In honor of the new semester, I decided to talk to a couple of fine musicians about their recent favorite albums from the state. I will pass the floor on to them to comment.
Reed Watson
The Secret Sisters – “The Secret Sisters” – When these girls sing, the hair on your arms will stand on end. They’ve gotten a lot of opportunities in the last year, playing Glastonbury and Newport Folk, touring with Dylan, but they’re getting those opportunities because the record has such a profound effect on those that hear it. It is roots music, but they figure out a way to make it relevant and fresh. It’s a haunting record that showcases real, unabashed talent.
Underhill Family Orchestra – “Underhill Family Orchestra” – I had a bad feeling about this when I got the CD – it was a hand-made case and it just felt like it would sound cheap. I was intrigued by the music, though, so I was really excited when they came to town to play a show. They blew me away! Take the earnestness of Arcade Fire and the melody and vibe of Mumford and Sons, and you’re getting close to the idea of what UFO is going for. They are going to be a force to be reckoned with in this state.
Lauderdale- “Moving On” – This is the most recent release that’s caught my ear, but I think it’s a stellar release that will build, slowly, into a record that many people are familiar with. I first heard these guys on a whim one night, when they did a cover of “Stars Fell on Alabama.” It was the first time I’d ever heard a state band trying to connect the dots to a jazz-centric past, especially when it’s an “alt-country” group to be the one doing it.
Reed Watson is an artist manager/publicist for Cork Industries and former member of Sparrow + the Ghost and The National Trust. He presently lives in Florence, Ala.
Joshua Folmar
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – “Here We Rest” – Especially after the April 27 tornado, this is the only record I could listen to for two months. On his second song, “Go It Alone,” he says in the chorus, “It’s about realizing how close you come to death and rearranging accordingly.” That hit me like nothing else could.
Drive-By Truckers – “Go-Go Boots” – They harnessed what’s great about our state’s music by basically making a tribute to Eddie Hinton, a Tuscaloosa native who was a fantastic session player and a great artist in his own right, whose work kind of got lost in today’s age.
A.A. Bondy – “When The Devil’s Loose” – He went out on his own and decided to reach his roots, and that’s what it’s all about with Alabama music. It’s about that idea of going away for a while and then coming back and realizing what made you who you are.
Doc Dailey and Magnolia Devil – “Victims, Enemies, and Old Friends” – I keep saying stuff from the Shoals because it’s a real renaissance town nowadays. Dailey’s toured nationally with Isbell and yet still lives in Florence, Ala. If you want to get back to what country is supposed to be, what Alabama roots music is supposed to be, this is it.
Callooh! Callay! – “Sassprilluh Champagne” – You would think this record would’ve been made in some Brooklyn studio, but it’s not – it was created in Tuscaloosa. I mean, the entire album is a tribute to Faulkner’s “The Sound and The Fury,” and that alone is amazing. After all, it’s an album based in Southern gothic literature that can blow up the indie rock world. It’s a slow burn, but it’s going to happen. I know it’s going to happen. It’s influenced my idea of it because I always thought Southern gothic had to feel dark, and they turned that on its head.
Joshua Folmar is a singer/songwriter from and presently resides in Tuscaloosa.
