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Still reeling from Saturday night's Raging Fire reunion at Exit/In. So many memories stirred, the band sounded so good, and the songs were still as awesome as always. My (perhaps) unique perspective. I was a huge fan of the Nashville music scene in the mid to late 1980s, but just a fan and mostly at a distance. I only made it to Nashville on the rare occasion I could round up people to go with me. I was lucky enough to see some of the great bands of that era, but I didn't know anybody.
That being said, the music was important to me, and WRVU and The Metro and later Fireplace Whiskey Journal were my lifelines. So, it was a pretty cool experience to be at this show and to actually know some of the people involved. And speaking of WRVU, when Adam Dread fist bumped me during the Raging Fire set... my eighteen/nineteen year old self suddenly felt very cool.
And to be redundant, Raging Fire absolutely killed it. Melora Zaner is still one of the best and sexiest rock vocalist around, Mark Medley kept the whole thing in perfect time, bassists John Reed, Les Shields (and the other one I didn't know) were awesome. The very large shoes of the late Michael Godsey were filled by not one but two of the scenes very best - Joe Blanton (The Enemy, Royal Court of China, The Bluefields) and Jeff Cease (Rumble Circus, Black Crowes). They were perfect for the role, having known Michael and having been present...
We jump into a Monday Morning shuffle....
"Photo Booth" by Tim Lee 3
Fresh on the news that Tim Lee 3 spinoff band, BARK, will be playing Nashville this month. We have TL3 with a song from their latest album, 33 1/3. Such a great band that I've gotten to know over the last few years, and they have some deep, deep roots in the music of my youth.
"Casino Road" by Kevin Gordon
Just before Kevin Gordon released his latest album Long Gone Time, he released a compilation EP via Noisetrade and serves as a good catching up point if you are just now discovering the talented Mr. Gordon. This song goes back to O Come Look at the Burning which was released just over a decade ago.
"Cut Me Some Slack" by Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear
From the film/soundtrack Sound City... much was (rightfully) made of the ex-Beatle leading the remaining members of Nirvana in this song which truly rocks. The interesting side story for me... I recently watched the movie What We Do is Secret, which was a fictionalized telling of the history of the L.A. punk band The Germs. So what makes the story fascinating for me... when The Germs started, they decided to form a band, bought instruments, booked and played their first show (which was a ridiculous, chaotic mess), and only then learned to play the instruments. Pat Smear formed the band along with the late Darby Crash, and some thirty plus years later, he finds himself playing with Sir Paul himself. I don't know... that seems kind of remarkable to me.
"The Rise of the Black Messiah" by Indigo Girls
Indigo Girls released their 14th Studio album this past summer. The album is called One Lost Day, and the Rise of the Black Messiah is on that album.
"My Lord and I" by Elder Anderson Johnson
From the Music Maker Relief Foundation album. Elder Anderson Johnson was a street performer, an outsider artist, and he founded a church in Newport News, Virginia. He passed away in 1998.
"Drops of Ink" by Drew Kohl
Another track from Drew Kohl's EP, Sweetheart, which I reviewed earlier this year. "Drops of Ink" is a story of lost love.
"Hysterically Speaking" by The Colored Parade
Another track from The Colored Parade's album, And the Walls of the City Will Shake. A great, catchy song... I look forward to continuing to follow Andrew Adkins and see where his music takes him.
"I Feel Like My Time Ain't Long" by Essie Mae Brooks
We close out the Monday shuffle with another Music Maker Relief Foundation artist. Essie Mae Brooks was born in Georgia in 1930 and began making music at a very early age. I kind of think maybe we featured this song before, but who really cares - it is a great song.
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