Flanfire

South Austin Music Rides Again:
Mr. Brown, Shelly Knight, Texas Sapphires

Three of my oldest friends in this fair city have just released new product -- and have shows lined up in the very very very near future.

MR. BROWN

Let's start with Kris Brown and Mr. Brown and DubKids (PJ Herrington and Diedrich Jones, Mr. Brown's homeboys from Cincinnati). OCTOBER 11 they play at the Rebar in San Antonio, October 12 in San Marcos -- and then the band is on the road in California with four nights at the second annual Las Tortugas Dance of the Dead Halloween Celebration in Yosemite Park plus some other Golden State gigs. Then it's back to Stubbs in Austin and a couple other local shows before the boys head north for their Midwest tour.

All of this touring is in support of the long-awaited "Boderation" CD, produced by Courtney Audain at Coinhead Studios in NORTHeast Austin. Now, the live show lineup these days includes the DubKids (PJ on guitars, Diedrich on vocals), Jerome King on organ and Rhodes, Charles Phillips on percussion, and Paul Mills on drums -- none of whom are on the CD. The live band does include Michael Rubin on harmonica, Mark Wilson on tenor sax and flute, Ray Ray Strucker on trumpet (and trombone), and of course Mr. Brown himself mostly on bass and vocals. And folks this is the real reggae -- complete with Jamaican accenting from Mr. Jones -- but with a twist.

Lots of other players dot the studio recording, from Audain himself to DJRJ and Daniel Serrato on drums, Claude McCan on keyboards, Ed McNames on trumpet, Rich Restaino on bass here and there, plus backing vocals by the likes of Shelley King, Leeann Atherton, and Michael Hale. Okay there are really NINE songs plus dub tracks of three of them -- but what songs!

The CD opens with the title track, Boderation, which is a stepped-up dirge so reminiscent of vintage reggae antiwar music that you believe you are hearing the song for the millionth time and still waiting for men to lay down their swords and live in peace -- "we don't judge a man by his complexion." It is also the only song that may not keep you on your feet dancing the night away. "Don't Stray Far" from the sidewalk is a bouncy tune, and then there is "Knock Knock," a love song (Mr Brown style). "Moving" also makes us want to dance.

My favorites here are "Not Study War," "They're Dancing," and the wonderful "Rubadub." The first features the great horn section and great harmony vocals -- this is an impassioned plea for peace and even moreso for feeding the hungry and ending the misery and violence that plagues so many in this life. "Creator's love will come shining through" ... when we ... "study war no more." "Rubadub" is yet another song of praise and love to God -- "scrub my soul down till there's nothing left to scrub...." And "They're Dancing" starts with a mention of willow leaves in the spring and planets and moons hanging out in space, even electrons and atoms-- and all of them are dancing. There is no bitterness or cynicism in this music -- it is pure joy that focuses on turning hearts toward "the way."

Then of course there is "Vicious Circle," with the horns again out front but also a great harmonica solo from the newlywed Michael Rubin-- is it really just the 2,000 miles that is keeping these lovers apart? I must have woke up on the "Wrong Side" of the bed, sings Mr. Brown, perhaps the most personally revealing number on the disc. And then (for those who understand this dub stuff) there are dubs of Don't Stray, Wrong Side and Not Study War. Kris Brown has long been a great friend and one of my favorite players in Austin -- and Boderation is a very good "sampling" of his great music -- but go to the live shows with broken-in shoes (or none at all?) -- and keep hydrated as you dance ALL NIGHT LONG!

TEXAS SAPPHIRES

Next up on the week's bill is the Texas Sapphires, headed up by twin (in more ways than we can count) crooners Brent Malkus (who also plays great guitar) and the lovely Rebecca Lucille Cannon (of Sincola fame). The new CD here, "Roadhouse Gems," was recorded live at John T. Floore Country Store outside San Antonio (well, except for two add-on songs cut for ME TV). You will find much of the band's earlier studio CD here, along with one new Malkus song --"Stunt Double" -- and special covers of "Cigarettes and Coffee Blues" (Marty Robbins) and "Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down" (Merle Haggard).

Other players here include Bobby Daniel on bass, Eric Tucker on drums, the young superstar Nathan Fleming on pedal steel, and Bawb Dawg Pierce on mandolin and banjo. The CD is part of the "live at floores" concert series, and in truth I need to listen a few more times but have to get in the fact that the Sapphires have a major CD release at the Continental Club on Friday, October 12 -- opening at 10 for Eleven Hundred Springs and the LEGENDARY Charlie Louvin.

SHELLY KNIGHT and the livin' dead

Shelly Knight used to be a top-drawer DJ here in Austin (95.5 FM) and beforehand in New Orleans -- but being cramped up in a studio was not her idea of heaven. The Living Dead band includes Andrew Wood on drums, former hubbie Eric Leikam on bass, and current man-friend Fred Schultz on hot hot hot guitars. I went to their CD release at Ruta Maya last week and was very pleased with the significant upgrade in their live show and their performance level.

Folks, this is pure and unadulterated rock and roll -- complete with Shelly lying flat on her back at the end of songs (no jumping into the smallish crowd at Ruta Maya, though) and Fred's guitars just screaming (but at a very nice volume). There are eight songs on the disc -- lovingly titled "II." I am a little too close here to write objectively about the lyrics -- but who really cares about navel pondering when the rock and roll is just pouring off the stage? And Shelly has never looked (or sung) better -- must be those HAAM promos with the handsome Antone!

And here is the real hoot of the night. Shelly and her boys will grace the Momo's stage on October 20th to celebrate her debut as a calendar girl for the 2008 "She Rocks" calendar (racy, racy, but the proceeds go to great charities). Photos of course by Ricardo Acevedo. Also on the bill -- Velvet Brick, Full Stride, and one of my personal favorites, HOPE IRISH (and if you have never seen this woman, all I can say is Pamela Anderson is not as pretty nor as funny nor as musically talented. Hope Irish is brave and outrageous and yet sweet and just wonderful.

Flanfire -- Bringing LIFE to Austin music.