Although it was founded years ago, I recently found out that one of my favorite music blogs, Aquarium Drunkard, owns their own record label. We share very similar taste in music, so I’ve been anxious to learn more about their artist roster. The Henry Clay People is the first release I’ve heard from Autumn Tone Records and their album For Cheap or For Free is fantastic.

The LA foursome are comprised of a set of brothers and school friends who bonded over a love of Pavement and The Replacements. Their sound and lyrics instantly reminded me of The Hold Steady, with a dash more punk thrown in for flavor. Much like the The Hold Steady, The Henry Clay People are unpretentious and brash and I’m sure they plug in on stage with canned beer in hands and have a blast. In fact after SXSW, Esquire named them “the most intoxicated band in Austin” and also said that “the usually amazing band was made even more amazing by the fact that they could barely stand.”

For Cheap or For Free starts off with a sweet guitar hook on “Something In The Water” with vocals that sound like Hutch Harris of The Thermals. You’ll hear similar talk-singing vocal styles on the wordy, but excellent tune “Working Part Time.”  They also offer up a couple slow, drunken, country-tinged ambles with “Rock and Roll Has Lost Its Teeth” and “Bulls Through.”

There are certain bands that are just more fun to see live when you are drinking, like Drive-By Truckers, The Hold Steady, and Lucero. The Henry Clay People have the definite potential to be added to that list. I’ll need to see them in person to know for sure.

The Henry Clay People - Something In The Water

The Henry Clay People - Working Part Time

Gramercy Arms is a collective of New York-based artists. On their self-titled debut, released on November 18th via Cheap Lullaby Records, the band comprises members of Guided By Voices, Luna, Joan as Police Woman, Dead Air and The Dambuilders. Here’s their freshly released 70’s inspired, feel-warm rock tune, “Looking At The Sun.”

The album is available on Amie Street now for under $5.00.

Gramercy Arms - Looking At The Sun

Gringo Star are just starting to hit their stride. We first talked about them back in April of this year and recently they were Spin’s artist of the day. Not to toot our own horn, but occasionally we find ourselves ahead of the curve.

The Atlanta band is now across the pond in England where I’m sure their garage rock sound is welcomed with open arms, given their Ray Davies inspired sound. Before leaving the States, the brothers Furgiuele (Nick and Pete), Matt McCalvin, and Peter DeLorenzo were kind enough to spend some time in Shirk’s studio while touring through the windy city.

According to Shirk, mixing this session was a bit trickier than most since the guys trade off instruments and vocals. That and because Pete Furgiuele had a love affair going with Shirk’s Fender 66 Blackface Vibrolux and he now has trouble looking at it the same way. The session still turned out great (as always) and the tracks include “All Y’all” and “Rebel Kind,” off of their debut album released this year, and also “Magnet Lightning Bugs,” a new unreleased track Peter DeLorenzo wrote while touring with The Black Lips. They topped the session off with a Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs cover of “Lil Red Riding Hood.”

Exclusive: Gringo Star - Magnet Lightning Bugs

Exclusive: Gringo Star - All Yall

Exclusive: Gringo Star - Rebel Kind

Exclusive: Gringo Star - Little Red Riding Hood

Red Cortez is a re-branded band formerly known as Weather Underground out of California.  They deliver songs with a varying blend of influences ranging from rock, soul, punk and blues.

You can hear all of these influences on “All the Difference” and “World at Rest.” No word on when an album might be released, but stay tuned. Red Cortez are definitely worth keeping on your radar.

Red Cortez - All The Difference

Red Cortez - World At Rest

Dan Auerbach, best known as the singer/songwriter/guitarist of The Black Keys, will be releasing a solo album called Keep It Hid on February 10, 2009 via Nonesuch Records. I guess he was cheating on his most recent album, Attack & Release; also writing songs that would become Keep It Hid. We can now add adulterer to the list of adjectives describing Dan Auerbach.

The backing band on the album is Hacienda (we showed them lots of love) and Auerback describes the sound as a mixture of music he listens to – psychedelia, soul music, country harmonies. Sounds like a recipe for greatness to me.

In February Auerbach will begin a national tour with performances in New York City, Boston, and Washington, DC. Opening acts for the tour will include Those Darlins and Hacienda.

Here’s some more background on the upcoming release:

Keep It Hid was produced and engineered by Auerbach at his studio, Akron Analog, and features him playing a variety of instruments, including drums, guitar, percussion, and keyboards. Many of Auerbach’s friends and family play on the album, including his uncle James Quine, who contributes vocal harmony and electric guitar on the track “Street Walkin.” Other musicians include fellow Ohioans Jessica Lea Mayfield, who sings on the track “When the Night Comes,” and Bob Cesare, who plays drums on “Whispered Words,” a song originally written by Auerbach’s father. Of the recording process Auerbach states, “I wanted a live, organic sound. Nothing was too plotted or planned, just a lot of spontaneity.” The record was mixed by Auerbach’s good friend Mark Neill at Neill’s Soil of the South studio.

We’ve been all over Dan’s jock lately, but have shown no love for Keys drummer, Patrick Carney. Here’s an entertaining backstage interview from Lolla 2008. The interviewer asks several questions about working with Danger Mouse, who produced the band’s last album, Attack and Release.

The best exchange:

Interviewer: What’s it like working with him? What does he bring to a recording session that kind of blew you guys away?

Patrick: Chick-fil-A. That’s what he brought.

The second best exchange:

Interviewer: I thought the crowd at the show last night was just electric. They were so into it. I had the pleasure of introducing you and it was thundering.

Patrick: Right after you introduced us, we put some PCP in the fog machine. Seriously. Just a couple drops. Driblets. People flip out on that stuff. They love it.

Ben Sollee just left our live session studio after laying down 5 or 6 tracks for y’all. He’ll be at Schubas tonight with his cello and silky smooth, soulful vocals. Head on out and support him if you have the time.

Ben Sollee - A Change Gonna Come

Ben Sollee - A Few Honest Words

(Casey Laforet of Elliott Brood)

Normally when I review a show, I try not to get smashed. I have a couple of beers, take some notes and try to put something together that makes sense. O’Death is far from a normal band and I was far from sober. I took a look at my notes the next day and I can’t make heads or tails of them. So away we go with a very incoherent and rambling review of an excellent show.

Let’s start with Elliott Brood. I enjoyed Ambassador from Elliott Brood and I had just got one listen from their most recent and excellent release Mountain Meadows before heading downtown. Shoddy notes aside, these guys were great. Tunes that I remember hearing were “Write It All Down For You,” “Garden River” and “Acer Negundo.” On the other hand, I could be completely wrong. Whatever the hell they played, it kicked ass and I plan on seeing them again in the near future.

(Jessie Newman of O'Death)

Elliott Brood were the perfect appetizer for O’Death - full of piss and vinegar, making the crowd thirsty for more foot-stomping music. As they finished up their set, I made my way to the bar to meet HearYa reader, DBT Chicago. Who did I find him there with? None other than Luke from Ha Ha Tonka. That’s when the night slowly melted away. DBT, Luke, my buddy Paul and I proceeded to knock down several Shiners, lubing us up for O’Death’s visit to the Bottle stage. It just so happens that pissed drunk is the perfect mindset to see the lunatics calling themselves O’Death.

Jesse Newman, the heavily tatted bassist, and Bob Pycior, the fiddle player, were bare-chested by song one. The sound and the performance are utter insanity. The build up during “Nathaniel” was excruciating as Greg Jamie plodded along through the opening verses and Pycior gently tweaked the fiddle as the crowd waited for them to explode. And explode they did. It was unreal.

They also fired up an amazing “Down To Rest” with help from the Elliott Brood boys. New tunes performed included “Low Tide,” “Fire On Peshtigo” and I am fairly certain “Vacant Moan.” The night was fantastic. Had a few too many beers, made some new friends and saw two excellent bands that I can’t recommend enough. As I mentioned in my review of Broken Limbs, Hymns and Skin, O’Death might not be for everybody but if you dig live music being played with reckless abandon, than check them out at least once. It’s an experience.

See more photos here.

Make sure to check out Shirk’s live session with Elliott Brood. Here’s two of those tracks:

Elliott Brood - Cadillac Dust (Schubas/Amplify Series Live Session)

Elliott Brood - Bowling Green (Schubas/ Amplify Series Live Session)

Elliott Brood - “Without Again” live in Austin, TX

This is not from the Bottle, but a live video will give a better taste for O’Death’s live show. It’s a little blurry, kind of like my vision was all night.

O’Death - Lowtide

I’m gearing up for my return to Chicago this coming weekend, where I’ll meet up with Woody, Shirk and Drinking Buddy for some live music and a few cold ones at the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival. The show starts early on Saturday.

If you weren’t able to score free tickets from us in our last giveaway, click on over here to get them for $19 (they are normally $31).  The lineup includes Ha Ha Tonka, The Avett Brothers, and David Grisman.

The rest of us can enjoy this video of The Black Keys performing “Your Touch” at Grimey’s Record Store in Nashville:

Ben Nichols - Toadvine

Corey Chisel - A Change Is Gonna Come

Ben Sollee - A Change Is Gonna Come

These United States - West Won

These United States - Get Yourself Home

Young Lords - Rodeo Songs

Brett Dennen - Make You Crazy (featuring Femi Kuti)

Pale Young Gentlemen - Coal/Ivory

Pale Young Gentlemen - The Crook Of My Good Arm

The Black Keys - I Got Mine (Live at the Crystal Ballroom)

Will Quinlan and The Diviners - Beatitudes

The Miserable Rich - Pisshead

From our live session with Tom Schraeder and His Ego:

Exclusive: Tom Schraeder and His Ego - Needle Will Bite

Exclusive: Tom Schraeder and His Ego - Guadalupe Cries

Exclusive: Tom Schraeder and His Ego - Which Excludes You

Exclusive: Tom Schraeder and His Ego - When You Were Young (previously unreleased)

Exclusive: Tom Schraeder and His Ego - Another Night In NY (previously unreleased)