AOTW - 1/24/14 - Hard Working Americans

[Clams]

** I'm posting this EMERGENCY FRIDAY EDITION of aotw because Hard Working Americans is fucking awesome and they're playing some big east coast shows this weekend and, well, we NEED to have a thread!



website: http://thehardworkingamericans.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HardWorkingAmericans
American Songwriter feature: http://www.americansongwriter.com/2014/ ... eak-power/


The band:

* this smaller band pic is being used to appease Howlinwolf.
Hard Working Americans consists of:

Todd Snider (singer, song selector),
Dave Schools of Widespread Panic (bass),
Neal Casal of The Chris Robinson Brotherhood (guitars),
Chad Staehly of Great American Taxi (keys)
Duane Trucks of King Lincoln and of the Trucks family lineage (drums)

Given their humble origins, I'm not quite sure HWA qualifies for "supergroup" status, to me they're more like a laid back/hippy/stoner/totally cool cover band led by Todd Snider. Here's the description lifted from their facebook page:

What do you get when you take a batch of incredible songs, five veteran players who have never played together, with an arsenal of five musical minds working in unison to reinvent them? You get Hard Working Americans. Hard Working Americans is the self-titled debut from this new musicians’ collective, scheduled for a January 21 release on Melvin Records/Thirty Tigers. Genres meld seamlessly with the birth of this group, featuring artists from the Americana, singer/songwriter, experimental, jam and rock communities. Hard Working Americans is: Todd Snider (vox), Dave Schools of Widespread Panic (bass), Neal Casal of The Chris Robinson Brotherhood (guitars/vox), Chad Staehly of Great American Taxi (keys) and Duane Trucks of King Lincoln and of the Trucks family lineage (drums).

Hard Working Americans features 11 tracks written by a range of artists that include Randy Newman, Lucinda Williams, Kevin Gordon, Hayes Carll, Kevn Kinney (Drivin’ ‘N Cryin’), Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings, Brian Henneman (The Bottle Rockets), Will Kimbrough, Tommy Womack, Kieran Kane, Chuck Mead (BR5-49), Don Herron and Frankie Miller (Elizabeth Cook). As the five band members came together, they had no idea what to expect. Snider, known more as a songwriter than interpreter of songs, would just start singing and clapping, which then set the creative ideas in motion with his new band mates. This was uncharted territory as the players had not worked together previously, but it became an uninhibited, creative and fruitful environment as their chemistry was almost instant, a very pleasant surprise. In the end, the group created fresh and uniquely original arrangements of great songs, led by Snider’s intrepid vocals and backed by a band of virtuosos. The songs were then sequenced in an order that tells a story of the everyday person, the blue-collar worker, the frustrated, the struggling, the Hard Working American.

Hard Working Americans was produced by Dave Schools and Todd Snider. Special guests include John Popper and John Keane. The album was recorded at Bob Weir’s TRI Studios is San Rafael, CA, mastered by Bob Ludwig and mixed by John Keane. Look for Hard Working Americans on tour in early 2014.

The record:


I've had the record for a few weeks now and it's FANTASTIC. All of the tracks are working-man covers whose songwriters comprise a who's-who of the americana world. And HWA gives them the royal treatment: warm keyboards, cool bass lines, slide guitars and jam band solos that span about 10 different musical genres including rock, blues, country, folk, etc. (My only regret is that the early leak of English Oceans has really cut into my HWA listening time). Here are the tracks with some of my purely amateur impressions:

Blackland Farmer - love the bouncing bass riff (Frankie Miller cover)
Another Train - sounds like 70's Aerosmith (Will Kimbrough cover)
Down to the Well - slow and pretty, the slide guitar is sublime (Lucinda Williams and Kevin Gordon cover)
The Mountain Song - I can't decide if this one sounds more like the Dead or the Allmans (Kieran Kane cover)
Stomp & Holler - like James Brown only white and taller (love me some Hayes Carll)
Straight to Hell - this cover of Drivin n Cryin is a beast - an absolute FUCKING BEAST - rock n roll really doesn't get much better
Welfare Music - plugged in, like that amazing live version on the B-Rox recent Brooklyn Side bonus tracks
Mr. President Have Pity on the Working Man - guitar pickin' blues music for the 99% (Randy Newman cover)
Run a Mile - I would rather swing a hammer in the Alabama slammer...
Wrecking Ball - a gorgeous cover of a gorgeous song (Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings)
Right Side of Town - more Drivn n Cryin - a poor man's love song, just beautiful.
I Don't Have a Gun/Work for Peace - More Will Kimbrough plus some spoken-verse Gil Scott Heron? I'll listen to that shit all day long.

Here is Crustyharp's much more professional record review from Jambands: http://www.jambands.com/reviews/cds/201 ... -americans

And I'm not sure how much longer this link will work, but you can stream the record here: http://www.popmatters.com/feature/17816 ... -album-pr/


Shows:


They played NYC last night and the early reports from Jonicont and Headhunter sound fantastic. They will be plaing Boston, Philly and Virginia this weekend, then LA and SF next weekend, and Atlanta, Nashville and Chicago next month.

Jan 23 New York, NY
Jan 24 Boston, MA
Jan 25 Philadelphia, PA (I'll be there along with Van and also a rare Philly appearance by OBL)
Jan 26 Falls Church, VA
Jan 30 Los Angeles, CA
Jan 31 San Francisco, CA
Feb 20 Atlanta, GA
Feb 21 Nashville, TN
Feb 22 Chicago, IL


So... check these guys out, get the record, listen to the songs, see the shows. This is good shit of the highest order.

[dime in the gutter]

word up, clams. excellent. have not heard yet. no excuse now.

[RolanK]

There's a cool (and very stoned) interview with Todd Snider in ep. #34 of Otis Gibbs podcast "Thanks for giving a damn" where he talks about this project.

[Jonicont]

From my post elsewhere

RUN, don't walk, to see these guys if they're anywhere near you. Hard to believe they haven't been a unit for 10 years. Except for Todd, not familiar with any of the other band members. Todd was a stupendous frontman on vocals only. Drummer was awesome. 2 guitar players. One was superb on slide and the other played mostly lap steel. The bass player was a fucking beast, mother of god!! Keyboard player was mostly buried. They cooked and grooved and tore the roof off. Seriously, not to be missed

[Jonicont]

Here's the first show they did back in December

http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=569542

Saw 3 sets of mics flying last night. Should show up soon

[jimmyjack]

Expected to like this album but I think I may grow to love it.

[LBRod]

I sure hope this ^^^^^^^^^ is on a shirt.

Clams is right about Straight to Hell. A FUCKING BEAST.
I have been alternating this and EO with great results.
One week 'till they play the Fillmore. Can't wait.

[beantownbubba]

Jan 24 Boston, MA

Oh sure. Great timing on this one.

Totally your fault Clams.

[Zip City]

Straight to Hell and Mr. President are my two favs

[StevieRay]

**EMERGENCY FRIDAY EDITION

Love this format. Nicely done. I'm all over it.

[bovine knievel]

I sure hope this ^^^^^^^^^ is on a shirt.

You're in luck

[LBRod]

Good news. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Here is a question for those who have seen or are perhaps seeing them tonight.
What are they playing besides the album? Todd's songs, other covers?
I could see this band playing the hell out of a couple Elmo Buzz songs.

[Slipkid42]

Clams, you fucked bubba, but you got to me in time! The wife and I are seeing them tonight @ the State Theater in Falls Church.
LB - You want me to get a shirt for you?

[Clams]

First of all...

Clams, you fucked bubba,

Slip, can you rephrase that?




Second...

Had it (in both blue and gray), bought it.


Third, as for the show...
I brought down two buddies and met up with OBL (in town for a convention) and my man Van. Not sold out but seemed pretty close - not bad for a cold, snowy night. Opening band is very skippable. But the Hard Working Americans were great. They played most if not all of their record plus 3 or 4 other songs (Rod - I'm not an expert on Snider's catalogue but the only song of his I recognized was Play a Train Song, which they played early in the set). They really stretched the songs out and jammed - there was much more of a jam band/grateful dead vibe than I expected, and I mean that in a positive way. The musicians were all great - two guitars, bass, drums and keys (Jonicont, they must have read your post because the keys sounded fantastic, not buried). The sound was much better in the back of the room - way too muddled up front, esp the vocals, not to mention all the freaky dancers. I'm almost embarrassed to admit that this was my first time seeing Todd Snider live and he wasn't the laid back front man that I expected - he was groovin' and jerkin' all night long. Good times and a great night!

[beantownbubba]

First of all...

Slipkid42 wrote:Clams, you fucked bubba,


Slip, can you rephrase that?

Awwww, Clamsie, I was just starting to think you cared.

[Clams]

First of all...

Slipkid42 wrote:Clams, you fucked bubba,


Slip, can you rephrase that?

Awwww, Clamsie, I was just starting to think you cared.

You know I do Bubba, but not in that way.* How many times do I have to tell you?



*not that there's anything wring with that.

[Tequila Cowboy]

The tour doesn't get anywhere near us but the record sure is fun. Hopefully they do another leg as schedules permit.

Now Clam's I'm digging this AotW too, good subject, nice timing for the weekend, etc. but can I just say that this, THIS has me traumatized:

Clams, you fucked bubba

I mean damn, I didn't even know y'all were dating.

[LBRod]

Clams, you fucked bubba, but you got to me in time! The wife and I are seeing them tonight @ the State Theater in Falls Church.
LB - You want me to get a shirt for you?

Thanks for the offer, Slip. I will get mine Friday.
What Clams and Bubba do on their time is none of my business.

[Jonicont]

Had it (in both blue and gray), bought it.

I got a green one

[blackwll]

From my post elsewhere

RUN, don't walk, to see these guys if they're anywhere near you. Hard to believe they haven't been a unit for 10 years. Except for Todd, not familiar with any of the other band members. Todd was a stupendous frontman on vocals only. Drummer was awesome. 2 guitar players. One was superb on slide and the other played mostly lap steel. The bass player was a fucking beast, mother of god!! Keyboard player was mostly buried. They cooked and grooved and tore the roof off. Seriously, not to be missed

The bass player is with WSP. He helped fund SRO.

[Tequila Cowboy]

From my post elsewhere

RUN, don't walk, to see these guys if they're anywhere near you. Hard to believe they haven't been a unit for 10 years. Except for Todd, not familiar with any of the other band members. Todd was a stupendous frontman on vocals only. Drummer was awesome. 2 guitar players. One was superb on slide and the other played mostly lap steel. The bass player was a fucking beast, mother of god!! Keyboard player was mostly buried. They cooked and grooved and tore the roof off. Seriously, not to be missed

The bass player is with WSP. He helped fund SRO.

He was an early supporter of DBT but I'm pretty sure it was Pizza Deliverence that he funded.

[njMark]

I'm bummed, the digital version I got doesn't have "Right side of town" in it. Great great great album even without it.

[Bill in CT]

From my post elsewhere

RUN, don't walk, to see these guys if they're anywhere near you. Hard to believe they haven't been a unit for 10 years. Except for Todd, not familiar with any of the other band members. Todd was a stupendous frontman on vocals only. Drummer was awesome. 2 guitar players. One was superb on slide and the other played mostly lap steel. The bass player was a fucking beast, mother of god!! Keyboard player was mostly buried. They cooked and grooved and tore the roof off. Seriously, not to be missed

The bass player is with WSP. He helped fund SRO.

He was an early supporter of DBT but I'm pretty sure it was Pizza Deliverence that he funded.

I've heard it was SRO. That's what Wikipedia says too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Rock_Opera

Creative Loafing refers to the investors but not Schools by name in the following piece from 2001.
http://clatl.com/atlanta/drive-by-inves ... id=1234449

Schools was executive producer on Pizza Deliverance so he may well have funded that album also.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Schools was executive producer on Pizza Deliverance so he may well have funded that album also.

There was a story, and I think Patterson has spoken about it recently, that before making PD the band had no money, Schools heard about it met Patterson at The Grit and cut a check. While I'm sure he was part of that DBT Investors group that helped with SRO post production, PD would likely not have been made without him.

[Bill in CT]

Schools was executive producer on Pizza Deliverance so he may well have funded that album also.

There was a story, and I think Patterson has spoken about it recently, that before making PD the band had no money, Schools heard about it, met Patterson at The Grit and cut a check. While I'm sure he was part of that DBT Investors group that helped with SRO post production, PD would likely not have been made without him.

Thanks for the info TC. That means we have yet another reason to be thankful for DAS.

[cortez the killer]

[Slipkid42]

Outstanding show last night @ the State Theater in Falls Church, VA. I don't know if it was the same opener as in Philly, but they were pretty good. Atlas Road Crew was their name. I think they're from South Carolina. Anyway the wife tells me that the drummer & keyboard dude were the best & the guitars seemed superfluous. I told her they weren't turned up loud enough (is that what superfluous means?). During the break I met those guys & they were bemoaning the fact that their guitars were so low. This gave me pause, 'coz I wanted to hear this great slide player in HWA. Luckily for me & everyone else, he was cranked up just fine. I did hear a little Allman Bros. vibe on a couple of songs (maybe it was that impeccable slide). The whole band was very tight & it did seem like they had been together for a lot longer than a few months. We ran into Big Tom & John & they are always pleasant company. Tom was recording so we might get to hear the show someday. Mrs. Slip & I had a wonderful time (especially considering we hadn't heard any of their songs). If the Hard Working Americans are playin' within an area code or two of your house, I would highly recommend checkin' them out.

LB - I hope they stock back up on shirts, 'coz they were down to slim pickings. They only had the blue one left in manly sizes. I got the CD too & it sounded great on the way home.

[Clams]

Outstanding show last night @ the State Theater in Falls Church, VA. I don't know if it was the same opener as in Philly, but they were pretty good. Atlas Road Crew was their name. I think they're from South Carolina.

Yes they were different. Pretty sure ours was called Carolina Rose, or something like that.





So let's ponder this:

Hard Working Americans vs New Multitudes

The only recent "supergroup" in the 3dd genre that I can think of that's comparable to Hard Working Americans is New Multitudes. That's high praise to HWA, and I think they're right up there with NM in terms of comparing their respective records and live shows (I was lucky enough to have seen both). I think New Multitudes had a cleaner, more "indie" sound while HWA seems grittier, more southern or jammy (yes I know, all vague and horribly undescriptive terms). Both groups featured some really, really talented musicians with the ones in HWA being more under the radar. As for material, degree of difficulty points definitely go to New Multitudes because, while HWA just picked out some choice songs to cover, Yames, Parker, Johnson & Farrar had the task of mining Woody Guthrie's journals for lyrics and then had to create the music.

But in the end it really comes down to this:
(a) If you could only take only one of their records to your desert island, which would it be? I think I'd go with Hard Working Americans here because the songs and music really seem to fit me like a glove.
(b) if both bands were playing in your town on the same night, which would you choose to see? Apologies to Anders Parker who I thought stole the New Multitudes show, but I'm going with HWA again.

Anyone else?

[cortez the killer]

I think Middle Brother is another "supergroup" that fits your parameters.

New Multitudes in a landslide.

[Clams]

I think Middle Brother is another "supergroup" that fits your parameters.

New Multitudes in a landslide.

Sorry man but your vote doesn't count. The inclusion of Farrar means you have to recuse yourself.