#LuckLists - Caleb Caudle

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Joining us for the latest installment of #LuckLists is North Carolina’s Caleb Caudle,  He released his 7th record this past February and he played a few for us as part of our song swap in the #luckrevival tent. Caleb will be touring all over the US in 2018 in support of “Crushed Coins” Get out to a show!

1. Lost In The Supermarket - The Clash

It's the first song I remember hearing by The Clash, I knew immediately that they were my new favorite band. This song feels like home in so many ways, I will never fall out of love with it.

2. Shotgun Willie - Willie Nelson

I love how greasy this song is. Just has a super hazy feel about it. It reminds me of coming home off the road, I spin it often.

3. Eleanor Rigby - Aretha Franklin

I think it's kind of impossible to not like this song. I remember first hearing it and being blown away about the way they reworked it. Really good groove on this and there's no denying how powerful her voice is.

4. Move On Up -  Curtis Mayfield

His whole debut is one of my favorite records. I love how passionate he is, unafraid to talk about the things that matter. It's a record of hope, something we will always need.

5. Boulder to Birmingham - Emmylou Harris

This song always stops me dead in my tracks, there are so many wonderful Emmylou cuts but this one resonates with me the most. I got on this airplane just to fly...

6. Pale Blue Eyes - The Velvet Underground

I started with the first record and made my way through the catalog like I typically do, I was so surprised when this song and many others from that S/T record hit me the way that they did. This song in particular will always be one of my favorites. Perfect instrumentation and perfect delivery.

7. I Lost It - Lucinda Williams

I could have easily chosen any song off of Car Wheels but I went with this one because it gets stuck in my head the most. She's the Queen.

8. Small Town Talk - Bobby Charles

The band is so killer on this whole record, It's a song that anyone from a small town can relate to. That groove is super legit.

9. Autumn In New York - Billie Holiday

I put this one on our wedding mix, Her voice might be my favorite. I can't believe that a real person can sound that good. That piano line is breathtaking too.

10. When The Wall Comes Down - Hiss Golden Messenger

Fellow North Carolinians, I just connect so much with their work. I feel like they are fighting for all the right things and I just wanna align myself with folks like that. This song is beautiful and I think the whole world should hear it.

#LuckLists - Paul Thorn

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The beer garden is always busy during Luck Reunion, but damn the #LuckFamily came out in force for Tales and Ales. Paul Thorn and Lagunitas Brewing Company Founder Tony Magee swapped stories and songs for a captivated audience. They finished by serving freshly grilled SPAM Sandwiches for the faithful crowd. We caught up with Paul to talk about his #LuckList and the recipe for those famed sammies below. 

Paul's #LuckList:

1. You’re My Favorite Waste of Time - Marshall Crenshaw

It's a simple melodic masterpiece!

2. This Old Road - Kris Kristofferson

It's about looking back at your life. It's very touching.

3. The Logical Song - Supertramp

It reminds me of high school and the girls who were out of my league.

4. Snake Farm - Ray Wylie Hubbard

It's a perfect love song.

5. Here Comes The Rain Again - Eurythmics

Annie Lennox is numero uno.

6. Cuts Like A Knife - Bryan Adams

It's raw and rockin'. What a voice!

7. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction - Devo

They put their own spin on a Rolling Stones classic.

8. Good Advice - Guy Clark

I just love this song. He was a master of painting pictures with words.

9. Eyeball Kid - Tom Waits

This song is crazy in a good way.

10. Blue Moon - Elvis Presley

A beautiful, sad love song. They don't call him the King for nothing.

 

 

The Story Behind the SPAM: 

“When I was growing up we always had SPAM in our house. The only way I’ve ever eaten SPAM is to grill it, and then place it between white bread with a generous portion of Miracle Whip. Years ago I mentioned one night on stage that I occasionally indulge in a little SPAM. After that, people started bringing cans of SPAM to my shows for me. I have so many cans of SPAM at home that I could probably feed the whole city of Tupelo (my hometown) in an apocalypse."

The recipe:

Ingredients:

SPAM

White bread

Miracle Whip

Grill the SPAM until it’s brown on both sides. Spread a generous portion of Miracle Whip on one piece of bread. Make sure that the Miracle Whip is spread all the way to the edges, so that it touches the crust on all sides. Place the SPAM between the two slices of bread. The Miracle Whip is sweet, which makes for a nice contract with the saltiness of the SPAM.

Catch up on #LuckLists with playlists from Devon Gilfillian & Hiss Golden Messenger and more coming soon from Artist on the Rise Winner Thomas Csorba, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Caleb Caudle and more!

Baby Grand: the Life of Bobbie Nelson

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A familiar cadence resonating from a well-worn Trigger has long served as the official notice: Willie is in the building. The signature open begins with only Nelson alone, and crescendos with the addition -  note by note - of each member of the Family Band. It's fitting that this arrangement of “Whiskey River” has kicked off Nelson's show for decades; the legend is but a piece of a whole – and he intends for it to stay that way.

The Family Band is truly that: a band of brothers (and sister) whose steadfast creative bond has produced one of the world's most beloved and influential acts. Behind the braids stands a crew of visionaries who together have created, and continue to foster, a culture of inclusion through music. Beyond the melodies, the “Family” members have been unwavering in their support of one another over their decades-long relationship.

At the very core of this collective is Nelson's “little” sister, Bobbie. On stage, the petite and powerful performer requires no introduction: behind the piano her delicate fingers, seemingly unburdened by a pair of gigantic Family Band rings, sweep the keys effortlessly in time with her brother's famously unique phrasing. But, without fail,  her proud younger sibling introduces her each night. As she takes the last note of her spirited rendition of the L. Wolfe Gilbert classic “Down Yonder”, she rises humbly and tips her oversized black cowboy hat to the crowd.

Throughout their shared 50+ year career the pair has remained an undeniable creative force onstage and in the studio. And, from Bobbie's perspective, their bond through music from their earliest years has saved both their lives.

“We were just little dumb kids that got dropped off in the world. And here we are.”

The tiny town of Abbott, Texas is the foundation on which it all was built. Bobbie and Willie were raised by their grandparents, Nancy and Alfred Nelson, after their young parents hit the road to pursue their own creative dreams. “Mamma” and “Daddy” Nelson's house was filled with music. When Daddy Nelson would return home, the family's talk turned to music. Gathered around a small kitchen table, Nancy and Alfred shared with the children their latest learnings – they took a music course by correspondence –  and their plans for next Sunday's music program at the local Methodist church. Bobbie was lulled to sleep each evening by the muffled sounds of her grandparents piecing together their own compositions late into the night. Bobbie and Willie started playing at an early age. When she was six, Bobbie began taking piano lessons from Mamma Nelson - and adored inviting her younger brother to join her on the bench as she practiced her chords. Willie received his first guitar two years later. The siblings soon started playing in the church on Sundays and beginning what Bobbie still calls “the best music education anyone could have”.

When the family purchased their first radio, she and Willie were mesmerized by the contemporary tunes and styles they were hearing for the first time. “That old box” allowed them to explore a world outside of their own through music; but in Abbott, Bobbie remained dedicated to the church music that she knew.

Then Bobbie met Arlyn “Bud” Fletcher. Some recall Bud as a con artist; a smooth-talking salesman just looking to make a buck. But Bud swept Bobbie off her feet. “He was just so charming. Oh, man, was he charming,” she recalls. He took her to the dance halls and honky-tonks she'd never imagined stepping foot in. Through Bud she was introduced to a crowd of rowdy artists and swindlers, many of which were “very fine people,” according to Bobbie. She married Bud when she was sixteen, graduating high school as Bobbie Fletcher. Not long after Bobbie got her diploma, Bud began putting a band together. Bud Fletcher And The Texans were a rag-tag group who just wanted to play real Western swing music. With Bobbie on piano; Willie on lead guitar and vocals; their father, Ira, on rhythm guitar; and Bud at the helm as a hard-selling promoter, the band made their rounds on the beer joint circuit. “I didn't care for those kinds of places,” Bobbie says, “I saw people riled up at the bar on a Saturday night, and the next morning they were sitting front row at church. For me...I really did this only for the music. I wanted to play, and I wanted to learn.”

Bud's family became increasingly wary of the Nelson siblings' influence on their son – a backwards take on the reality of the situation – and later worried for the future of their grandchildren. When Bobbie was forced to separate from Bud after a tumultuous run, the band fell apart. The Fletchers went to court to remove Bobbie from her three sons, deeming her an unfit mother. “They didn't want me playing in those joints. But I never took a sip to drink, I never broke the law,” she says. “I was broken, my spirit was crushed. I had to get my boys back.” Bobbie fought hard to regain custody of her children and, after Bud's fatal car crash in 1961, set out to create a new life to provide for her boys. Her stint in a TV repair shop in Fort Worth fatefully brought her back to music when the owner found her a job with Hammond Organ Company.

In the meantime Willie's career was picking up steam. “He was in Nashville and all those places, getting his songs on the radio. All the sudden, everyone knew who he was.” Her brother would often visit her home to take a break from his newfound fame. Their bond over music remained a pillar of strength for the siblings, and perhaps inspired the next generation of industry players: Bobbie's youngest son Freddy - then six years old - caught on to his uncle's notoriety and would charge the neighborhood kids 5 cents to watch the singer sleep. “He got that from his father,” Bobbie laughs.

Bobbie gained recognition herself in the Austin music scene, playing the town's most buzzed about hotels and supper clubs. It wasn't until 1973 that Bobbie and Willie reunited over music. Having signed with Atlantic Records, Willie called his sister from New York where he was recording a gospel album, and insisted that she join him. She boarded an airplane for the first time in her life, joined her brother in New York to record The Troublemaker, and never looked back.

Bobbie and Willie have been playing music ever since, with no plans of slowing down any time soon. “If we ever had to stop I don't know how we'd take it,” she says. “Our hearts...and everything are in music. We've never gotten through anything in our lives without it.” Indeed, the pair has suffered great loss over their decades-long career. “When I lost two of my sons, I had Willie, Freddy, and music to turn to. Willie has suffered the same. And we turned to each other. We kept on playing. And we will keep on playing”.

Bobbie's house, a short drive from “Luck, TX” property that Willie calls home, is an ode to the life they have shared and the music they have made. Framed platinum and gold albums line the walls; shelves and tables are littered with photographs of a whirlwind history filled with love and loss. There are perhaps more pianos than furniture – an instrument in nearly every room. A stack of cast iron skillets maintains a permanent position next to the stove, always prepared for Willie to drop in for his sister's cornbread and sausage. As the dainty beauty takes a breath after regaling the tales of a life well-lived, she says softly, as if no one is listening “I've given up a lot of little things because I had a bigger thing to do. This is it for me.”

#LuckLists - Hiss Golden Messenger

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Time for another round of  #lucklists, this time featuring MC Taylor aka Hiss Golden Messenger. He’s no stranger to playlists, in fact we’ve been following along on some of his for awhile now and they are amazing.  We were stoked that he put one together for the #luckfamily. When you are done listening, lend an ear to his most recent release ‘Hallelujah Anyhow’ it was one of our favorites last year.  Always touring, they will likely be in your neighborhood soon! Get out to the show, trust us #uneedhissgoodbuddy

1. Yesterday’s Wine - Willie Nelson

Willie's album "Yesterday's Wine" was the first of his that took me on a deep soul journey. The title track is so simple that it's nearly impossible to think about how to compose a song like this. I particularly love the kick drum pattern in this tune, it's something I've tried to emulate many times.

2. Ark Of The Covenant - The Congos

The Congos' album Heart of the Congos is an album that I'd like played at my funeral. It's a gospel album, essentially, produced by Lee Perry at his Black Ark studio in the mid 1970s.

3. Poet - Sly & The Family Stone

"My only weapon is my pen, and the frame of mind I'm in. I'm a songwriter. A poet." Those words make me cry.

4. I’m Gonna Run To The City Of Refuge - Blind Willie Johnson

Blind Willie Johnson's music is a foundational building block for me. When I heard him for the first time as a kid, it scared me! Every time I'm in Dallas I go looking for Willie's ghost.

5. Lift Him Up That’s All - Washington Phillips

Washington Phillips was a gospel musician from Texas, like Blind Willie Johnson. But Phillips' music is somehow the inverse of Johnson's: It's sort of celestial and sweet, played on an instrument of his own devising. But there is an Old Testament feeling to this too. Nobody gets out alive.

6. Blue Monday People - Curtis Mayfield

I could choose any song off of this record--in my opinion the best Curtis ever made--and today it's "Blue Monday People." I wouldn't write the way that I do without having Curtis Mayfield's music in my life.

7. Coyote - Joni Mitchell

I feel like Joni Mitchell may be the deepest of the whole 1970s songwriter set; a bigger soul, more wide-open, willing to break things, unpredictable. This song is one of my favorites for long drives down long black ribbons of highway. I Hejira might be my favorite Joni Mitchell album.

8. Dream In Blue - Los Lobos

David Hidalgo sings like an angel. I would like to meet him one day and tell him, "Thank you." His voice is a healing thing. Los Lobos is an oft-overlooked band. I feel like they're about the best that America has to offer from men with guitars.

9. Go Gina - SZA

This is a perfect song to me. Perfect groove, perfect lyrics.

10. Frankiphone Blues - Philip Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble

Phil Cohran played trumpet with Sun Ra for a few years before making his own band. His recordings are a deep well.

11. Heaven Help The Child - Mickey Newbury

Mickey Newbury put pain into song as good as anybody. Sometimes you gotta be careful with his music, it can take you to a place that is hard to get out of. I think he was a genius soul.

12. Mystifies Me - Ronnie Wood

This song is beautifully loose. This is a Saturday afternoon in spring song for me.

13. Johnny Charasquis - Steve Jordan

Steve Jordan was another complicated character. He wore an eyepatch, using an Echoplex, took Tejano music to different places. This is the sound of San Antonio to me.

14. At The Crossroads - Sir Douglas Quintet

Sir Doug's music is in my marrow. It will always give me something new and familiar.

15. I Recall A Gypsy Woman - Waylon Jennings

Dreaming My Dreams is a perfect country record. This song shares that high chiming bell sound with SZA track. I was watching the Mike Judge series Tales From the Tourbus recently and was surprised to learn that, out of all of those characters, Waylon was the one that hadn't shot anyone.

16. Anymore for Anymore - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance

Another song I'd like played at my funeral. Ronnie Lane is a huge inspiration to me.

17. Let Us Go In The House Of The Lord - Pharoah Sanders

This is a song that I often put on when I'm looking for a certain spirit place. Peaceful but searching.

18. Heartbreak Road - Bill Withers

I am in a Bill Withers cover band, the only other band I currently play in, if that gives any context. He's a model human being.

19. Complainte Pour Ste Catherine - Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Play this one at my funeral too.

20. Six Million Dollar Version - King Tubby

King Tubby's music is my rock. There are so many more.