ADZES Reimagines Americana Classics for Charity Release
Bandcamp day approaches and one of Joe’s favorite artists has prepared a pair of sludged-out covers of country rockers to give back to local food banks. Check out the premiere of these tracks right now.
There is no more distasteful statement than, “I listen to everything but country music.” First off, that’s a damn lie. You’re not out on a Tuesday night at the VFW destroying your cochlea to harsh noise wall so stop fronting. Second, country music is as quintessentially American as jazz, hip hop, and piss poor healthcare. There’s a rich vein of country and folk that innervates the battered geography of this nation, which is why it’s so damn good to hear these twangy tunes infused with the clang and heft of open-minded metal artists at the end of the world. Adzes mastermind Forest Bohrer connected with Will Jameson (Wretched Empires/Barren Branches/Puddleglum/ex-Redbait) and bluegrass musician Ana Wright to channel the heart of Americana through a devastating stack of amplifiers.
First up is “Wildflowers” by Tom Petty, from the stone-cold PERFECT solo Tom Petty album Wildflowers. (Seriously, it’s so good that I have an appointment booked to get lyrics from “Crawling Back to You” permanently stuck on my skin). Forest and Will, alongside a Danelectro baritone and an aching slide guitar, stretch the Petty classic out like a growing chasm while Ana’s haunting voice delivers Petty’s poetry with an ethereal glow. Goddamn, y’all. It’s great.
Closing the show is a lush, crushing take on “Revelator” by the always-great Gillian Welch from her 2001 album of the same name. The original’s sparse acoustic instrumentation is swapped for thundering bass and feedback-drenched guitar while Ana Wright imbues Welch’s ballad to time and aging with powerful heft. I’m extremely pleased to put this release up for your exclusive listening pleasure.
All the dough you throw at Adzes this Friday will go to benefit Seattle-area food banks, The Rainer Valley Food Bank and the U District food bank. There are a lotta hungry people in this nation right now and your dollars can buy a lot of veggies. Click play on these covers and then tell me how much you dig it in the comments below.
Set your alarm or forever pose cuz Bandcamp day is FRIDAY.
