Elizabeth Cook - The Real Deal

"In an era of fabricated fame, Elizabeth is the real deal"


The quote is courtesy of Rodney Crowell who was responsible for the production on Elizabeth's 2007 release Balls, and it pretty well sums it up, Elizabeth's bio like her vocal is pure country, here's a set of songs from her performance on Woodsongs that showcases four tracks from the Balls album along with If I Could penned by her husband Tim Carroll (eMusic)


Elizabeth's vocal is wonderful and gets me every time , never more so than in her rendition of The Velvet Underground's Sunday Morning, a perfect cover version?


Elizabeth is working on a new release that is scheduled for release later this year - in the meantime enjoy these.


If I Could
Mama's Prayers
Sometimes it Takes Balls to Be a Woman
Sunday Morning
Times Are Tough in Rock & Roll

Elizabeth Cook @ eMusic / Amazon

Evangenitals "Evangenitals EP"

The Evangenitals are an L.A. band founded by playwright-director Juli Crockett and opera-jazz singer Lisa Dee, aided and abetted on this release by band members, Henry Bermudez (guitars), Andrea Baker (fiddle), Ari DeSano (accordion), Keith Lubow (bass), David Hurlin (drums), the band play a blend and brand of music that's hard to tie down, it's at times theatrical, at others rootsy and mostly somewhere on it's own, a fusion of styles and sounds drawing influences from a multitude of genres that the band describe as "Cosmic Square Dance" and "Hillbilly Jazz", for the full low down on the band members check out the website.

The bands 7 track self-titled EP kicks of with Hello a catchy opener with Juli and Lisa's harmonising to the fore, Hard Luck breaks out the alt-country (had me thinking a female Old 97's), next up the hypnotic Work Song then side-step to the happy-clappy Home with all hands on deck for vocal duties, switch again for So Sweet - it is check out the video below, then sharp left turn to Bad Town a hillbilly smoke out, then the brakes come on for the closing number I'm Sad, this is an excellent EP and worthy of attention, I'm off to check out the band's back catalogue as this is the third release,CD Baby has all of them here.

The Evangenitals - Hard Luck

The Evangenitals - So Sweet from DJ Mendel on Vimeo.

Odd's N End's

News on Drive-by Truckers movie "The Secret to a Happy Ending"

Just a reminder that Kasey Anderson's album Nowhere Nights is released on 16th of this month, courtesy of Kasey's cunning marketing campaign I was seduced into the vinyl pre-order last year, okay it's only February but for me this album is a front runner for Best of 2010, get it / sample it at Kasey's website, here's what I thought of it, but you don't have to take my word for it, check out the thoughts of More Cowbell and Twangville too.  

News this week of Neil Young finally winning a Grammy, bitter sweet given his contribution to music, just further proof of the farcical nature of the majority of mainstream media awards, the award for "Best Art Direction..." was shared with Gary Burden and Jenice Heo, Neil Young News posted this earlier this week, along with links to Gary Burden's in depth look at the art and packaging for Neil Young Archives.
Neil Young News
Archives - Sustainability
Archives - Collaborating
Archives - Design




Danny & The Champions of the World released the follow up to the 2008 self titled album, the new one has been garnering great press and justly so, another contender in my opinion. Front Porch Musings has the story and tracks streaming here, buy it at Loose

Gillian Welch - Newport Folk Festival 2009

This is great live set from Gillian Welch, recorded at the Newport Folk Festival on August 1, 2009. Given the drama leading up to this performance it stands up very well indeed, hit by a five hour flight delay and a traffic jam entering Newport, it was down to local law enforcement locating Gillian and Co's car and escorting them in with  minutes to spare that allowed the show to go on, performing blind - no glasses or time to put her contacts in, Gillian and long time side kick Dave Rawlings ran through a thirteen song set including the usual fan favourites and a cover of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit".   


Set List 
Download (Mp3's)
1 I Want To Sing That Rock and Roll
2 Elvis Presley Blues
3 My First Lover
4 No One Knows My Name
5 It's Too Easy
6 Miss Ohio
7 Throw Me a Rope
8 Red Clay Halo
9 Dear Someone
10 White Rabbit
11 Orphan Girl
12 Revelator
13 I'll Fly Away

Glossary - Feral Fire

Glossary's latest album "Feral Fire" was released yesterday, there's an interview  with the band's lead vocalist Joey Kneiser about the new album over at American Songwriter.

The band have previously offered one of their albums,  The Better Angels of Our Nature as a free download, I've archived all of the links featured on Beat Surrender for free downloads and streams at More Twang on Tumblr, the links on the left if you want to check them out, you'll find a link to the Glossary album there as well as Joey Kneiser's solo release The All Night Bedroom Revival

The band are touring with Lucero in support of the album - more info on the band and tour dates at their website, sample and buy @ Amazon and iTunes

Townes - Covered - Steve Earle

In light of Steve Earle's success at the Grammy's with his Townes album from 2009, thought it would be a good time to re-post this Townes Covered post from March last year

Thought I'd put together an alternative version of my own, featuring some live & some studio covers of the tracks on the album plus some collaborations and one Townes original

01 Pancho and Lefty - Emmylou Harris (Live)
02 White Freightliner Blues - Lyle Lovett (Live)

03 Colorado Girl -  Marrisa Nadler   Buy
04 Where I Lead Me - Eric Taylor
05 Lungs - Jonell Mosser
06 No Place to Fall - Derek Lee Bronston   Buy
07 Loretta - Ralph Stanley II   Buy
08 Brand New Companion - Steve Earle (Live)
09 Rake - The Cowboy Junkies (Live)
10 Delta Momma Blues - Townes van Zandt   Buy
11 Marie - TvZ with Willie Nelson
12 Don't Take It Too Bad - The Sidehill Gougers   Buy
13 Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold - Robert Earl Keen
14 (Quicksilver Daydreams of) Maria - Richard Dobson
15 To Live Is to Fly - Guy Clark

Buy Steve Earle's Townes    
Buy Townes 

For more Townes covers buy the marvellous "Introducing Townes Through the Great Unknown"