Recommended for Americana Fans: Amanda Ann Platt and the Honeycutters

thanks Stuartk. I listened  a bunch of songs on the internet and ordered one of their cds. I expect to order more over time.

Good point Stuart. One facet of learning to drum is limb independence, all four playing independently from each other (like rubbing your belly while patting your head, times two). I myself am impressed by piano players, who have to learn independence of all ten fingers (or is it eight fingers and two thumbs? ).

@bdp24

I didn’t mean in terms of how well the instruments partner/function together. I was thinking in terms of the fact that playing drums seems, like playing pedal steel, to require coordinating lots of things at onc. By comparison, guitar and bass, not so much. 

On the other hand Stuart, bass is the natural partner to drums. In the Crowell & Harris clip, the bass player is at the back of the stage with the drummer, right where bassists belong.

@bdp24

In this video, Fishell explains and demonstrates how the pedal steel guitar works:

Crazy! Maybe this is the best stringed instrument for drummers to learn, given that it requires coordinating so much at once!  

These are the posts thar bring me to this forum! Thank you so much. I'm enjoying this newfound music. Merry Christmas! Joe

@bdp24

From what I’ve seen on the forum so far, you’re the ideal candidate. You seem to know/care more about the genre than anyone on the forum. I second the nomination ! ! ! 

In this video, Fishell explains and demonstrates how the pedal steel guitar works:

https://youtu.be/NrbSL92Kz1Y?si=Ri7XuO2_Hwwr9DQf

@stuartk: Starting an Americana thread is a GREAT idea! I’ll be tied up with a coupla matters for a few days, but if no one else has started one by the end of the week perhaps I’ll give it a shot.

For now, here’s a great performance by two Americana artists at the top of my list: Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris. They’re performing Crowell’s song "Ain’t Living long Like This", and the band is as good as it comes, just magnificent:

https://youtu.be/KnqBH7jLb0I?si=GxwZpMewKrHOKcHj

And here's an interview Otis Gibbs did with the pedal steel player seen and heard in the clip, Steve Fishell:

https://youtu.be/UZ07dZO5r5I?si=1xjHKm32N7nqLIhf

The Youngbloods "Elephant Mountain"

Got hooked … the second song I listened to: Blue Besides. Played on Devore Fidelity Super Nines, Luxman 550axMarkII, Eversolo streaming Amazon Music. Catchy rhythm,  a  a hint of Natalie Merchant in her voice. Wonder if they’ve ever played at the Continental Club. Great recommendation.

@slaw - Completely agree about the Sadies; saw them open for Black Mountain in San Francisco about 20 years ago and was blown away; been a fan ever since. Such a tragedy about Dallas, RIP. 

I think we need an ongoing Americana discussion thread, comparable to the "Jazz for Aficionados" thread !

Here's a link to that NRPS recording @larsman mentioned... not exactly a mellow hippie song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZXmj6KjK2I

Jim Lauderdale "Time Flies"

I think The Sadies would qualify.

There is just some insane pedal steel going on by the great Buddy Cage on the New Riders of the Purple Sage song 'Death and Destruction'... .

John Doe "Westerner"

@stuartk , @larsman Even the great Jerry Douglas ,after a discussion about the Dobro, commented on the 3 dimensional nature of the pedal steel. That unique sound has made its way into many genres. 

@ezwind 

What I mean to say was, from what I learned from Rick Beato's interview with Skunk Baxter about the instrument, playing pedal steel while high on psychedelics sounds nigh impossible!  

@asvjerry 

'Survivors' Guilt'?  A bit, but happy to not have to start all over....

As long as you appreciate your good fortune, no reason to feel guilty!  I live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, otherwise known as the "Gold Country" and here, the main threat is wildfire. Two years back, the town barely escaped incineration. Fortunately, there were no other major fires raging (unusual for September in CA), which mean that air resources were atypically plentiful. It was a very close call. We thought about moving at that point but in the end, concluded that there are no guaranteed safe refuges from Climate Change. You pick your poison and do what you can to mitigate the danger. 

@musikcrayz 

You're welcome. Yeah, I saw that Beato interview with Skunk where he talked about the necessity for "thinking in three dimensions". Yikes! The guitar is challenging enough for me!  

@larsman 

 Interesting how pedal steel also worked their way into progressive rock.

Interesting. I had no idea!  

@asvjerry 

Pedal steel strikes me as the ultimate slide instrument...blues lines on one can break into terrific riffs....

I assume you're familiar with Robert Randolph...

@slaw and @grislybutter :

Thanks for your suggestions

@waytoomuchstuff 

I don't believe I've heard any Americana song that utilizes a 7#5 chord.  Your dog may end up starting a new trend! 

@ezwind 

Apparently Jerry eventually gave up on pedal steel due to lack of sufficient time for practice. And from I learned from Rick Beato's interview with Skunk Baxter, about the instrument,  playing pedal steel while high on psychedelics sounds nigh impossible!  

I've seen Shovels and Rope twice. Great band. Each playing multiple instruments and singing at same time.

good reminder, I "found" them a couple years ago and then forgot to follow them. 

Another fun group: Shovels and Rope

@stuartk

Immediately fired this song up and ... so much fun to listen to. Got my foot tapping, which happened to be right on top of.my dog’s squeaky toy that was conveniently dropped there. I’d like to say that the sound added to the music. I did not. Augmented seventh?

Thanks for sharing.

@asvjerry

So happy to hear you survived Helene. Very tragic for the region. Could have gone the other way, for you guys, for sure.

My wife and I have very fond memories of the area including taking our Sunbeam Tiger on the BlueRidge Parkway, a squad car cruise of Mount Airy and, of course, several trips to the Biltmore.

The Biltmore was the motivation for the sign we hand-built for our lake home in Missouri. Hanging on our boathouse, facing the water: "the Guiltmore. Spending Our Children’s Inheritance." Our home is a destination for residents taking their guests out for sunset cruises around the lake. Often hear a chuckle when they pass by in their boats. Currently working on the companion "Today’s Guilt-O-Meter" sign, which will range from "Moderate" to "Shameless."

Btw Garcia played the pedal steel part on CSNYs Teach Your Children. 

When Jerry Garcia started playing pedal steel around 1970 he was quoted as saying it would take him another lifetime to master the instrument. 

Pedal steel strikes me as the ultimate slide instrument...blues lines on one can break into terrific riffs....

@musikcrayz - Interesting how pedal steel also worked their way into progressive rock. I've taken photos of both Steve Howe from Yes and David Gilmour from Pink Floyd playing pedal steel on stage; you can get a lot of interesting sounds out of it. 

@stuartk & ​​@slaw :

Yeah, escaped Houston and settled in here...wandered through in '90 ( yet another verse to wait for the music to get around to ) and returned when spouse suggested it'd be nice to live near her parents in Bermuda Run.

Great to live here...her parents, not so much...absent father, stepmother treated her like yesterdays' trash before and worse after her younger stepsis....Thought less of me, apparently. 🤷‍♂️  Never bothered to visit here, 2 hr./150 mi. we'd do 1~2 X yearly...both dead now.  Sis married an heir to the Arm & Hammer clan who got popped for child porn....dumb sh*t...  We laughed our butts off over that.... ;)

No, Helene wrought no damage to us other than some deadfall and a leaky window that soaked a throw rug in the bath, no biggie.  The rain would drown out the winds, we're lucky to be in an 'alcove' of trees and a small bluff.

Spouse walked out with the dog in the AM and I heard "HOLY SH*T!" when she saw the Biltmore entry, the still-swollen Swan. river, and the trees gone on the opposite shore....the bent high-tension tower....a VW Bug floating along....

30ish yards away, 20ish ft. above and away....Power and water off, but both back just when we'd gotten into the new routines of generators (have 3, loaned one) and water issues (storm drain provided flushing, bottles for all but the FEMA showers and laundry), both came back.  

Upstream of the River Arts District, which got scraped away, literally....

Now, it's just the strangled commute traffic with only the 2 bridges that span the river near us and the dust that contains nobody knows fully what is in it that gets stirred up as it gets removed...

...and the sight of all the damage that will take years to fully remove, much less restore....if at all....

Some of forests show circular patterns from the tornadoes that flanked Helene..

That will take decades and more to grow back....Even the Blue Ridge Parkway lost road segments that are now closed with not a lot of detours....

'Survivors' Guilt'?  A bit, but happy to not have to start all over....

Some Ray LaMontagne is refreshing

Here’s a goodun’...

Gill Landry' debut

Do love me some roots music and a pedal steel. According to Skunk Baxter, it’s the most difficult guitar to play. Quite beautiful indeed. Thanks for the recommendation. 

@asvjerry  

Don't believe I ever realized that you were a fellow NC-linian.

Glad to hear you weren't directly affected by Helene.

@asvjerry

I considered asking how your fared during Helene, but then it occurred to me that, depending upon your experience, you might prefer not to be reminded of it.

@zlone

Thanks for the tip! No Depression magazine is another.

I find this is a good station to find new music in the Americana genre:

https://radiofreeamericana.com

@stuartk Deep in the heart of AVL, across from the rapidly rebuilt Biltmore entry....

No damage here...slept through Helene's visit.

Great "new to me" stuff. Thanks for sharing.

Great recommendation.  Thanks!

@asvjerry

If you live near Asheville, I imagine there will be opportunities to hear them play live. Check their website.

I pretty much always regard the inclusion of pedal steel as a positive!

They've released about half a dozen recordings. I just happen to be particularly taken with "On the Ropes" at present.

Yeah, nice to have a new batch of transplants in the area, whichever it may be.....👍😎  

And pedal steel can and Do surprise....not all HI 'warbling' and/or dirt road 'rockin'...

I'll give her an ear....maybe both....

Absolutely wonderful! Thanks from Wilmington, NC. (the best place to live in CONUS).

Thanks for the recommendation. Americana (Gillian Welch, et al, is my thing aside from jazz, electronica, and ambient.) 

@slaw 

You're welcome!

I like Americana. Thx!