Somewhere between Spicewood TX and Franklin TN . . . . . . Luke Powers and Tommy Spurlock have collaborated on another record Texasee, to be released in October of 2008. Luke and Tommy have previously worked on Kakistocracy (2006) and Luke's debut album Picture Book (2007). Picture Book is the portrait of the artist as a young songwriter. Texasee is an Americana homage to a mythical land of music and imagination stretching (in the words of the title song) "from the mist of the Smoky Mountains to the dust of the hill country." Luke is a Nashville-based college professor who writes songs. He has degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill (where he was a Morehead Scholar) and Vanderbilt University. Tommy is a professional musician who has worked with Rodney Crowell, Roseanne Cash, The Band and Highway 101. He has produced artists such as Rick Danko, David Olney and Chip Taylor. Texasee is a mostly acoustic Americana album with a little sling-blade thrown in. "I tired of all these warbly, navel-gazing 'Americana' songs," Luke says. "I wanted to take a more Sam Peckinpah approach." "Billy the Kid Rides Again" resurrects the fabled outlaw who shoots a highway patrolman for stopping him for riding his horse without a license plate. "The Tower" focuses on Charles Whitman's 1966 shooting spree at UT-Austin, which took the lives of almost fifty people. In addition to the Coen Brothers' mayhem in songs like "I'm Too Young to Die" and "The Bounty Hunter," Texasee does reflect the gentleness and beauty of its half real/half mythic land. Songs such as "Tops of the Trees" and "Tomorrow" offer a glimpse of redemption from a world that while mythical is possibly real. Somewhere between Hank Williams and Wallace Stevens . . . Being an English professor, Luke can't resist a concept. “Texasee” is a borderland of beauty and violence, sin and redemption, materialism and imagination. Luke told Tommy that he originally wanted to call the album Thirteen Ways of Listening to Hank Williams. Tommy told him he was crazy. Actually he was more explicit than that. Bradley Hartman (engineer for Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson) mixed the project. Bradley, who was born in Houston, spent time in Austin and currently lives in Nashville, was more amenable. He said he'd live in Texasee if he could get a gig there. (BTW, Bradley engineered Willie's Stardust album—is there a better sounding record?). Bradley was also responsible for bringing Suzi Ragsdale on board. Suzi (daughter of superstar Ray Stevens and a star in her own right) initially planned on singing a couple backup vocals. But her presence quickly transformed her parts into full-fledged duets. Luke says, "She's the soul of the album." Also bringing a unique sonic warp to the sessions were Sam Powers, Luke's brother, and John Davis, who had formerly teamed in the powerpop band Superdrag. Sam and John played sang, played basses, guitars and anything else they could get their hands on. John was even willing to play sousaphone if Luke could get his hands on one. Kenny Vaughan, Americana Music Association "Instrumentalist of the Year" for 2007, added his signature guitar touch. For more information and free song downloads, see www.phoebeclaire.com For Luke's ramblings and to contact go to myspace/lukepowers
| POSTED BY: radioindy | POSTED ON: 20 Jul 2009 05:40 PM | ||
|
FANS - Please checkout Luke Powers page and sample / purchase some great new music! Amazon.com is a registered trademark of amazon - All rights reserved |
|||
| POSTED BY: Babbbullon | POSTED ON: 28 Mar 2009 09:13 PM | ||
|
RadioIndy Present the New Release: “Texasee" (Rock) by Luke Powers |
|||
| POSTED BY: EricLawrence | POSTED ON: 28 Nov 2008 03:22 PM | ||
 “Texasee” by Luke Powers is an impressive recent release in the Americana or alternative country/rock style. Each track embodies well-crafted songwriting from Powers, and many feature superb musical performances from guest musicians. Tommy Spurlock, a long time collaborator with Powers, provides great guitar work on a number of tracks including "Billy the Kid Rides Again." Listen to Spurlock’s mastery of the steel guitar on the gently swaying "Tops of the Trees" and the upbeat "Indian Eyes,” which also features a strong vocal from Powers. Suzi Ragsdale provides outstanding harmony vocals on many tracks including "Aron Presley," "Lower Broad,” and the stimulating "In the Real World.” Also noteworthy is the fine drumming provided by Jamie Oldaker. These musical performances serve to reinforce the strong writing abilities of Powers. “Texasee” by Luke Powers is a notable release that fans of Americana music in the vein of Neil Young and Bob Dylan will find very appealing. -Rodney and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team Check out Luke Powers's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites |
|||
| POSTED BY: Babbbullon | POSTED ON: 28 Mar 2009 09:19 PM | ||
|
RadioIndy is pleased to announced that we have published our CD Review of Luke Powers's music to CD Baby.
FANS - Please checkout Luke Powers's CD Baby page here and sample / purchase some great new music! CD Baby.com is a registered trademark of CD Baby - All rights reserved |
|||
| POSTED BY: Babbbullon | POSTED ON: 28 Mar 2009 09:21 PM | ||
|
RadioIndy is pleased to announced that we have published our CD Review with Luke Powers's music to iTunes.com. FANS - Please checkout Luke Powers's iTunes page here and play / purchase some great new music! iTunes is a registered trademark of the Apple Inc. Copyright © 2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved
|
|||
| POSTED BY: Babbbullon | POSTED ON: 28 Mar 2009 09:25 PM | ||
|
|
|||
| POSTED BY: Babbbullon | POSTED ON: 28 Mar 2009 09:23 PM | ||
|
RadioIndy is pleased to announced that we have published our CD Review of Luke Powers's music to Facebook. FANS - Please checkout Luke Powers's Facebook review here and sample / purchase some great new music!
Facebook.com is a registered trademark of amazon - All rights reserved Facebook © 2009
FANS - Please checkout Luke Powers la la and play / purchase some great new music! Copyright - All Rights Reserved
|
|||
| POSTED BY: Babbbullon | POSTED ON: 28 Mar 2009 09:20 PM | ||
|
RadioIndy created a CD Announcement Press Release for Luke Powers's As part of our ongoing promotion with RadioIndy, we have published a press release of our truncated CD review. FANS: Increase the popularity of this DIGG press release by visiting our homepage at www.radioindy.com and looking for the "Press Release" section in the lower right. Here, you can find and "DIGG" this press release for Luke Powers.
The more DIGGS, the more exposure! DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc. |
|||
| POSTED BY: momof5pacs | POSTED ON: 11 Mar 2009 08:11 PM | ||
|
 RadioIndy is pleased to present Luke Powers with a GrIndie Award for the CD "Texasee"
“Texasee” by Luke Powers is an impressive recent release in the Americana or alternative country/rock style. Each track embodies well-crafted songwriting from Powers, and many feature superb musical performances from guest musicians. Tommy Spurlock, a long time collaborator with Powers, provides great guitar work on a number of tracks including "Billy the Kid Rides Again." Listen to Spurlock’s mastery of the steel guitar on the gently swaying "Tops of the Trees" and the upbeat "Indian Eyes,” which also features a strong vocal from Powers. Suzi Ragsdale provides outstanding harmony vocals on many tracks including "Aron Presley," "Lower Broad,” and the stimulating "In the Real World.” Also noteworthy is the fine drumming provided by Jamie Oldaker. These musical performances serve to reinforce the strong writing abilities of Powers. “Texasee” by Luke Powers is a notable release that fans of Americana music in the vein of Neil Young and Bob Dylan will find very appealing. -Rodney and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team |
|||
| POSTED BY: adamzero | POSTED ON: 14 Nov 2008 09:12 PM | ||
|
Texasee has always been more than a musical album to Luke Powers. It has been a mission. The college professor wanted a concept--to create a fictional space that occasionally crossed the border into reality.
He wanted to share this place with the world. He enlisted his musical partner Tommy Spurlock, a Texan who was a little skeptical about the whole idea.
"What's wrong with Texas? Or what's wrong with Tennessee?" Spurlock demanded. "I don't see any good putting the two of them together?!"
But Dr. Powers persisted. How could he explain to Spurlock that he wanted to make an album as good an one of William Faulkner's books? An album like "The Sound and the Fury." And if Spurlock couldn't get it, could anyone else?
Dr. Powers wanted to create, like Faulkner, his own Yoknapatawpha County. His Texasee is a no-man's modeled on the moody mindscape of T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land." A place full of crazy violence, meaningless gestures, elliptical narratives bordering, fragmentary insights that will not cohere--but not without the possibility of some rare moment of transcendence, some higher truth that redeems the badlands.
It seemed a tall order. But Powers had a crack group of musicians to help pull the vision together:
• Producer/Musician: Tommy Spurlock (Rick Danko, David Olney, Deadstring
Brothers, Derailers, The Spicewood Seven);
• Engineer: Bradley Hartman (Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris);
• Guitar: Kenny Vaughan (Marty Stuart, et al);
• Drums: Jamie Oldaker (Eric Clapton),
• Bass/Guitar: John Davis of Superdrag;
• Vocals: the great Suzi Ragsdale (Guy Clark, Darrell Scott).
The CD totaled sixteen tracks.
"You're crazy," Spurlock insisted, "that's too many songs. Why don't you just put forty on there?!"
But things started to happen. The long-shot album landed a surprise nomination for a GRAMMY in the Contemporary Folk/Americana Category.
Lavish praise came in from Disc Jockeys and reviewers--who seemed to get it:
• "This CD is BIGGER than Texas!" Big Al Field (Shoalhaven FM, Australia);
• "these 16 heavyweight diamonds were the best thing thats come my way in
ages....and to be able to sit through 16 songs without the slightest loss of focus,
oramazement.... says a lot in itself." Eddie Russell (JR Radio International);
• "the songs have a violent edge & sardonic humour that put me in mind of
Cormac McCarthy." John Funnell, (WYN-FM Australia) ;
• "16 REALLY GREAT TRACKS!" James Pearson, BBC Radio;
• "It is music like this that offers our audience an alternative to what passes as
music these days." Chuck Hoster (KZUM).
In addition to wide airplay in the U.S., Europe and Australia, the album has been featured as album on the week on syndicated programs including AmericanaOK (Radio Leith) and CMRNashville (UK).
Texasee was #15 on the Third Coast's FAR Chart of Americana music for October 2008.
Clearly, Texasee is a CD to watch, and better yet, to listen to. In a world of over-produced, over-marketed, oversexed "musical entertainment," it aspires in its own humble, home-made way to be a work of art. Maybe not Art with a capital "A", but art that is less about being a commodity for distribution and profit and more about being a testament, a vision, a musical space where truth can dance.
And maybe that is bigger than Texas.
The incredibly interesting "back-story":http://www.prweb.com/releases/lukepowers/texasee/prweb1410544.htm .
Free downloads at http://www.texasee.com and http://myspace.com/lukepowers
Music Videos: www.youtube.com/arturozapanini |
|||
(5.00)