BLUES: SONGS OF THE DAY
THE ARTIST IS: JONNY LANG
THE SONG IS: "THERE'S GOT TO BE A CHANGE"
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Various Artists — Luke Schneider Presents Imaginational Anthem Vol. XI: Chrome Universal - A Survey of Modern Pedal Steel (Tompkins Square)
B.J. Cole
Luke Schneider Presents Imaginational Anthem vol. XI : Chrome Universal - A Survey of Modern Pedal Steel by Various Artists
The 11th volume of Thompson Square’s Imaginational Anthem series focuses on the pedal steel guitar. Usually associated with country music, the instrument has come into its own in recent years in more experimental circles thanks to its ability to produce sustained drones and shimmering textures. Chrome Universal develops over nine instrumentals a mood of transcendent calm far removed from the pioneering work of figures such as Country Music Hall of Famer Buddy Emmons. In the broader sweep of the Imaginational Anthem releases, this collection follows the trajectory traced by Chuck Johnson (who is not represented here despite having appeared on the seventh volume during his acoustic phase) from fingerpicking acoustic guitar to pedal steel.
The tracks are concise, most around three to four minutes, and the whole thing comes in at just over 40 minutes. BJ Cole’s “Ely Revisited” establishes the mood with drawn-out notes drifting over a wash of synths, an arrangement shared by curator Luke Schneider’s dreamy “Yosemite 17” and Jonny Lang’s “Lambient,” which also adds bird songs.
Of the somewhat more country-sounding tracks, Rocco DeLuca’s “Many Singing Softly” pairs the pedal steel with a fiddle, and Spencer Cullum’s “An Ode to Dungeness” spices things up with a little percussion as well as keyboards. Maggie Bjorklund’s “Flow” straddles the two worlds of Chrome Universal, beginning with a Nashville sound and then moving into more experimental territory with some distortion and rhythm that could be a tapping foot or drum machine.
A few of the tracks seem to present the pedal steel unaccompanied. Susan Alcorn, whose work has extended from blues and country to free jazz, contributes with “Gilmor Blue” perhaps the most challenging track here in terms of unexpected harmonies and somewhat less mellifluous sounds, though without disrupting the overall feel of the collection. Barry Walker’s “I Will Tread upon the Lion and the Cobra” and Will Van Horn’s “Magnolia City” build up thick, synth-like walls of reverb and sustain through which their notes drip.
Chrome Universal provides a useful entry-point for those curious about this curious instrument in contexts beyond the backing for twangy songs about heartache. It’s also a great chill-out record in its own right thanks to Schneider’s sequencing and focus in putting the collection together. One can quibble with the omissions (e.g., of Jonathan Gregg of Suss and Nathan Golub as well as Chuck Johnson), but not with the selections, which provide solid evidence that the pedal steel is more than a niche instrument.
Jim Marks
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Love that sense of humor. Even from the musicians!
The order of appearance (from this site):
Slash
Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen
ZZ Top's Dusty Hill (who plays bass)
Matthew Sweet (Hey, it was the Nineties!)
Joey Ramone
Lisa Loeb
Dave Mustaine
Roy Clark (who plays fiddle in the clip)
Jonny Lang
Michael Stanley
Joe Walsh
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Monday, January 29, 2024 2pm ET: Feature LP: Jonny Lang - Signs (2017)
Jon Gordon Langseth Jr. (born January 29, 1981), known as Jonny Lang, is an American blues, gospel, and rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has made five albums that have charted on the top 50 of the Billboard 200 chart and won a Grammy Award for Turn Around.
Signs is the seventh studio album by American blues guitarist Jonny Lang, released on September 8, 2017. The song “Stronger…
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Still Rainin' - Jonny Lang - 1998
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BLUES: SONGS OF THE DAY
THE ARTIST IS: JONNY LANG
THE SONG IS: "ANGEL OF MERCY"
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Jonny Lang - Lie To Me (Official Video)
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The Mahindra Blues Festival has tickets selling out. But how is it helping this musical genre?
Every year, around Valentine’s Day, blues music fans from across India and the world meet for an annual date at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studios. They congregate for the Mahindra Blues Festival.
It returns on Saturday after a three-year pandemic-induced interval, marking its 11th edition, which makes it one of the country’s longest-running music festivals. That’s an impressive run for a show dedicated to…
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jonny sims and alexander newall 🤝 the lang bros
refusing to write a happy ending for their characters who are tormented by evil otherworldly entities that prey on humanity’s fears and weaknesses
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Noticed a spike in followers, just wanted to make a new announcement that there is a Barry Keoghan discord server if you would like to join! Feel free to share with others!
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🎶✨️when u get this u have to put 5 songs u actually listen to, publish. Then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (non-negotiable, positivity is cool)🎶✨️
Aw thank you for the ask! 💜
Still Rainin' by Jonny Lang
Pretty When You're High by Dorothy
Don't Stop Dancing by Kris Allen
Gods of the Disco by Keiynan Lonsdale
Grinding All My Life by Nipsey Hussle
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