Goin' Solo

Fine, I'll do it myself. Just like a pair of G:TB faves who usually front terrific bands who are dropping solo records over the coming weeks. 

Jeff Tweedy's Twilight Override will be released on September 26. It's a 30-song triple record. A goddamned opus. Here's "Enough", which is probably what Tweedy felt by the end of the recording process.

Old 97s frontman Rhett Miller follows Tweedy with A Lifetime of Riding by Night on October 10. Miller finished the record just days before he underwent vocal chord surgery that's kept him off the mic for several months. Looking forward to hearing this one live, including "Come as You Are".

How Stuff Works, Creative Economics Version

The transformation of the entertainment economy over the past few decades has been exceptional in so many different ways. Consumers have benefited significantly by suddenly having the ability to access an immensely diverse menu of content. Corporations have profited, despite often being late to the party in understanding new distribution and consumption models. But creatives in the majority of cases have been negatively impacted, or at least found themselves scrambling to figure out how to make rent in a wildly different and quickly and continually changing economic environment.

Understanding how artists, writers, journalists, and other creative professionals are navigating this new world is the central premise of Past Due with Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle. The podcast describes itself thusly: "Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle explore what it takes to survive as a creative today. From juggling side gigs to redefining success, we dive into the real stories behind making a living when one job isn't enough."

Cox is a veteran journalist, writer, and podcaster who's known for her political writing (she's the founding editor of the venerable Wonkette). Mike is a rapper, comedian, producer who skews to the alt side of the musical art form. Together, they're insightful and interesting. 

Past Due was launched in July, but it first came to my attention last week when the two hosts had a conversation with Rhett Miller in the runup to his new solo album. It's fascinating right from the jump. If you've ever wondered whether rock and roll frontmen worry about making their mortgage, this one's for you.

Home Is Where the Studio Is

In between your binge-watching completism and maybe working on your novel, you've probably watched some musicians of varying celebrity record and/or play stuff live.

For the masses, the Stones did so in a grandly publicized manner.



For Rob, we have some Crowded House.



For kicks, here's a high school classmate of mine (also a Monroe Dormitory resident at the same time as Dave, Rob, Hightower, and several other Pi Lams) having fun.



And for me and only me, here's this. The video and sound quality are terrible all because of me. I was caught slightly off-guard by the timing.


Keep the creative light in this dark time!

Checking the Boxes

G:TB fave Rhett Miller released a new single this week. Its lyrics recall, at least in part, a certain Gheorghie birthday boy. And we're in need of some filler.

I love it when a plan comes together.

Record Store Day

Here's a recurring bit with some staying power.

Longtime G:TB fave Rhett Miller drops his new solo record, The Traveler, today. Solo might be a bit misleading, actually. While it's true that Miller isn't backed by his Old 97's mates, the record does feature Black Prairie and Peter Buck. The former includes members of The Decembrists, so Miller is surrounded by alt-rock royalty in his newest release.

Where fans of Miller's work with Old 97's might quibble with the highly-produced nature of some of his solo records, this one's far more free-wheeling. As the A.V. Club sees it, The Traveler sees "fiddle, piano, accordion, and acoustic guitar combine with evocative percussion to create riotous twang-pop, brisk folk, and rollicking bar-band rock."

I don't speak fluent rock-criticese, but that sounds to me like a good-time record. Twang-pop and rollicking bar-band rock are in my wheelhouse. You can stream the record here.

Here's 'Most in the Summertime' for your listening enjoyment. It's got a more alt-country feel than most of Miller's previous solo stuff, but fans will be pleased.

Rockin' the Suburbs

In the last months of Waylon Jennings' life, the legendary outlaw recorded a cover of the Old 97's 'The Other Shoe', a country-tinged tale of a spurned lover's revenge. The 97's stood in as his backing band, and when Jennings struggled with the phrase 'an elixir' in the song's second verse, frontman Rhett Miller was called upon to help. "Think of two beautiful women naked together," a nervous Miller told Jennings. "And remember 'Annie Licks Her'".

Miller told that story Monday night at Jammin' Java in very suburban Vienna, VA on the first date of a tour in support of 'The Dreamer', his third solo record. He was moments from delivering the punch line when he blushed, realizing that he'd misjudged the crowd just slightly. "Oh, God. I just realized there are kids in the audience," he laughed, before finishing the story and delivering an acoustic version of the song. It was the only misstep of a rollicking evening.

I went to the show with my wife not really knowing what to expect. Jammin' Java's a neat little venue, but the emphasis there is on little, and suburban DC on a Monday night ain't exactly Jazz Fest. I should've known that my favorite musician wouldn't disappoint. Miller and his band, The Serial Lady Killers, were using the small club as essentially a dress rehearsal for their national tour. "We've got a lotta songs tonight, so we're just gonna get right to it," Miller said by way of introduction.



25 tunes and over two hours later, Miller and the band ripped through a lively version of 'Our Love' to close the show with as much energy as they opened it, and the Moms and Dads in the audience did their damnedest to forget they didn't have to go to work the next morning. Maybe it was the proximity to the stage. Or perhaps the novelty of seeing one of my favorites in such a local joint. Could've been the Dale's Pale Ales that went down like water, too, I guess. Whatever the reasons, this show went immediately into my top 3 of all time.

The band mixed several songs from Miller's new record with a healthy dose of his earlier solo work and a heaping helping of Old 97's cuts, including standouts like 'King of All of the World', 'Murder (or a Heart Attack', 'Nineteen', 'Four Leaf Clover', and 'Barrier Reef'. At the midpoint of the set, the band took a break while Miller played a handful of acoustic tunes by himself, including the aforementioned 'The Other Shoe'. His down-tempo acoustic version of the band's riff-heavy 'Timebomb' reimagined the song in a way I hadn't ever considered.

As Miller stopped to introduce the band at one point, he exclaimed, "I'm a really lucky man. I've got two great bands." The Serial Lady Killers certainly lived up to the billing, with guitarist Tommy Borscheid, bassist Greg Besher, and drummer Angela Webster, sounding anything like a band running through several songs for the first time.

In addition to the Old97's discography, Miller's early solo work was well represented, with 'I Need to Know Where I Stand', 'The El', 'Singular Girl', an electrified version of 'Question' - interesting counterpoint to the acoustic 'Timebomb', 'My Valentine', and 'Four Eyed Girl' standing out.



I don't recall much about the new tunes, except to say that they sounded tight. 'Picture This' was a noteworthy exception. It might be the most optimistic - even happy - love song Miller's ever written. That's not saying much, given his catalogue of wrenching heartbreak and self-loathing, but it's a beautiful little tune, made moreso by the presence of Heather Robb of opening act The Spring Standards, who performed the song with Miller.

Tuesday morning coming down didn't feel all that great, but the ringing in my ears and cobwebs in my head were more than worth it. Live music, man. It's good for what ails you.