mojave
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"Mojave" is the second in a series of Dark Americana albums. While the first album, "Stories and Songs" took themes from two centuries ago and morphed them with a mildly psychedelic mindset, "Mojave" is more focused on reflecting life, death and trouble in the small, ramshackle towns that dot the Mojave desert. These towns are sometimes no more than a few buildings; some abandoned, some serving as a lonely pitstop for motorists passing through. Ruined skeletons of houses bend their index fingers in a welcoming gesture to visit their innards (or the ripped, torn and rotted remains that still sit right off the highway).
the songs
"Like A House With Broken Windows" - written after walking through the dilapidated remains of what was once probably a loving home. A sense of resignation to a disappointing fate filled the place, along with the whine of trucks passing by. With pedal steel, mandolin, acoustic guitars and bass, tremelo guitar.
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"Down the Ravine" - boy this sounds like a party, but for whom? Check your invitation before accepting. With pots, pans, bathtub, picture frame, large decorative sticks, kick drum, slide guitar, electric guitar.
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"Dragging the Lake (On the Day of the Dead)" - Dios de la Muerte, but from the viewpoint of one of the recently qualified to be celebrated. With percussion, harmonica, mandolin, droney organ, bass, a mournful New Orleans funeral horn procession and a drunk trombone.
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"Are They Digging Your Grave (or are they digging mine?)" - this one wasn't finished in time for the first Dark Americana album. A story about being at the end of your rope. With mandolin, banjo, guitar, portuguese guitarra, dulcimer, bass, piano, drums.
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"You Don't See Me (Jimmy Crack Corn)" - based on "Jimmy Crack Corn" from the 1840's. Is this folk music? That feeling when you're caught in the Mojave after sundown. With drone-y organ, horns, tremelo guitar and geez what is that fiddle doing?
"The Interstate" - A man fleeing the police has no choice but to drive on the railroad tracks leading out of town. This can't possibly end well... With didgeridoo, jaw harp, fiddle, lap steel, feedback, noise, bass, country train drums and guitar.
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"One Cut" - a sweet lullabye of a folk song about the dedication of true love. Sung by Hunter Lowry with just a guitar for backing. Don't turn your back on this song...
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"You Never Really Know" - sort of a treatise on come-uppance. Never take for granted the things you didn't know you were taking for granted. With tubby drums, bass, sickly organ, tremelo guitar, fiddles, lap steel.
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"Tomorrow's Gonna Hunt You Down" - you can run but you can't hide forever. An Americana song that somehow breaks into what sounds like Pink Floyd backing a gypsy fiddler. With that gypsy violin, tremelo guitar, lap steel, bass, organ, guitar, piano, drums
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"Dance Skeletons Dance" - letting your inner demons become your outer demons. Some winds out in the Mojave are more persuasive than you think they'd be. Check your morals at the door. With bones for castanets. features guitar, mandolin, accordion fiddle, bass, guitar, piano, drums