THE NATION'S BIGGEST ALL-VOLUNTEER CLEANUP
Volunteers are signing up now for the nation's biggest coastal cleanup on Saturday, April 23rd. The 2016 Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach Spring Cleanup takes place at 31 sites coast-wide. Volunteers can sign up online at or show up on-site Saturday morning to take part in a fun-filled day at the beach that makes a difference. "Sign up now to join forces with thousands of other Texans who care about the coast," said Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush. “Marine debris kills wildlife and hurts tourism, but it's a problem we can fix. Come out and be a part of the solution on Saturday, April 23rd." Who: Texans who care about the coast When: Saturday, April 23rd Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Clean up will be from 9 a.m. to noon Where: 31 sites coast-wide Each volunteer will be given data cards, gloves, pencils and trash bags. All volunteers are advised to wear closed-toe shoes, bring sunscreen and plenty of drinking water. The Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach cleanups are held rain or shine!
Texans who are not able to attend the cleanup can help keep their beaches clean by making a tax-deductible donation online. There are several different Adopt-A-Beach sponsorship levels ranging from $25 to $25,000, allowing both individuals and corporations to contribute to this major cleanup effort. Everyone who signs up online and checks in at their cleanup location will be entered to win any one of the following: - Yeti Tundra 45 cooler - GoPro HERO4 Session HD Waterproof Action Camera - Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 instant camera (one in pink and one in blue) The random drawing will take place after the cleanup. Winners will be contacted directly. To learn more about the Adopt-A-Beach program, sign up, and donate visit www.TexasAdoptABeach.org or contact the GLO at 1-877-TX COAST. Like us on Fa c eb o ok at ww w.f ac e b oo k .c om/ texasadoptabeach or follow us on Twitter @TXAdoptABeach.
www.TexasAdoptABeach.org
Rockport Check-in: Rockport Beach Park beachfront pavilion Aransas Pass/Redfish Bay Check-in: Lighthouse Lakes Park, 4 miles east of Aransas Pass on Hwy 361 Portland-San Patricio Co Check-in: Sunset Lake Park, 201 Sunset Dr, adjacent to Hwy 181
13 CLEANUP SITES IN THE COASTAL BEND
St. Jo Island/Port Aransas Check-in: 8:00 a.m. – Fisherman’s Wharf, 900 Tarpon St; *Limited access – advance reservations required Port Aransas Check-in: Avenue G at the beach Mustang Island State Park, Corpus Christi Check-in: Park Headquarters Parking Lot, 17047 Hwy 361 Packery Flats , Corpus Christi Check-in: Parking lot off Hwy 361, on Mustang Island near Packery Channel North Beach, Corpus Christi Check-in: Texas State Aquarium, 2710 North Shoreline Blvd Cole Park (Kid’s Place), Corpus Christi Check-in: 1526 Ocean Dr Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve, Corpus Christi Check-in: Preserve parking lot near the giant blue heron sculpture, 2446 N. Oso Parkway North Padre Island, Corpus Christi Check-in: Padre Balli Park Office, 15820 Park Rd 22 Padre Island National Seashore, Kleberg Co Check-in: Malaquite Visitor Center, 20420 Park Rd 22
PHOTO CREDIT: SURFINGTEXAS.COM
Baffin Bay, Loyola Beach, Riviera Check-in: Kaufer-Hubert Park, FM 628
CONTENTS 3 ADOPT-A-BEACH CLEANUP 4/22 5 QUICK READ 6 COMICS 7 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 8 CD REVIEWS 9 NEW ALBUMS & MOVIES 10 STEAM MAGAZINE: 4TH ANNIVERSARY, A LOOK BACK 12 ROBERT ELLIS: NEW MUSIC 13 MEXICANA: ROCKIN’ PARTY MUSIC 15 DAVID CROSS: A STANDUP GUY 16 HAYES CARLL: RIDING AMERICANA’S RISING WAVE 19 DALE MARTIN
PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS STAFF WRITERS DALE MARTIN, STEVE GOLDSTEIN, TAMMA HICKS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, DEREK SIGNORE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS
APRIL 2016 VOL. 5 ISS. 1
ON THE COVER...
Max pic 2.09h X 2.2w
HAYES CARLL PROVIDED BY HAYES CARLL
TO ADVERTISE WITH US 361-904-4339 | SALES@STEAMTX.COM SEE US ONLINE AT WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC, BOOK, ART, OR SHOW FOR REVIEW! HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SUBMISSIONS@STEAMTX.COM
ALTERNATIVE WEEKLY NETWORK STEAM Magazine is published monthly by STEAM Magazine, South Texas Entertainment Art Music, in Corpus Christi, TX. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed within are solely the authors and not of STEAM Magazine. Typographical, photographic, and printing errors are unintentional and subject to correction. Please direct all inquiries to: submissions@steamtx.com
The point J. Michael Dolan (:33) So many times we feel the need to tell a story or prepare others, BEFORE we get to the precise point we want to make. Truth is, in my experience, it’s a much more effective communication technique when you flip that scenario around and make the point first, THEN tell the story: Television: When you “live-pitch” an idea for a TV show, often you only have a few minutes to “get to the point.” Then, if they’re interested, you can delve deeper into the back story. Film: When you send a script to an agent or producer, the accepted protocol is to include a brief (one page) synopsis that “gets to the point” of the story. If that hooks them, they will be more inclined to read the entire script. Newspaper headline: “Scientists Find Cure For Diabetes!” The story follows. Politicians: “I promise to lower taxes!” Followed
Killing the darlings J. Michael Dolan (:19) My short blogs never start out short. They begin with a page or two of everything I want to say about a subject. Then after cutting, editing, trimming and trashing what I most often think is good stuff, a tight paragraph begins to emerge that best represents the idea I want to share with you. Writers know that writing is rewriting. Musicians
know that composing is rethinking; directors know that they will probably cut 25% of their footage, and entrepreneurs know that continuous trial and error eventually produces the desired result. We just have to be willing to go through the wrenching process of “killing the darlings,” and letting go of that which we really like, for that which we think is best for the greater good of the work.
by how they’re going to do it. Music: When you pitch a manager, agent or record company, the first thing you do is “get to the point” and send a link to your music or video. If your performance (or composition) is jaw dropping, THEN they will ask to hear all about you and your fascinating life. My “point” is: I know we all feel that a unique story will help sell our art or product—and indeed it may. However, what all of us really want you to do, is just “get to the point!” After that, if we’re interested, we’ll reach out for more. “Mastering how and when to communicate effectively, and learning how to “get to the point” is one of the most important skills one can learn.” — Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Records
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I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASIER J. Michael Dolan (:18) It’s never as easy as we think. We point to the mountain and proclaim: “I can climb that!” Then when we’re half way up, we meet Mr. Doubt. At that point we have three choices: Turn around and run the other way. Freeze and do nothing. Or, continue climbing, one step at a time, until we reach the top. I think those three choices; retreat, freeze or persist, are what keep us artists & treps edgy, anxious and sharp—day after day. And while freezing will get us nowhere and persisting will get us somewhere, it’s really the challenging process of retreating, restarting and regrouping, that keeps us alert, keeps us creative, and provokes us to continue searching for a different solution or a new plan of action, that will inch us closer and closer to our goals and dreams.
www.theawkwardyeti.com / www.lunarbaboon.com New Books Out Now! Order Yours Today!
APR 2016
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CD
HAYES CARLL LOVERS AND LEAVERS (THIRTY TIGERS) BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN
With his fifth release, LOVERS AND LEAVERS, Grammy nominated Hayes Carll is firmly entrenched in the long tradition of Texas singer/songwriters that came before him. His influences are evident and welcome. This uncluttered collection of 10 songs leaves lots of fresh air to take in. Joe Henry’s sparse production, along with tasteful accompaniment and soul-purging lyrics allow Hayes to display his craft like he never has before. With a voice that’s a little Townes Van Zandt, a little Guy Clark, a little Dave Alvin, Hayes’ vocals resonate with harsh honesty. On “Drive,” the leadoff track co-written with Jim Lauderdale, a steady beat urges the singer to keep moving. He can’t stop and doesn’t seem to want to. He’s always going somewhere, always on the move, always searching, and more than a little road weary. “Sake of the Song” co-written with Darrell Scott follows. Even though the song’s title is almost identical to a Townes Van Zandt classic, this is very different. Hayes calls attention to all of life’s lessons that go into creating a sincere train of thought. All roads lead to the song. “Good While It Lasted” is a short trip to regret and doubt. All good things must eventually come to an end. The muffled tom-toms are percussive exclamation points to a life that didn’t quite turn out the way it was intended. “You Leave Me Alone” is a sad song in 3/4 time. Hayes once again visits eventual disappointment that just wasn’t worth investing in. “My Friends” starts off with the virtues of what a positive friendship should be. The accompanying instrumentation drives the
REVIEWS
tune along to betrayal, backstabbing and a feeling that it might be better to go it alone. “The Love That We Need” is the first single from this album and was cowritten by Allsion Moorer and Jack Ingram. An expressive piano leads the way to a relationship that slips away because it’s missing that main ingredient to the heart’s desire. “Love Don’t Let Me Down” is an emotional plea that this time he’ll get it right. This time the love that he needs will be there. This time the dream will come true. “The Magic Kid” is a lyrically moving nod to a loving father’s understanding of the real magic that his young son performs. This is another one cowritten by Darrell Scott. “Life Is So Easy” has a jaunty beat and lyrical style that is reminiscent of Lyle Lovett. Taking life as it comes can be fun, especially with the right person to face it with. “Jealous Moon” is the final track and was co-written with the amazing J.D. Souther. This is another one that could’ve been done by Townes Van Zandt, or maybe even Tom Waites. The stars, the clouds, and even the break of day cannot stop the sadness of a jealous moon. Hayes Carll writes and sings with an open sincerity that makes you believe every word as his truth. He may be leading the listener down some dark roads on LOVERS AND LEAVERS, but he’s having fun in spite of it. Or maybe the fun is because of it. Whatever it is, it’s all for the sake of his songs, and that’s a good thing. HAYESCARLL.COM
LUCKY TUBB & THE MODERN DAY TROUBADOURS DEL GAUCHO KEVIN SEKHANI DAY AIN’T DONE
(LOUISIANA RED HOT RECORDS ) BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN
As a well seasoned veteran of the Austin music scene, Kevin Sekhani and a like-minded band of Austin stalwarts rise to the top with DAY AIN’T DONE, a debut worthy of garnering loads of attention. Imagine Old Crow Medicine Show jamming with Band of Heathens on a Louisiana bayou and Steve Earle and Ryan Adams stop by to sit in on a few. The title track counts off and the upbeat rhythm sets off on a raw, high energy romp in the swamp, while giving a well-earned nod to the people who deal with the daily grind. “Oil Field Tan” is a roughneck song delivered like a man who earned it doing what he has to do. “Ballad of a Lonely Clown” is a honky-tonk dancing, country blues tune that says you can’t judge a book by its cover, or a clown by the smile painted on his face. “Burial Ground,” a jumpy, train-beat shuffle shows that some things remain the same in spite of expecting them to change. The final track, “Sumner Street” is a rocker that sounds like it’d be at home on a Bruce Springsteen album. The band deserves mention because they are a big part of bringing the 12 tracks on DAY AIN’T DONE the life and energy it exudes. The lineup of Andrew Duplantis on bass, Tim Veillon and Ty Hurless on guitars, Warren Hood on fiddle, Michael Lamendola on drums, Michael Ramos on accordion and Blake Simon on mandolin make up one tight crew. But it’s singer/songwriter Kevin Sekhani that shines center stage and is an artist that should not be overlooked. WWW.KEVINSEKHANI.COM
(LUCKY TUBB MUSIC) BY STEVE GOLDSTEIN
Hailing from Austin, Lucky Tubb is as real and authentic as his famous great-uncle, the “Texas Troubadour,” Ernest Tubb. But instead of just waltzing across Texas, Lucky is playing it his way. The genetic influence of his pioneering relative is definitely present, but add in some Hank Williams, George Jones and Bill Haley, then hang on for a wild, greasy ride. DEL GAUCHO, Lucky’s fourth release, kicks off with “Bachelor Man,” written by ET’s son, Justin Tubb. The feel is true hillbilly honky-tonk. The rockabilly romp, “Never Shoulda Fell In Love” follows and would make Buddy Holly proud. Band member, Natalie Page delivers a stunning lead vocal on “I Can’t Sleep A Wink” with an emotion worthy of Patsy Cline. “Officer Garero” is a fun, bass slapping, hammer-down drive through Texas while trying to stay one step ahead of The Badge. “Lil Ole Wine Drinker, Me” takes us back to the honky-tonk with an upbeat, tear-in-your-beer tune that charted for Dean Martin in 1967. “Heard Your Name” tells the story of a man who turns on his radio looking to drown his sorrows with some Haggard or Hank III, but hears the name of his source of heartache instead. “That’s What I Get” is right at home in any of the dance halls that Lucky plays in all over the world. The impressive band, The Modern Day Troubadours, plays a big part on DEL GAUCHO and Lucky sounds very comfortable with them on all 13 tracks. Lucky Tubb lives up to his name in every way and on his own terms. LUCKYTUBBMUSIC.COM
Release dates are subject to change, and often do.
**Release dates and Parental Ratings are subject to change, and often do.**
restless peaceful never indifferent never dispassionate Robert Ellis
is set to return with his fourth album on June 3rd via New West Records. The 11-song, self-titled set is his most personal statement yet and a summation of his career thus far. Robert Ellis follows his critically acclaimed 2014 release The Lights From The Chemical Plant, with NPR Music premiering the album track "Drivin'". They describe the album as "brilliant," and stated, "Musically varied, impeccably structured, Robert Ellis recalls the 'confessional' songwriters who set the bar in the 1970s, as well as recent Americana landmarks like Jason Isbell's Southeastern. There are traces of Joni Mitchell and Paul Simon on this cohesive work, and the laconic insight that James Taylor offers at his best. Robert Ellis is not always a light listen - the narrator bluntly claims his sins throughout - but the musical adventurousness that's in Ellis' blood makes it an irresistible one."
The
record was self-produced by Ellis at Sugar Hill Studios in his hometown of Houston, TX with engineer Steve Christensen (Steve Earle) and mixed by John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth,
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Dinosaur Jr.) Robert Ellis will be available on LP, CD, and Digital Download and the album pre-sale began March 29th via Pledge Music. Ellis has also announced his first headline dates in support of the album, kicking off in Houston, TX on June 2nd.
Robert
Ellis opens with “Perfect Strangers,” a meditation on what brings people together (and how tenuous that connection can be), and ends with “It’s Not Ok,” a raw look at emotional compromise. Between those two powerful bookends are nine other songs that show Ellis’ full command of a vibrant set of songwriting skills - irony, distance, character, narrative, a thoughtful relationship between sound and sense. Included is the first single, the dynamic “How I Love You,” the pop pleasure of “California,” the bossa nova shuffle and melodic 70s soft rock of “Amanda Jane,” the emotional center of the record, “The High Road,” and the breathtaking and epic “You’re Not The One;” all presenting multiple sides of Ellis’ control and talent.
Ellis states, “I felt that in the past year, lots of constructs I took for granted were turned on their head.” He continued, “With this record, I feel like I’ve gotten to where I can use the material of my own life as a jumping-off point. But now I can do different things with that material.” Many of the songs have an element of melancholy as some of the record revolves around the dissolution of Ellis’ marriage (the pair remain friends) but also hope and happiness play an equal role. It’s an album of owning mistakes, selfdiscovery, and accepting hard truths. It’s also an album that finds Ellis reaching into the trick bags of masters like Paul Simon, John Prine, and Randy Newman, all artists that have been consistent risk takers, and employing the full complement of skills that he has learned from studying their songcraft. This respect for tradition and risk taking fuel Ellis’ new record and in the end, Robert Ellis, the album, is the most accurate reflection of Robert Ellis, the man. It’s analytical and emotional, calculated in spots and improvisational in others, restless, peaceful, never indifferent, never dispassionate. The new album follows Ellis’ critically acclaimed 2014 release The Lights From The Chemical Plant. Racking up multiple yearend accolades, NPR selected it as
APR 2016
In Stores June 6 Pre-sale Now via Pledge Music
one of their “50 Favorite Albums of 2014,” calling him a “major sonic storyteller” and Rolling Stone called it “a fully realized masterpiece.” Esquire Magazine declared it one of the best of the year with Buzzfeed hailing him as one of “25 New Artists You Need In Your Life In 2015.”
SHOWS: 6/2 – Houston, Discovery Green (Free Show) 6/3 - Austin, 3Ten Austin City Limits Tickets 6/4 - Austin, 3Ten Austin City Limits Tickets 6/5 - Dallas, Kessler Theatre Tickets
SOCIAL: RobertEllisMusic.com Facebook.com & Instagram.com – robertellismusic
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
The second single and release from Mexicana is Malo tell me about this new project you have. I have always wanted to do a solo project, because I'm more of a rocker person then what La Conquistas has allowed me to be. the first single released off the album and in video was Súper Peligroso (Super Dangerous) and we had great feedback. Now we are getting ready to release the second single and video, Malo (Bad) which will premiere on April 9th at House of Rock. This song features a local rapper, DJ Dapper. My name, Machy, has been so tied with La Conquistas for 17 years and so when I decided to do this solo project I realized I needed to almost reinvent myself. I went with “Mexicana” because all of this music, all of the lyrics, all of the ties I have to it, are directly out of Monterrey Mexico - where I am originally from. We have production ready to go for this album. Some of the songs are about the nightlife, like “Borracha” which is about the girls that go out and get drunk and just let loose. “Hey Gringo” is about the people crossing the border and get detained and sent back and, of course, come back across the border and yet these are the same people that are building the mansions and taking care of the
kids for the rich here. There are songs about dealing with the illegal issues in cartels. So this album is a little stronger on lyrics and I do more English-Spanish than La Conquistas; which is solely Spanish lyrics to Cumbia melodies. Mexicana is much more rock ‘n roll and dance party, pop than La Conquistas. I've worked for a long time with Rhino (Ryan) Whiteside and RoRo (Beat-Zilla) Gutierrez on this project; they are coproducing it. We have spent hours and hours in the studio and I am really happy with it. And it shows my rock side! I can see why you would be so ecstatic with this! Tell me about your videos because all of them, from La Conquistas to helping other groups out, the quality is amazing. Do you use local people? Yes, and I am all about quality. We don't make sounds that aren't quality and we don't do videos without the quality; I don't do them. For example with La Conquistas all of my royalties go back to the group in either video production, merchandise, recording materials, or something that we’re in need of. With Malo we featured DJ Dapper. In the video he has girls dancing; not that I wanted it, but because it is featuring him
and that's what people expect to see. Malo means bad so this video and music is about the bad stuff that's going on and the bad people that are out there. This is kind of a wake-up to see who and what's going on around you; because those people are right there. When will you release the full album? I'm thinking it'll come out after the next single-video release, probably July or August. We’ve signed with a management and label out of Mexico City Mexico, so I'll be working with them on the actual release dates. They have a whole Mexicana team working for us and currently we're all working towards pushing the single releases; mainly through the clubs because it's very expensive in Mexico to get popular via the radio. When I first contacted him he was hesitant and said that whatever I bring to the table has to be fresh and new. That same day he called me back saying that we had that hook he was looking for because we include Mariachi sounds with the funky dance beats, rock sounds, and rap even. He reminded me it wouldn’t be easy, but to hang in there. So basically all it is now is promoting and fortunately we have the internet, not like 20 years ago, and we can promote all over the world! When I need new music I've got my studio I can
go in there come up with a new song or whatever's needed Rhino and Beat-Zilla are the producers for this and they've been by my side from the first time I said it would be kind of fun to do a rock song with Mariachi mixtape. We have a team working behind Mexicana pushing the songs out to the clubs getting people to listen to it next we'll push to get people will want it on the radios and in person they've helped with the new image and the videos and really the new image is very hard because Machy is La Conquistas and who I've been for 17 years. Now I'm trying to rebuild. Okay so you know your image is something I wanted to talk about and I hope this doesn't sound inappropriate but you drip sexy, I mean really. I look at your pictures on Facebook going to the gym and I think, “holy cow you need the gym?” or you say, “look I got new glasses” and trust me I got new glasses too, but they don't look like that on me (laughing) You know basically I think it's because of where I'm from, Monterrey Mexicothat's where everybody is worried about their image. The girls want to models in swimsuits and everyone gets lists and tucks. Really it's all about image everybody wants to look good. So it's the management team in Mexico that have come up with images and ideas; they will contact me to try this, try that and they stop me when they see what they are looking for. Fortunately one of the team members is very connected with sponsorship opportunities and that's how we get videos paid for, our merchandise, the CDs, and promotional materials like banners. Mexicana is you, Rhino, and BeatZilla? Basically it's me. Mexicana is my project and I have two producers. The music and idea came from just hanging out in the studio and RoRo started a beat, then I said, “what about like Snoop Dogg with mariachi?” and Ryan's on the other side of the wall with the drums catching the beat. It's such an Eclectic sound! Fortunately, three of the songs can be submitted for movies because of their action packed sound. Of course there are the party songs like Borracha and Rico Suave – which I rewrote from a woman’s perspective. Besides Ricco Suave there are two other cover songs: Short Short Man (that's mostly English) and the CONTINUED PG 14
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music can really be pushed. Mexico is super expensive so as an independent eighties pop song Let's Go All the Way artist pushing your music, it's better to which has a lot of Mariachi. It’s really go to Spain or Colombia and work into one of my favorites; 80s pop-rock and the Mexican market really. fun! I would have thought Spain or CoAnd who’s on the record? lombia would have been so much On bass we had Chris Santos (from more because of distance and differIH5); accordion is Mony, my sister; Rhient directions. no did drums and production; Beat-Zilla Speaking of different directions tell was on keyboards and production; we me what's going on with Musical featured DJ Kane on one song and DJ Minds. Dapper on “Malo”. Patrick Joyal played Musical Minds is my after-school proall the trumpet parts, you might know gram. When I was a kid in Monterrey we him from Los Mariachis; and I filled in didn't have a program like this and I on drums and guitar. I'm trying to also really wish we’d had. There are a lot of get a second player to do the live shows kids out there with talent! We are starting so that we get the harmonies. We will a contest “Making The Band”. With this have a full band for the release show on kids get the opportunity to go on an April 9th at the House of Rock. So far audition and if they are chosen to Make we've put out Súper Peligroso in the clubs The Band they will get 3 months of voand it hit very well but we think Borracha cal and instrument coaching before reis really going to be the one that pushes cording and taping a video of a song it out and gets people requesting us. written just for them! This gives them So back to playing with a full band; are the chance to figure out if they really you planning on doing to tour? I know want to play an instrument and which you won't be doing so much here in the one, do they really want to sing, and see US but in Mexico? what happens on the backside of those Well, actually following our managefantastic videos and songs on the radio. ment’s lead we think we’ll do more tourWe have three categories this time: 7 to ing in Spain and Columbia before Mexi11 boys and girls group; a 12-17 girl co. These are places where this type of band; and a boy band! All have to be able to sing and we will teach them how STEAMMAGAZINE.NET to play the instrument instruments.
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We're getting a lot of interest from Houston to McAllen to San Antonio. Preauditions will be April 17th at Brewster Street Icehouse. Finalists from that group will audition on KIII’s Domingo Live. The winners will be decided by viewer votes and the top 5 in each category will form the Bands. A few years ago we did something like this with two girls groups, Pink Noise was 12 to 14 year olds and Cotton Candy was the 5 to 10 year olds. How do you come up with music for these groups because you don't want them singing adult songs? What we do is we sit down and everybody talks about what they'd like to sing about. Things they like or dislike, boys/ girls, activities, texting, even peer pressure. Whatever it is they give me I come up with lyrics and the melody. Once they’re OK with it we start teaching the kids how to play this music. So how do you come up with the music you write whether it's for Mexicana. La conquista, or kids bands? I have studied music all my life, from when I was nine years old until I was 18 and then I went to the University of Music in Monterrey. I know how to read music and play all these different instruments and how to write different types of music. I remember when I was just starting out in my career and songs were
given to me. That's when I realized that I needed to write my own music because if I use someone else's song I can't change a word because I don't like it; I have to sing it exactly as it is. I know you write a lot of music; do you pitch to other artists or labels? Some, I have my own BMI Publishing group Crazy Girl Music. Wow, you are one talented young lady! But it's all I know to do and so now I teach kids. I give them the chance that I had. Honestly, the ability to teach people, especially children, is a very valuable skill! And besides, I can see you still out there rocking at 80! And not just in a chair! You know I love to be a musician and I love to be out on the stage and with this new project I be busy. But I do have a plan B with the studio, Musical Minds, and writing music. So in the meantime where does La Conquistas fit in? Oh yes we're still playing we do a lot of private shows. On April 2nd we play at the Spring Festival in Beeville and we're also working on a new single it's in the works. My sister Mony and I are the owners La Conquistas and after 17 years we both kinda wanted to go in our own directions.
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By Scott Yager, Sound Magazine
When it comes to comedy, to use a baseball analogy, David Cross is a five-tool player. He does it all. I guess you could say he is a Cross between a writer and a sketch performer and film and TV star and a standup. But if you said that then he would probably smack you for making such a stupid pun. Cross returns to the standup stage for his very particular brand of comedy which merges classic mic-work with his very dry, witty and absurdist mind. Cross stopped by STEAM for a very fun chat. STEAM: You have had as long and as
prolific a career in comedy as anyone I can think of and your body of work is a mix between sketch, roles in film and television and standup. Do you have to get into a certain mindset when working on one particular medium or are you able to move from one to the other fairly seamlessly? CROSS: That’s an excellent question and one that people don’t necessarily consider. But for me, I can’t really do two things at once well. At least two different things. I find it very difficult to be working on a sketch show and then concentrating on a new hour of standup. Because as you inferred, I have to make my brain work a certain way. When I see something that might be fodder for comedy, whether it be someone acting a certain way or a funny sign, I need to think of it in either terms of sketch or terms of characters for a movie or for standup. I can’t bounce around well from one to another. When I’m doing standup I will try to shut down from everything else. There is a whole project that I told them that when I go on tour I am shutting it down completely.
intuitive at this point. I guess I could extrapolate that idea and think, okay, so I have a quick scene and I just need to get the most out of it while keeping it grounded and being in the same movie as everyone else. I can’t do a Pitch Perfect 2 character if I’m not there. I suppose it comes from squeezing the most out of a small amount of time and staying true to the script and what the writer and director want.
STEAM:
We’re in a very different place and time today then we were when you started your career. The Ben Stiller Show and STEAM: I’ve always thought you Mr. Show are were a scene-stealer in that, you can so highly reenter a movie for two-three minutes garded and I in one scene and really do a lot, get a think part of lot of laughs, and accomplish a ton for that is that the larger project in a small period of there were so few time. Do you think your sketch back- places for content like that to shine. ground contributes to that at all? CROSS: Maybe. I mean, I think it’s Now with Netflix and so many more SHOWS: places for 4/20 Houston Warehouse Live s k e t c h 4/22 Austin Still Moonwater Comedy Festival shows and 4/23 Dallas Majestic Theatre . other alter-
native programming to shine, we are in a new world. How has that benefited someone like yourself? CROSS: It’s great. Not necessarily so great for me, I’m established. But it’s great for all the people who are basically Bob and I twenty years ago. You can shoot your stuff on the iPhone and put it up on the internet and get a show for it. That didn’t exist when we were coming up.
STEAM: We also live in an age when
shows can be willed back from the dead by the fans. What is it like for that to happen, as it famously did with Arrested Development? CROSS: I’ve had three things come back in the last few years. I don’t know that there is anything left to come back. All three via Netflix basically.
STEAM: One unfor-
tunate thing we are suffering from as a society from today is the censorship police. Does seeing comedians and other artists get chastised for their questionable material change the way you write your standup or your sketches? CROSS: No way. In this current show, not all of it, but a third of it is stuff that is not easy. I have had people walk out of every show as far as I know. It wouldn’t be my show without it. There are a lot of people in the past five years who don’t really know about my standup, even though there is eight plus hours available to find out if my views jive with theirs but instead they think, Hey Tobias is in town and he tells jokes now! So they come and get offended. SOCIAL facebook.com/officaldavidcross Twitter.com @davidcrosss
By Raymond E. Lee, STEAM Magazine Photo Credit: Hayes Carll
ver the past 15 years Woodlands native Hayes Carll has gone from obscure barroom singer to one of the best recognized names in the Texas music scene. Spanning four albums, Carll’s humorous brand of tongue in cheek songwriting has garnered acclaim from the press and devotion from an international audience. His recipe for success has been quite a simple one. By alternating between self-effacing, folksy narratives and rock bottom first person pathos Carll has created a travelogue of the American working class hugging the Gulf of Mexico from Beaumont to Nashville.
The first introduction to this phenomenon came with 2002’s ‘Flowers and Liquor.’ The raucous debut drew immediate attention, with critics quick to paint Carll as a latter day Townes Van Zandt. It’s true the two share the rare ability to illicit both tears and cackles of laughter within the span of a single album, and both paint characters that are simultaneously larger than life yet immediately recognizable at family reunions. While the comparison is accurate, it does something of a disservice to Carll. Legends such as Van Zandt aren’t burdened by contractual obligations, they aren’t expected to regularly add to their cannon. They exist as myths, parodies almost of the people they actually were, stories mere mortals can only immolate.
Breakthrough first albums aren’t exactly a rarity. Wheat separates from the chaff through practice, and with his follow up, ‘Little Rock,’ Carll proved there was more to his abilities than a passing similarity to one of the greats. It seemed the music industry was taking notice, too. In 2008, ‘Trouble in Mind,’ further cemented Carll’s reputation as one of the finest young singer song writers in the Americana market by attracting collaborations. The lead track, a co-write with Ray Wylie Hubbard, inspired The Drunken Poet’s Society, a membership fan club of enthusiasts with swelling ranks and an annual private event hosted by Carll himself. Carry Anne Hearst, one half of the celebrated duo, Shovels and Rope also appeared on ‘Trouble in Mind.’ The duet, “A Lover Like You,” pitted America’s most vitriolic enemies, Republicans and Democrats, in the embrace of a romance where lust conquers despite polarizing political opinions. A working relationship with Canadian Scott Nolan delivered perhaps the album’s most arresting inclusion. “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart,” might be the perfect country western song. It begins with a hangover and ends with the possibilities of every lost love
dancing through your head. “Doesn’t anybody care about the truth anymore,” Carll utters over the bridge in his characteristic drawl, “Maybe that’s what songs are for.” He concludes in a fit of metamusical self-realization.
As a general rule, troubadours exist outside the mainstream consciousness, but with mounting success, there was little room for expansion to anywhere but Main Street. The release of ‘KMAG YOYO,’ placed Carll on the top 20 country charts. For the plot of the titular track, imagine the entirety of Winston Groom’s best-selling novel Forrest Gump boiled down into a four minute piece of pop mastery. While addressing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, unpopular subjects to this very day, ‘KMAG YOYO’ went on to win AMA’s song of the year. And success followed success with Carll contributing to the majority of 2010’s ‘Country Strong’ soundtrack.
But if one were expecting the same old tropes about hard drinking, loose morals, or road weary rotgut dives on ‘Lovers and Leavers,’ (Hwy 87 Records) Carll’s April 8th release, there will come a reckoning. You see, while the new album contains the same clever poetics and heartfelt sentiment of past endeavors, it is also strikingly somber. Like a cold turkey dose of sobriety dealt upon waking up in the clink Sunday morning, the tracks are a little slower and the laughter a little lower.
It
begs the question, “Why?” The easy answer is to attribute it all to maturity. A type of “Local boy done good puts down the bottle and gets real,” angle but after absorbing ‘Lovers and Leavers’ from first to last it was clear there was more to the story than some easy explanation. Doubtlessly, lesser journalists will claim it’s the curbing of passion that comes with age. But the STEAM readership deserves more, so we got in contact with Mr. Carll to discuss it.
Indeed,
over the phone from Port Aransas, Texas the musician sounded a bit wore out. Fresh off a five performance week at SXSW, a bit of fatigue should be expected. “Humor is a really effective tool to bring a point across,” he agrees. “Or even just for kicks. But at this stage my life is not particularly humorous. I got a lot of joke songs I could have thrown out there but it didn’t feel like that was where I was at.”
One might
have known something was changing with Carll by lag time alone. More than five years expired between ‘KMAG YOYO’ and ‘Lovers and Leavers.’ “This record is really about the
SHOWS: 4/1 & 2 Port Aransas, Third Coast Theater 4/8 Austin, Waterloo Records 4/14 Houston, Cullen Theater 4/15 Driftwood, Old Settler’s Music Festival 4/16 Dallas, The Kessler (2 shows)
things I was going through in my life. You can’t put art on a timeline. And to make the kind of records I made when I was 25 didn’t seem honest or sound like fun at 40. I enjoyed what I did back then but I don’t want to be stuck in the same place. ‘Lovers and Leavers’ was a conscious decision to write about where I was at.”
While
age plays some part in the new direction for Carll’s material, there is undoubtedly larger forces at work. And rather than a focus on cooling temperament or aging, the heart of the issue lies closer to evolution of craft. “It began with a song about my son. “The Magic Kid,” which felt honest, authentic. It felt personal but universal and I wanted the whole record to go in that direction. For ‘Lovers and Leavers,’ I didn’t really feel like singing about drinking, about the road as much. I’ve been through a divorce. I’m trying to raise a teenager, and I’m in a new relationship. I’m in love. And I wanted to work through those things on this record.”
The issue has grown larger than just this Texas troubadour. We have to accept the fact that Americana is evolving, too. To survey the growing success of the genre with acts like Shovels and Rope, Turnpike Troubadours or award winners Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, or the Alabama Shakes it becomes apparent Americana itself is turning a new page. With national acceptance by an audience increasingly turning away from the lobotomized old mainstays, rock, country, and pop, our music now requires a more substantive touch than the previous gutter buzz majesty of youthful hedonists like Ryan Adams or The Drive By Truckers. “I’ve been associated with the Americana
genre for a long time now. They gave me a home on Texas radio, in the media. It’s an umbrella for a whole lot of different types of music. A lot of the people I like, the people I’ve come up with, my peers, songwriters I admire fall under that umbrella.” Carll answers when asked about ‘Lovers and Leavers’ place on the crest of Americana’s rising wave. “I doubt it’ll get any mainstream play, but you know what I never have. I’ve never had a presence on mainstream radio, but I’ve made a career on a national and international level by finding the spots in-between. There are a lot of people who don’t rely solely on mainstream radio to get their music out there. And there’s even more people who don’t want to hear mainstream radio anymore.”
17 STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
HAYES CARLL LOVERS & LEAVERS (HWY 87 RECORDS) PRE-SALE VIA HAYESCARLL.COM IN STORES APRIL 8TH
While ‘Lovers and
Leavers’ is a far cry from ‘KMAG YOYO’ or ‘Trouble in Mind,’ it is still quite unquestionably a Hayes Carll record. Old friends grace its tracks. Darrel Scott, a longtime collaborator co-wrote what might be Carll’s best versed song to date. “Sake of the Song,” is a litany of every hayseed git-fiddler working the circuit these days trying to cut out a living. Another co-write by Scott Nolan, “You Leave Alone,” details the lonesome circuitry of our solitary existence, “When you leave this world,” the line goes. “You leave it alone.” “It took a long time to get this record made. It’s not that I didn’t have songs. I did, but it wasn’t what I wanted it to be.” He says with a sigh. “I’m proud of the process that I went through to make it. My life was changing and like a lot of people I was just trying to figure some things out creatively and personally. It would have been really easy to make the same record, to not grow as an artist, but that’s just boring to me.”
SOCIAL: HAYESCARLL.COM; FACEBOOK.COM & TWITTER.COM -
HAYESCARLL
Troubadour Insights
With Dale Martin
Last year, country artist Brandy Clark emerged as a major act in the Americana country field, cowriting many hits, releasing a critically acclaimed debut album (12 Stories) and winning huge numbers of fans at each concert. Following up a successful album and year are often daunting to new artists, but Clark seems to take pressure in stride. For the new release, “Big Day in a Small Town”, due out this summer, she leans to an edgier more rocking sound. This time, she’s using producer Jay Joyce, the guy behind the knobs for Eric Church, Little Big Town and Brothers Osborne. "The safest thing to me felt like making something a lot like 12 Stories," says Clark, interviewed recently at the House of Blues in Boston, where she shared the stage with headliner Jennifer Nettles. "But I didn't want to be safe and I want to feel constantly inspired, so when I sat down with Jay Joyce, I said, 'Here's what I don't want: I don't want to make a brother or a sister to 12 Stories. I really want to make a cousin. There's no way we can beat that, I don't feel, so let's do something else.' "And he said, 'All I care about is that we make your record. Let's not make my record, because you have to go out and perform it and, if it's a success, you're going to have to go out and perform it for a very long time.'" While the new album is a ways off, those yearning for more new Clark music can hear her contribution to Dave Cobb's recently released, all-star compilation “Southern Family”, a newly recorded version of "I Cried." Clark winds up her current tour next month and then plans to hit the road for a headlining club and small theater tour. Songwriter and performer Steve Young, one of the earliest artists to be labeled "Outlaw Country," died recently in Nashville. He was 73. In 1969, Young first recorded what would become his best-known song, "Seven Bridges Road." Since then, the tune has been covered by dozens of acts including the Eagles (it was their last Top 40 after their 1980 breakup and before the 1994 reunion), Ricochet and Dolly Parton. A live version by Alan Jackson, George Strait and Jimmy Buffet was also released in 2007. A native of Newnan, Georgia, Young also wrote the 1973 Waylon Jennings hit, "Lonesome On'ry and Mean," "Montgomery in the Rain" cut by Hank Williams Jr., and "It's Not Supposed to Be That Way," a minor hit for Willie Nelson in 1977. Born in 1942, Young's family, led by his sharecropper father, moved from Georgia to Alabama to Texas looking for work. While in his teens, he returned to Alabama and became involved in the local music scene before leaving again to check out the Greenwich Village folk music of New York. After another move to Alabama, he went west to Los Angeles and lived in Hollywood in "Tobacco Road," a house populated by several other Alabama exiles. In L.A., he played folk music as a solo act and as part of the Skip Battin Band, the Gas Company (a group that included Van Dyke Parks and Stephen Stills), Stone Country and Richard and Jim. Young's debut LP, Rock Salt & Nails featured appearances by former Byrds members Gram Parsons, Chris Hillman and Gene Clark, and included "Seven Bridges Road." Young also featured it as the title cut on his 1972 sophomore LP. He admitted to not being interested in the sacrifices it took to become a more well-known recording artist and performer. Young did however release a total of 14 albums throughout his career. He was also featured in the landmark Seventies documentary, Heartworn Highways, which chronicled several of the singer-songwriters of the early Outlaw movement in Texas and Nashville, including Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell and Steve
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Earle. In a Facebook post Young's son, APR 2016 Jubal Lee Young, announced his father's passing in a statement that quoted the lyrics of "Alabama Highway," which his father performed in Heartworn Highways. "'Turn supernatural, take me to stars and let me play. I want to be free, Alabama highway.' My father, Steve Young, passed peacefully tonight in Nashville. While it is a sad occasion, he was also the last person who could be content to be trapped in a broken mind and body. He was far too independent and adventurous. I celebrate his freedom, as well, and I am grateful for the time we had. A true original." When Sturgill Simpson released "Brace for Impact (Live a Little)," the first single off his eagerly awaited new album “A Sailor's Guide to Earth”, it highlighted an evolution of Simpson's psychedelic country sound. With a greasy Seventies bluesrock vibe and touches of organ, the song could even suggest a departure from the country genre, a misguided notion that tickles Simpson. "Some people will say, and have said, that I'm trying to run from country, but I'm never going to make anything other than a country record. As soon as I open my mouth, it's going to be a country song… but it doesn't make the think pieces any less amusing," Simpson recently told Rolling Stone. "I thought it was hilarious when 'Brace for Impact' was released and people said I had abandoned country even though the song is dripping with pedal steel. If anything, that tells me I'm making progress." Set for release April 15th, “A Sailor's Guide to Earth” leans heavily on seafaring allusions: the album cover depicts a vessel in rolling waves and features songs like "Breakers Roar" and "Sea Stories," which opens with a ringing ship's bell. Simpson himself once served in the U.S. Navy. "I wanted to capture certain elements of nautical life thematically, such as using brass to represent fog horns and wind, and blending the string section with pedal steel to mimic the breathing fluidity of water," says Simpson, who enlisted funk-soul horn section the Dap-Kings to give the album its brassy skeleton. Simpson also produced the record on his own. His first two albums, 2013's High Top Mountain and 2014's Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, were overseen by Dave Cobb. "Due to the personal nature of the album I decided it was best not to collaborate with anyone," he says. "I knew I wanted to make a concept record in song-cycle form, like my favorite Marvin Gaye records where everything just continuously flows. I also wanted it to be something that when my son is older and maybe I'm gone, he can listen to it and get a sense of who I was." The Kentucky singer-songwriter penned every track on A Sailor's Guide to Earth except one, a cover of Nirvana's "In Bloom," off Nevermind. Singer Kurt Cobain, and the Nevermind album in particular, were an inspiration to the young Simpson. "I remember in seventh or eighth grade when that album came out, it was like a bomb went off in my bedroom. For me, that song has always summed up what it means to be a teenager, and I think it tells a young boy that he can be sensitive and compassionate, he doesn't have to be tough or cold to be a man," explains Simpson. "I wanted to make a very beautiful and pure homage to Kurt." A Sailor's Guide to Earth marks Simpson's first release for a major label. He signed to Atlantic Records last year after Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, released independently, garnered him country and rock fans alike. "It doesn't feel like my life or the process has changed at all. Atlantic has been great to me. They didn't flinch when I told them I was selfproducing and nobody was popping their head in the studio," he says. "Actually they didn't hear a single note until the album was mastered so I really do have the creative freedom and the means to make the best art I possibly can now, which is all I ever really wanted. There are no expectations other than those I place on myself to be a great father and husband." In May, Simpson will kick off a spring tour with a pair of sold-out shows in Austin.
~ www.martinsmusic.com