Rolling Stones "Exile On Main Street"

The world's greatest Rock And Roll Band is at it again. The big news is that the Rolling Stones are reissuing the landmark 1972 CD Exile On Main Street. What an amazing album, and what an amazing marketing campaign- look for the blitz in print, and on web, radio, and TV, among other places! Exile's street date is May 18, and there will be different levels of configuration available, including CD, DVD and vinyl.

I fondly remember when the album first came out, as I was a rock jock in Pittsburgh then and it was speaking my language. But in the even earlier Stones vs. Beatles debate of the 60s The Stones were IT for me from the beginning - pop craft versus roots exploration. I think you know which one I chose. In fact, my very first concert was the 1964 Rolling Stones date at the Academy Of Music in NYC. It was sheer screaming-girl-city. Hot stuff, indeed.

The Stones acted as a kind of a personal musical guide, pre-web gatekeepers. I got turned onto the blues through their first two albums, which set me on a path of exploration that resonates to this day. I softened to the sounds of country through tunes like  "Dear Doctor" and "Country Honk." Ironically, Keith coveted my Smithsonian Collection of Country Music Box Set when he came to my apartment on 58th Street in New York in 1984.

The Rolling Stones are a lifelong commitment for me, from the weaving through musical eras, to the countless tours, to the many writings about them. I especially recommend Under Their Thumb, from a buddy of mine, Bill German, the originator of the official Rolling Stones newsletter Beggars Banquet, and Exile On Main Street-A Season In Hell With The Rolling Stones by Robert Greenfield, that chronicles this difficult yet defining period. Let's not forget that these were the Gram Parsons hang out years too. I can only wonder as to the affect that Gram and Keith had on each other. The coming compilation features 10 newly uncovered Exile era tracks, all of which have undergone a unique evolution while staying true to the spirit, among them, "Dancing In The Light," "Following The River," "Pass The Wine" and the first single being released, "Plundered My Soul," Also, as a complement to the release of Exile on Main Street, look for the documentary "Stones In Exile," on NBC on May 14 featuring rare, never before seen footage from the era. Here is some now. Check out the video for "Plundered" here.

-Jessie

Mike Stinson "No One To Drink With"

Mike Stinson generates a similar kind of excitement among the cognoscenti as Ron Sexsmith did when he was first coming to people's attention. There is the feeling that Stinson is a musician's musician. The Virginia native moved to Houston, TX after spending most of the 2000's in California, where he was hailed as “The Best Country-Western Artist in L.A.” by Los Angeles Magazine and called “the uncrowned king of the L.A. neo-honky tonkers” by Billboard Magazine. You might know his song “The Late Great Golden State” which has been covered by both Dwight Yoakam and Billy Bob Thornton. And he has placed others on the soundtracks to the hit TV shows Mad Men, Weeds, and Cold Case, and in National Lampoon’s Adam and Eve.

Mike put his third CD out last month. The Jukebox In Your Heart  was produced by Jesse Dayton, an icon in his own right, at Willie Nelson's Pedernales Studios. "No One To Drink With" is one of the tunes from the new album. Jesse weighs in from a FaceBook post, "Mike Stinson, & Brennen Leigh...yes, it's true...I shot the whole thing on a Flip camera and made it for exactly 100 bucks...this is how we do it in my indie world...who needs a budget when you're surrounded by killer talent?"

-Jessie

Keith Sykes "It Don't Matter"

I love the lilt of the Memphis accent. It is sheer elegance, recalling stately homes and courtly manners, but times have changed. Memphis, like so many of the other river towns on the Mississippi, is blighted as it loses business and population. And revitalization is slow to return. Visiting Memphis in February, this was driven home to me once again, and if wishing would make it so, I dream that these fine cities recover and go on to a new era of glory. Though I don't know what the catalyst could be to turn the tides. And that wish extends to the Gulf Coast, as the current oil slick threatens the waterways from Louisiana to Pensacola. We do hope the spill gets capped in short order. Life in these parts is hard enough without these tribulations adding to the challenges. Don't think I am simply yearning for an earlier time, nostalgic for the good old days that weren't really good. It is not that, but a time when our economy was healthier so it better supported our citizens. Not that it was perfect, I realize, but it seems more folks could make a living then, that's what I am longing for, for us all.

For me, the accent recalls those days. Keith Sykes voice drips with the charm of white linen, straw boaters and sultry weather. He wears many hats, of course beside the boater...not sure if he really wears that! Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, record executive. He has traveled and found himself in studios and on stages around the world. What a life! Read all about it by clicking here. When he joined us on the bus during Folk Alliance, he asked what song we wanted to hear thinking he would do "Volcano," which he co-wrote with Jimmy Buffett. I asked instead for "It Don't Matter," which he co-wrote with Jerry Jeff Walker. We send this to the people south of I-10, who are about to have their coastline disrupted. Better times will come, just not sure when. We are praying for you.

-Jessie Scott