good music to be discovered and enjoyed. Life remains good.

Here is a new CD I reviewed from the WYCE collection.

The John Henrys
Sweet as the Grain

This summer I was turned on to Fred Eaglesmith with his sensational Tinderbox CD.  Then I discovered the Duhks.  Now I have added The John Henrys’ new CD, Sweet as the Grain,  to my playlist.  The common denominator; Canadian roots music.

Sweet as a Grain, has been highly praised by a wide variety of mainstream and new media music critics. It is a blend of country, rockabilly and rock and roll.  Although their sound is unique, I was reminded of The Flying Burrito Brothers and New Riders of the Purple Sage, especially in track #1- Sweet as the Grain.  In tracks #3 and #6, there is certainly a sound much like Tom Petty’s new band; Mudcrutch.  Another musical memory was when I listened to tracks #5 and #10- and The Rolling Stones “country” sounds were called to mind.  A little rockabilly (with a touch of surf music) rounds out the CD– especially on tracks #8 and #9…(anyone remember the The Lost Planet Airmen?)

So there you go- The John Henrys; A little Burrito, some Petty, a couple of stones,  a touch of a surfing Commander Cody and a fresh Canadian breeze.

Fred Eaglesmith and Amen to BBQ Brother!

By JR | July 8, 2008 | music, stories | No comments

As last reported, I was on a family vacation at Drummond Island (eastern upper peninsula in Michigan). Radio reception is not always that great, but one station that came in was Canada’s version of NPR.

Coming back from a whitefish dinner at the Northwood Inn, I was half listening/half watching out for deer crossing the road, when the host of a radio show began interviewing Canadian musician, Fred Eaglesmith. Never heard of him, wasn’t that interested. Then, all of a sudden, they played a track from his new CD- Tinderbox, and I was sold…hook, line and sinker. The song was called; Get on Your Knees. It was over before I had a chance to really process how good the tune was and soon I was back at the cabin, but I made a mental note to check this guy out (hoping I could remember his name in a few days).

Three days later I am back in Grand Rapids, and going to the WYCE offices to pick up a few more CD’s to review…and there it was; Fred Eaglesmith’s Tinderbox.

The fickle finger of fate smiled down on me again. If you are fans of Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen and great songwriting..this is one CD should check out. Tinderbox has a southern Baptist/Pentacostal, fire-and-brimstone, get-on-your-knees-and-pray, can-I-get-an-AMEN-from the choir, feel to it….In other words, perfect for a Sunday barbecue.

In fact, Fred is inspiring me to try a new rib technique this Saturday…hopefully I am filled with the spirit of the holy smoke as I try to coax a new flavor from a few racks of ribs (baby backs).

I will report back on the results, but to make a long story shorter, this new technique was something I “accidentally” observed last year at a BBQ Competition. A friend (and BBQ Champion….name to be withheld to protect myself) was finishing his ribs before turn in….From what I could tell, the ribs were done (visually), but he still had about 90 minutes before they were due. Maybe they needed a little more tendering up….Anyway, he had the racks of ribs layed out and was covering them in brown sugar (heavy cover) and then stacking them up and wrapping in tin foil. He then placed them back in his smoking chamber and walked away.

That is all I know….how long did he leave them? I don’t know. Was it just brown sugar? I don’t know. How cooked were they at that point? I don’t know. What was his dry rub? I don’t know. How hot was his grill? I don’t know. How well did he do? I do know he was in the top three…

There you go….if you believe in fate, karma or luck, it does not matter. Just like I was meant to be turned on to Fred Eaglesmith, I was meant to stumble on this barbecue secret….(I just need to figure out a few details)

So, on Saturday, I am going to go with the brown sugar finish, a spicy dry rub and Big Ricks on the side…I will let you know.

(both photo’s are from Fred’s website)

Pure Midwestern BBQ Music

By JR | June 22, 2008 | music | No comments

John Cougar was a staple at many of the parties during my misspent youth in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Twenty five plus years later,  John Mellencamp will now be rocking at your nearest coffee shop thanks to his new CD, Life, Death, Love and Freedom, which is scheduled for release on July 15 by Hear Music at Starbucks Company operated locations.  (Hear Music is licensed trademark of Starbucks)

With T-Bone Burnett as his producer, there should be no surprise with the “O’ Brother Where for Art Thou” vibe throughout the recording.  Mellencamp himself described the recording as  “modern electric folk songs”.

As a reviewer for a local radio station, WYCE, I had the opportunity to check out this CD prior to it’s release. I liked the CD the first time I heard it, but grew to really appreciate it on every subsequent listen.  Although definitely in the folk/blues genre, the tracks range from the 1950ish, upbeat sound of track #2 , My Sweet Love, to the bluesy track #6, Joe Cockers.  My favorites tunes were #3 If I Die Sudden, #4 Troubled Love and #8 A Ride Back Home.

The midwest usually is only a footnote in the annals of BBQ tradition.  But we certainly hold our own with great ingredients and a blue collar approach to the grill.  First, the midwest is steeped in beer and sausage making traditions. Two very important ingredients to a barbecue party. Of course, the highly influential manufacturer of grills, Weber, is a Chicago native.  Combine that with a strong urban grill scene and hundreds of back-forty pig roasts, and you have some worthy smoke.

So this summer, fire up your grill, and listen to Mellencamp’s new CD.  There is enough familiarity to take you back to the all-night summer keg parties at the sand dunes with Jack and Diane, Little Pink Houses and Cherry Bomb.

New Music for a “Barbecue” (as in “party”)

By JR | June 6, 2008 | music | No comments

As important as dry rubs, cold beer and hardwood charcoal are to a good barbecue experience the right music is critical. Great tunes makes everything taste better. Great music makes the party hop.

Like barbecuing (verb) one of life’s simple pleasures is when you discover and introduce new music to family and friends. It’s kind of like stumbling upon a terrific recipe or technique. As a music reviewer for our local, independent radio station, WYCE, I have the opportunity to listen to a lot of “out-of-the-mainstream” music. Frequently, these new releases are “OK” (working under the philosophy that all music is good….to the right audience). This week however, I hit the jackpot. Two CD’s that were absolutely terrific.

Both are from the singer/songwriter schools of John Prine, Townes Van Zant, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan, Guy Clark, Butch Hancock and many other similar troubadors.

Adam Carroll’s. Old Town Rock n’ Roll has all of John Prine’s humor, phrasing, vocal nuances and story telling, but with a Texas perspective. I think I would pair this CD with a spicy brisket, beans, corn bread and a cold wheat beer.

Peter Cooper’s Mission Door is terrific in it’s Nashville/steel guitar way. Peter is an interesting cat. He is a country music professor at Vanderbilt University, and a columnist for the Nashville daily newspaper and a contributor to Esquire. Mission Door would be good with barbecued or grilled chicken breasts (skin on…please), corn-on-the-cob, homemade coleslaw (the rough cut variety….not any mass produced slop) and a cold lager….maybe Dos Equis…

I guess it doesn’t really matter what you eat with it, but please turn the music up loud, enjoy a few beers or cocktails, have the the grill smoking and I think you will be approaching the state of mind, best described as grilladelic.

Social
facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flickr
Email