Flanfire

Used to be a female lead guitarist, especially one who is also a singer-songwriter and bandleader, was a rarity -- even here in Austin. But how many of today's young gunsels have the firepower of Carolyn Wonderland and Meagan Tubb? Yeah, right! Both these guitar goddesses also have brand-new CD's that should further enhance their growing reputations.

Carolyn Wonderland

Now Carolyn was already a local legend in her native Houston long before I finally met her (and drummer Eldridge Goins) one afternoon in Austin at Antone's. My daughter, nearly a decade ago, wrote a report that referenced an essay about the blues in Houston, which even then would not have been complete without major mention of the part-Chilean redhead with the big voice and the ever-widening coterie of musical instruments around her. I would learn quickly that Carolyn never fails to honor her teachers/heroes -- guys like Lil' Screaming Kenny (Blachet) or the late, great Jerry Lightfoot. Also that she never forgets a friend, or more importantly, to BE a friend -- even as her star rises almost in spite of her own (yes) demurity and yet strength not to allow herself or her music to be compromised. [No wonder my daughter Melody loves her!]

Today it is hard to find any of Carolyn's early recordings -- those before she moved to Austin, before "Alcohol & Salvation" (produced by Eldridge Goins) and "Bloodless Revolution" (produced by Stephen Doster). One day, we suspect, those early efforts may be as priceless as bootleg Jimi Hendrix -- but I digress.

The NEW music -- aptly titled "Miss Understood" -- is the result of a collaboration among producer Ray Benson, the great Lloyd Maines (one major reason we have two Terri Hendrix songs here), the horn and strings arrangements of John Mills, and great playing from keyboardist Cole El-Saleh, bassist Glenn Fukunaga, drummer Jamie Oldaker, and Carolyn herself -- with additional contributions by Wheel-ites Dave Sanger and Jason Roberts, award-winning backing vocalist Wes Hightower, Texas musician of the year Shelley King, Austin gospel singer Tim Curry (whose Benson link includes "A Ride with Bob"), Guy Forsyth, Barry "Frosty" Smith, Jon Blondell, the Tosca String Quartet, and the amazing Cindy Cashdollar.

"Misunderstood" - the near-title track - is a straight-on blues gospel song about dying (I ain't got long for this world) -- Carolyn plays lap steel. Gotta be lots of airplay for this one. "I Found the Lions" (Hendrix-Maines, from "The Ring") is bluesier than ever as Carolyn wails, while "Throw My Love" (from "Places in Between") is tougher than ever with King and Curry supporting Carolyn's vocal energy. Did Bruce Robison write "Bad Girl Blues" just for Carolyn? He's too young to have had Janis in mind. Of course, Carolyn has her OWN song about being thought of as a "bad girl" (and she was kicked out of high school for organizing a protest) -- but that just shows us again how upside down our official society can be. A great song, sung well.

Carolyn told me that she and Ray actually got 20 songs in the can and had to pare down to an even dozen that fit together well -- "It was hard to see your own songs on the cutting floor," she admitted. Two other covers that did survive are long-time Carolyn favorites -- J.J. Cale's "Trouble in the City," which is naturally dirty, low-down, smelly -- like Houston, and Rick Derringer's "Still Alive and Well," which just flat ROCKS! Ray collaborated with Carolyn on two songs -- "Walk On," which features Carolyn on trumpet (plus an amazing guitar solo) and Guy on harmonica, and "Long Way to Go," which features Jason Roberts on fiddle. Both of these are strong spiritual songs that encourage us -- "Walk through the fire, walk through the storm, walk when it's freezing, walk when it's warm" -- "As I walk through this life I am never alone."

But I would wager that Ray had the MOST fun playing jazz guitar on "I Don't Want to Fall for You," an Eldridge-Carolyn collaboration that first appeared (with Carolyn scat singing) on "Alcohol & Salvation." THIS is just one example of why I can hardly wait (though I may have to) for "The Songs of Eldridge Goins" (and if HE won't sing them, I know a dozen jazz singers in Austin who would line up to sing them for him). The powerful closing song, "Feed Me to the Lions," is also a remake from "Alcohol" -- but with the Tosca String Quartet capturing the pathos of a woman to whom "no one talks to in the checkout line." Carolyn's piano on both versions is a rare treat.

What's left? Well, "The Farmer Song," which Carolyn was given in a dream -- and on which she plays the beautiful mandolin crafted especially for her. And one of my favorites -- "I Live Alone with Someone," another melancholy blues song that blew me away last week at the Saxon Pub. I have seen Carolyn with a wide variety of sidemen and as guest vocalist with Jerry Lightfoot (who also let her play some gee-tar) -- but never have I enjoyed her sets more than with the trio that includes El-Saleh and drummer Michael "Lefty" Lefkowitz (who apparently has a hot new band called -- LiverDog. After all, Carolyn provides the variety as she switches from one instrument to another, from one genre to another, and yet all the time with the same love for her audience and irreverence toward herself that is her trademark.

Meagan Tubb (& Shady People)

Want to hear something sad but typically Austin? I actually had to leave Carolyn's amazing set at the Saxon to get over to Ruta Maya for Meagan's CD release party. And yet it was well worth the sacrifice to catch the energy from this University of Missouri (journalism) graduate who escaped from California (where she went after graduation) to find a new home and family here in the Live Music Capital (along with a win at Poodie's battle of the bands that got her studio time at Pedernales and gigs with Willie). Some of you may also know Meagan from her role as a calendar "model," but until you get before her amplifiers, you might not realize that this lanky lovely can flat play rock and roll and the blues. But so can bandmate Jason Nunnenkamp (guitar, banjo), drummer Johnny Duran, and new bassist Wilson Carr.

Meagan opened her show on acoustic guitar but switched to electric when Jason picked banjo on "Yes I Do," and the race was on. Duran seems always smiling on stage (and why not?), and he and Carr (taking nothing away from former bassist Ric Ricker) make a solid rhythm section. For the record, the band brought in keyboardist Anthony Farrell of The Greyhounds. And I missed that sound on at least a couple of the songs (notably the amazing jam, "Argument with the Moon," which on the CD is over 7 minutes of pure joy. Meagan also introduced a bevy of brand-new songs, many of which will likely be on her followup recording -- songs like "Rapture" and "Flying" (which is about two angels).

The record, though, is pure smoke and sweat -- you oughta be worn out from dancing by the time the set is half finished. Meagan's vocals provide the sweat -- the twin lead guitars the smoke -- and the fire and brimstone too. Many of these songs are hot passion, while on others Meagan is pleading with God to make her clean (or crying out to Eve for "Take(ing) the First Bite"). "Invocation" lets the guy know he is already down two strikes but maybe still has the magic to keep her around. "Let Me Believe" is a second plea for that guy to let her "soak in your melody and melt with you in the rain."

"Lost and Found" tells of a journey to California and finding that "there's too many people who have run away from the old lives that they've known -- some away from their families, some away from love, some away from themselves, and the good Lord up above." The solution, in "Sunny Place for Shady People," would be to "head 'em up and move 'em out" from a life of "sharing stories and cheap beverages" and working in the city slum "in front of a machine."

"Beautiful Noise" (those twin leads fire us up!) is a prayer to "search for sweet transcendance which once again will find me in a state of dependence," and to "Baptize me so lovingly once I learn to forgive and I'll have known that you have shown what it means to truly live." But "Isabella" is a sad tale of a woman who is "barren at her core," whose true person "she hides behind closed doors." How many of us can see that image in ourselves, when we have failed to forgive, to love, to take those risks that can lead to new thresholds of human contact?

"Rock and a Hard Place" is the bitter dregs of a life with everything of value "burned to the ground," and of being "grateful" for "the friends I thought I had" who "left me stranded and alone when I was sad." How to escape this mess? A good first step is to grit the teeth and proclaim that they're "Not Going to Get Me Today," even when "sitting in a traffic jam like a whale beached in the sand," or when the loan sharks call looking for their money. It gets worse -- imagine a "Bumblebee" laughing about biting you on the hand or a king snake smiling about nibbling at your toe and biting you on the leg -- but only because instead of just admiring their beauty as they came by "to groove you," you lashed out at them. [I can hope for a slowed-down version of this song -- which just seems to fly by too quickly for the message to get through.]

Where to go? "Let Me Be with You" recognizes that "God has a way of letting you know when you've gone astray," and pulling you "back in to try again for a better day." The great news is that, "Make no mistake, you haven't cut your bridge with him," and that "God leaves a trail to let you know where you're supposed to go," if we will just stop trying to "push him away and out of mind" so as to "man your own ship through the sands of time." This is an anthem -- and the band frames the lyrics to maximize their impact. The way it's s'pozed to be.