Deltachord

Ok, Woody Guthrie fans, I told you that more posts about Woody would be coming up on Deltachord’s Blog; especially posts about which artists have-written music for his lyrics that he didn’t compose music for. And here goes. First we’ll explore what the Dropkick Murphys have done with some of Woody’s lyrics. Dropkick Murphy fans are also welcome to explore.

But first, a little about The Dropkick Murphys…they originally played for kicks in Boston in a basement under a barber shop. They have recorded Cd’s with quite a few groups like Oxymoron, the Business, Face To Face, Agnostic Front, Bruisers, Anti Heroes, and the Ducky Boys.

On Blackout, which came out in 2003 they recorded “Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight” and they did a video for the song. Woody actually wrote the “Blackout” lyrics about WWII blackouts in London. According to Rolling Stone writer John D. Luerssen the band’s guitarist Ken Casey said they wanted to do the song they made “Blackout” the most hard driving song on the album because they wanted it to be very different from what Woody’s approach would have been.

“The record still contains rousing tunes rooted in Irish music & American Folk (Black Velvet Band & The Dirty Glass) and destined to be a Boston Bruins call to arms classic called “Time To Go”.” (Epitaph Records) Blackout is their fourth album. Which was also released on 10″ vinyl boasting 5 songs.

Bruce Springsteen is a Dropkick Murphys fan because they are so loyal to their fans in that they have built a community of people that they consider friends. This aspect is part of their roots in the working class and Irish heritage appeal and they live it. They are from Quincy, a suburb of Boston. The Dropkick Murphys play punk that includes bagpipes and tin whistles. Their repertoire includes political songs, friendship ballads, and bar songs.

Dropkick Murphys Video

Murphys’ Video

Hear the Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys

Woody Guthrie

Woody

Contemporary Artists Playing Historical American Music

I heard some great songs on Acoustic Cafe on 92zew last Sunday and I thought I’d share the music, so to speak. The ones that were most interesting from a 50-song, 3-CD set called Song of America.

This project was the brainchild of Janet Reno, which surprised me, but hey, the music is good and the historical songs are done by contemporary artists. It is a wonderful thing that these artists were interested in this music.

In the words of Janet Reno:

“The historical detail of the songs fascinated me and I suggested that Ed Pettersen record a whole album of songs focusing on key periods in American history, in order to tell our story to young people who might find joy in learning history through music.”

The Artists and Songs

Earl Bullhead - “Lakota Dream Song”
Julie Lee - “Once More Our God Vouchesafe To Shine”
Blind Boys of Alabama - “Let Us Break Bread Together”
John Wesley Harding - “God Save the King”
Elizabeth Foster - “Young Ladies in Town”
Malcolm Holcombe - “The Old Woman Taught Wisdom”
Ed Pettersen - “The Liberty Song”
Harper Simon - “Yankee Doodle”
The Wilders - “Jefferson & Liberty”
Steven Kowalczyk-Santoro - “Hail Columbia”
Take 6 - “Star Spangled Banner”
Beth Nielsen Chapman - “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child”
Freedy Johnston - “Peg and Awl”
BR549 - “Sweet Betsy From Pike”
Will Hill and Jehnean Day Washington - “Trail of Tears”
Minton Sparks and Pat Flynn - “Declaration of Sentiments”
Fisk Jubilee Singers - “Go Down Moses”
Mavericks [ft. Thad Cockrell] - “Dixie’s Land”
Marah - “John Brown’s Body”
Joanna Smith - “Battle Hymn of the Republic”
Janis Ian - “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye”
Tim O’Brien - “Thousands Are Sailing to Amerikay”
Otis Gibbs - “The Farmer Is the Man”
Joni Harms - “Home on the Range”
Jake Shimabukuro - “Stars & Stripes Forever”
Jen Chapin - “Over There”
Andrew Bird - “How You Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm”
Karen Parks - “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Danielson - “Happy Days Are Here Again”
Andy Bey - “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?”
Jim Lauderdale - “Seven Cent Cotton and Forty Cent Meat”
Old Crow Medicine Show - “Deportee”
Suzy Bogguss - “Rosie the Riveter”
Folk Family Robinson (Black Crowes with Stan Robinson) - “Reuben James”
Scott Kempner - “Apache Tears”
Elizabeth Cook and the Grascals - “The Great Atomic Power”
Devendra Banhart - “Little Boxes”
The Del McCoury Band - “The Times They Are A-Changin’”
Kim Richey - “Get Together”
The Dynamites / Charles Walker - “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud”
Ben Taylor - “Ohio”
Anthony David - “What’s Going On”
Martha Wainwright - “I Am Woman”
Matthew Ryan - “Youngstown”
Bettye LaVette - “Streets of Philadelphia”
Gary Heffern / Chris Eckman - “Wave”
Shortee - “The Message”
Judith Edelman / Neilson Hubbard - “Sleep, My Child (Schlof Mayn Kind)”
The Wrights - “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning”
John Mellencamp - “This Land Is Your Land”

Song of America at MySpace

At Amazon

References:
http://www.myspace.com/songofamerica
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/
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