QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Elvis was the greatest, but I’m the best.” — Jerry Lee Lewis

SONG OF THE WEEK: “The Lebanon” —Human League

The Pines
Self-Titled
2005
Trailer Records

Drawing equally on classic barroom country, cosmic cowboy-isms, and an innate knack for creating a tasty pop hook, The Pines (Benson Ramsey: electric guitar, vocals, Wurlitzer, glockenspiel, and David Huckfelt: acoustic guitar and vocals, along with a bevy of special guests and pals contributing bass, drums, slide guitar, harmonica, organ, accordion and backing vocals) kinda remind me of what David & David might have sounded like had David Baerwald grown up 10 years later and a world away from the West Coast.

While this album sneaks out of the gate with a soft sigh and a sly wink, the in-the-moment lyrics and insistently driving grooves lying just below the surface soon sink their sugary little teeth right smack into the center of your bleedin’ lil’ honky-tonk heart. Tracks like “Bound To Fall,” with lines like, “So make a run for my door/ I don’t wanna be alone anymore/ Surely you know it will soon be too late/ We hang by a thread from the knife to the plate ...” prove that the pair aren’t just pumping out faceless alt.country for the sake of the bandwagon.

A tight, snappy collection of countrified pop nuggets that will only grow on you more with every listen—watch The Pines either break up and leave us with a couple of really, really good albums (their Seven Folk Songs EP is on the way) to um, pine over, or become Mojo Mag faves and cult heroes on the order of some of their musical compatriots—Hayley Bonar, Kelly Joe Phelps and the Arcade Fire. If you like some Blue Mountain in your Big Star/Byrds sandwich, you’re gonna dig this stuff. Check ‘em out at ThePinesMusic.com.

Brett Larson
All The Way Wrong/Blood Of The Faithful
2003/2005
Mercy Records

Singer/songwriter Larson sounds like a really, really nice guy. He’s got a butt-load of impressive special guests surrounding him on both of these releases, the musicianship is impeccable and the packaging is terrific. What’s missing? Well, maybe nothing, if your idea of a grand musical time is a convoluted cross between the comedic crassness of Martin Mull, the lyrical ha-ha’s of Jimmy Buffett, the tipsy religious leanings of The Louvin Brothers and the shambling vocal style of your drunken uncle Carl.

That being said, there’s a reason why folks like violinist/multi-instrumentalist Mike “Razz” Russell (The Jayhawks, Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers, etc. etc.), Kurt Stevenson and Erik Brandt jumped on board one or both of these projects. When Larson does hit that magical combo of humor, aw-shucks country philosophy, and wink-and-a-nod city mockery, it’s pretty powerful stuff. Russell’s contribution to All The Way Wrong jumps right out at you on track four, “Out Of My Mind,” and after a few listens (and a few beers) the tunes start to sound like they’re emanating from some ancient pub juke stocked with warped 45s by people like Ray Price, Ray Stevens and Ernest Tubb.

While this type of “Ha-ha, don’t you GET it?” country hoo-ha isn’t really my bag (I’m more of a cry-in-your beer type, dontcha know, eh?), it’s obviously heartfelt and honest and would probably translate much better to a late-night Nordeast stage than it does to a spin on the ol’ CD player. Some good songwriting, some absolutely awe-inspiring music and some classic lines like: “So pour me a whiskey, sing me a gospel song/ I’ll never get right/ Til I’m all the way wrong ...” Check it out for yourselves at MercyRecordings.com.

Thunders Kane & Nolan
“You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory”
2005
Music Video Distributors

The liner notes on the back of this DVD pretty much capture the tale here—“On January 4th, 1987, core New York Dolls members Johnny Thunders, Arthur ‘Killer’ Kane and Jerry Nolan performed an informal reunion at The Roxy in L.A. Sadly, of the three, only Arthur Kane lived long enough to briefly enjoy The Dolls formal reunion. This piece of Rock And Roll History features 18 songs including electric and rare acoustic performances and is essential for any Dolls or Thunders fans.”

Yep, that about says it, except that it doesn’t really do a very thorough job of describing the almost claustrophobic feel winding its way through the Roxy that night as Thunders struggled to cover both he and missing front man David Johansen’s vocal duties as well as his regular axe gig; the bizarre combination of stoned L.A. scenesters (check out the kinda hot lookin’ chick in the front row as she alternately smokes with the cool of Mata Hari and finds herself lost in some of Thunders’ finer licks and riffs); old-school punks who’ve long traded in their rigs and rubber ties for cheap smoke and a morning dollop of coffee liqueur in their java; and average rock fans who look both confused and shocked at the same time.

You won’t find anything here that you couldn’t find in footage of the original Dolls done up 10 times better, but like the package says, if you’re a Dolls or Thunders fan (what, no love for Kane and Nolan??), you’ll deffo dig this fucked-up little snapshot of a lost-forever moment in rock n’ roll history. If you’re not sure who the Dolls were, or you’re not into watching a couple of hard-core garage rock junkies careen and stagger through a catalog of almost-hit-wonders, fahgeddabouddit and pick up The Dolls’ first album or Thunders’ Born Too Loose vinyl re-issue. Start there, live your own crappy life, then come back and appreciate this one for what it is. MusicVideoDistributors.com.

That’s it for this time out, gang. Tune in again next week for more, more, more. Until then—make yer own damn news.||

If you have local music news/gigs/events/CDs you’d like to see mentioned in this space, or you’d just like to ramble on incoherently about your massive love and respect for Johnny Thunders’ later-period live stage performances, send replies to: Tmygunn777@peoplepc.com.