QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I think the first song I ever wrote...was called ‘Can’t Help Thinking About Me.’ That’s an illuminating little piece, isn’t it?”- David Bowie

SONG OF THE WEEK: “Take Me To Someday”- Dan Vorderbruggen

John Ewing
Augustine
2006
Eclectone Records

Texas-to-St. Paul transplant John Ewing returns with a warm, melancholy batch of tunes on Augustine, his first official solo album and the long-awaited follow-up to his last project, The Blue Violets. Fans and friends of John will recognize a fair share of these songs as material he’s been playing live around town for several years, while a few of them are more recent and showcase the quieter direction the singer/songwriter/axeman has been heading for some time now.

Though Ewing’s first couple of local releases (Delta Flares and Seen Yer Face, both under the John Ewing Band moniker) were tight, edgy collections of snarling, youthful, electrified gut-punchers, Augustine finds the soft-spoken, loveable smart-aleck laying bare his soul both musically and lyrically. Kicking off with the title track, Ewing immediately establishes the comfortably sad, wistful tone of the entire album. Over heart-rending strumming and lovelorn harp blasts, he croons: “One day I’m gonna settle down/Stop my whoring around/It might be a year, it might be soon/On that day, it’ll be with you...”

Forgoing the pub-rock ethos of The Blue Violets for the intricate, subtle nuances of acoustic guitars, piano, banjo, mandolin, and violin, Ewing surrounds himself here with some of the most impressive pickers an’ grinners the Twin Cities has to offer. Iron Ranger Rich Mattson (who also co-produced, engineered, and recorded this album at his own Flowerpot Studio) chimes in with guitars, drums, bass, and toy piano. Local axeman Eric Kassel lays down sweet guitar licks, piano runs, and banjo plucks, longtime Ewing sideman/bassist Gabby Ramirez provides the perfect, understated bottom end, multi-talented Centurions frontman Jake Wisti liberally sprinkles goosebump-inducing violin runs across most of the recording, and Bruce Johnson shores things up with soulful, down-to-earth mando and harp playing.

Standout tracks here (they’re ALL good, though) include longtime Ewing stage staple “Dangerous Birds,” re-cut here with the able assistance of all of the impressive talents listed above, “Cursed Or Blessed” which rides a loping, regret-laden trail of tears (“...you only live once, but many times you’ll die...”), the shimmering, almost ethereal groove of Wisti’s violin on the instrumental cut “Thief In The Cabooze” cuts through your heart like a straight razor, and the gorgeous, tearful plea of “Half A Day” could melt the coldest, cheatin-est heart around: “Half a day with you, baby/Means more than a life of strange old maybes/Shootin’ through our veins this pain ain’t lazy/I know you understand/I think I understand/Now the speed is pickin’ up...all I need is half a day/I’ll leave my weapons at your gate/Just give me one more half a day...”

But the real clincher here, for me anyway, is the off-the-cuff, visceral slice of “Keep Your Collar To The Dawn.” Having spent a considerable number of long, liquor-soaked nights talking music, life, and sometimes pure-dee nonsense with John, I can recall a fair number of mornings when we’d both part ways as the sun rose on the horizon and the last of the beer was heartily consumed. As we separated at a crosswalk or an alleyway, I’d look back and nod at him as he was turning away. Invariably, John would flip the collar of his sheepskin cowboy jacket up, tip one finger to his cap, and grin that unforgettable grin of his.

This cut perfectly captures both the carefree, earthy Texas grit and the soulful, doubting, melancholy sides of its’ author, and will surely go down in my book as his True, picture-perfect theme song: “...that’s the best thing I done,” he intones, “You’re gonna need just a little shelter, you’re gonna need a friend/An’ since I can’t be neither to you/All I can send, never worry about the things you’ve lost...and always keep your collar to the dawn...”

A truly inspiring, thoughtful, and thought-provoking batch of original, home-grown Americana from a guy who actually lives and breathes the music, lyrics, and life his art reflects. Augustine hits stores on March 24th, and you can check out Eclectone’s website for more info at EclectoneRecords.com. Live gigs (featuring some of the players on this album) will follow, watch this space for details.

Gigs to watch for:

*Check out the River Of Hope Fundraiser, a musical benefit for the still-suffering victims of hurricane Katrina, who are desperately trying to rebuild their shattered lives and reclaim New Orleans for its rightful citizens. Local angels of mercy Rebecca Hage Thomley and Marya Hage have created a non-profit organization dubbed Zenith Services and volunteered their time and energy to helping those folks, and talented musicians and artists like Alicia Corbett, Grant Hart, Dave Boquist, Jerry Rau, and Black Bear Bayou will perform at Grumpy’s in Minneapolis on Saturday, March 11th to raise funds for their next trip South. Come on down and give a little while getting treated to some mighty fine performances from a gaggle of local faves. 4-8PM, call Grumpy’s for more details at (612) 789-7429.

*Don’t miss local guitar slinger Dan Vorderbruggen at 7th Street Entry on March 18th, as he takes up axe duties for Minnesota cult faves Civil Defense, whose punk classic, 1983's Gun Control, inspired countless local outfits. Check out frontman Dale Schuster and the gang as they knock the shit outta fiery, topical tunes that still make as much sense now as the day they were written- with Impaler, E.G.F.C., and In Defence. 9PM, 21+, $6 at the door. Sponsored by Radio K.

That’s it for me this week, kiddies. Tune in again, same time, same space, for more, more, more. Until we meet again- make yer own damn news.||

If you have local gigs/CD’s/info you’d like to see mentioned in this space, or you’d just like to commiserate with me about the tragic recent passing of Dennis “McCloud” Weaver, send replies to: Tmygunn777@peoplepc.com.