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James McMurtry with special guest Jonny Burke
James McMurtry and his band make their return to The Great Northern Bar and Grill with special guest, Jonny Burke.
JAMES McMURTRY RELEASES COMPLICATED GAME,
HIS FIRST STUDIO ALBUM IN SIX YEARS
AUSTIN, Texas: James McMurtry spins stories with a poets pen (Long Island Sound) and a painters precision (She Loves Me). Proof: The acclaimed songwriters newComplicated Game. McMurtrys first collection in six years spotlights a craftsman in absolutely peak form as he turns from political toward personal (These Things Ive Come to Know, You Got to Me). The lyrical theme is mostly about relationships, McMurtry says. Its also a little about the big old world verses the poor little farmer or fisherman. I never make a conscious decision about what to write about.
Complicated Game delivers McMurtrys trademark story songs time and again (Copper Canteen, Deavers Crossing), but the record brings a new (and certainly no less energetic) sonic approach. First, recall blistering beats and gnashing guitars from his magnum opus Just Us Kids (2008). Now, unplug. The label head wanted more acoustic, McMurtry explains. We built everything as we went so we ended up with more acoustic guitar as we went. We just played whatever sounded right for a given song, but we werent necessarily saying this is an acoustic record.
Exhibit A: Howm I Gonna Find You Now. The records lead single boasts buoyant banjos and driving drums as endlessly energetic as anything electrified. Whiplash vocals further frenzy the beat. I've got a cup of black coffee so I don't get lazy/I've got a rattle in the dashboard driving me crazy, McMurtry effectively raps. If I hit it with my fist, itll quit for a little while/Gonna have to stop to smoke in another mile/Headed into town gonna meet you at the mercantile/Take you to the Sonic get you grinning like a crocodile.
Such vibrant vignettes consistently turn heads. They have for a quarter century now. Clearly, hes only improving with time. James McMurtry is one of my very few favorite songwriters on Earth and these days he's working at the top of his game, says Americana all-star Jason Isbell. He has that rare gift of being able to make a listener laugh out loud at one line and choke up at the next. I dont think anybody writes better lyrics. James writes like he's lived a lifetime, echoes iconic roots rocker John Mellencamp. Yes. Spin South Dakota. Youll hear.
Further evidence: McMurtrys Just Us Kids (2008) and Childish Things (2005). The former earned his highest Billboard 200 chart position in nearly two decades and notched Americana Music Award nominations. Meanwhile, Childish Things scored endless critical praise and spent six full weeks topping the Americana Music Radio chart in 2005 and 2006. In 2006, Childish Things won the Americana Music Associations Album of the Year and We Cant Make It Here was named the rapidly rising organization's Song of the Year.
Of course, Complicated Game doubles down on literate storytelling longtime enthusiasts expect. Recall high watermarks past: Childish Things, Choctaw Bingo, Peter Pan, Levelland, and Out Here in the Middle only begin the list. (Yes, Robert Earl Keen covered those last two, Levelland remaining a live staple.) Just Us Kidsalone includes fan favorites Hurricane Party, Ruby and Carlos and Youd a Thought. High watermarks deliver equal measures depth and breadth and pierce hearts with sharp sociopolitical commentary (Fireline Road).
More history: McMurtry critically lauded first album Too Long in the Wasteland (1989) was produced by John Mellencamp and marked the beginning of a series of acclaimed projects for Columbia and Sugar Hill Records. In 1996, McMurtry received a Grammy nomination for Long Form Music Video for Where'd You Hide the Body. Additionally, It Had to Happen (1997) received the American Indie Award for Best Americana Album.
In 2004, McMurtry released the universally lauded Live in Aught-Three on Compadre Records. The following year, Childish Things notched arguably his most critical praise, spending six weeks at No. 1 on the Americana Music Radio Chart in 2005 and 2006. In September 2006, Childish Things and We Cant Make It Here won the Americana Music Awards for Album and Song of the Year, respectively. McMurtry received more Americana Music Award nominations for 2008s Just Us Kids. This album marked his highest Billboard 200 chart position in more than nearly two decades.
In 2009, Live in Europe was released, capturing the McMurtry bands first European tour and extraordinary live set. Along with seasoned band members Ronnie Johnson, Daren Hess, and Tim Holt, the disc features special guests Ian McLagan (The Faces) and Jon Dee Graham (True Believers, Skunks). Also, for the first time ever, video of the James McMurtry Bands live performance is available on the included DVD.
The poignant lyrics of his immense catalog still ring true today. In 2011, We Cant Make It Here was cited among The Nations Best Protest Songs Ever. We Cant Make It Here, Bob Lefsetz wrote, has stood the test of time because of its unmitigated truth.
McMurtry tours year round and consistently throws down unparalleled powerhouse performances. The Washington Post notes: Much attention is paid to James McMurtrys lyrics and rightfully so: He creates a novels worth of emotion and experience in four minutes of blisteringly stark couplets. What gets overlooked, however, is that hes an accomplished rock guitar player ... serious stuff, imparted by a singularly serious band.
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AdresseGreat Northern Bar and Grill (Afficher)
27 Central Ave.
Whitefish, MT 59937
United States
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