Posts

Showing posts from August, 2024

The Scottsville Squirrel Barkers "Blue Grass Favorites" (1963)

Image
Who created the folk-rock genre? Most pundits (as well as Google) will credit the Byrds for this achievement, as their 1965 debut album Mr. Tambourine Man effectively bridged the gap between Dylan-esque folk music and British Invasion-style rock music. Another music history question: What was the first country rock album? Most will argue that it was either the Byrds' 1968 album Sweetheart of the Rodeo , or the Flying Burrito Brothers' 1969 debut album The Gilded Palace of Sin , and it's hard to argue against them in either case. However, there is an obscure album from 1963 -- predating the aforementioned albums -- which could be said to mark an earlier beginning for both of those genres. And one of the members of the band who recorded it was a teenage mandolin player named Chris Hillman -- who would later become a founding member of both the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Before the Byrds formed in 1964, Hillman had played in a San Diego-based bluegrass band cal...

Third Man Records vinyl exclusives, Part 60: "Third Man Live" 3-LP set (2024)

Image
The 60th set of exclusive vinyl items offered to members of Third Man Records’ Vault service was mailed out to the members in July of 2024. For those who are unaware, Third Man Records is the label owned by Jack White, the leader of the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, and the Dead Weather, and now a solo artist. The Vault service promises to deliver exclusive vinyl-only records (usually one full-length album and one 7” single) to its members every three months. The 60th Vault package featured a 3-LP set titled Third Man Live , containing live discs from Jack White, Dinosaur Jr., and W.I.T.C.H., recorded at the three different Third Man Records locations in Detroit, Nashville, and London. The 7-inch single offers three live cuts by Mudhoney, recorded at Third Man in Nashville. All of the discs in this set were pressed in beautiful "skycloud" colored vinyl, a blue-and-white marble blend based on the color of the walls in all three Third Man venues. Each of the three LP's ...