Post-Election Music Picks: James McMurtry and The Gourds at Bottleneck / Rev Gusto and The New Trust at Replay

Well, the election is over and LFK progressives can take some comfort in the fact that the nation won't be governed for the next four years by a man wearing "magic underwear."  Closer to home, however, our Democratic hopeful with the glorious name, Tobias Schlingensiepen, could not unseat Republican Lynn Jenkins and (even worse) this week's excavation of the supposed Civil War "burial ground" at 9th and NH turned up nothing but cow and pig bones, meaning that Doug Compton's plan to further alter the LFK skyline will proceed as planned unless we think of an even more ridiculous scheme to halt it.

Even so, last night's progressive victories surely calls for celebration tonight, and we have two picks that should prove a rabble-rousing good time.

The Bottleneck offers up a powerhouse, rootsy double-header of James McMurtry and The Gourds.

Stephen King says:  "The simple fact is that James McMurtry may be the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation...".

Chip says:  "His songs are like good books, but shorter." 

Certainly he's got the literary pedigree, Chip.   His father is one Mr. Larry McMurtry.

Here's James, looking scruffy:




And openers The Gourds have been a fixture on the Americana scene for years. Their newest album, Old Mad Joy, was even recorded in the late, great Levon Helm's barn.

Chip:  "The Gourds have a terrific back catalogue but, no matter how deep it is, I'll ALWAYS be the drunk guy yelling at them to play their novelty hit cover of 'Gin and Juice.' "

Here's the (odd) album cover for Old Mad Joy:




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Readers, as soon as clicked on "Click Click" by Rev Gusto over at their Bandcamp , we were singing merrily along about "girls in short skirts."  The song has a bunch of la-la-las in it, which we love.  This is some good, strummy, indie-pop and, if their new EP had come out during the summer, we'd have celebrated with a dozen PBRs in the backyard.  Fuck it, we still will!

Like them on FB here , head over to Rock Star Journalist for a full review of Rev Gusto's new EP , and catch them at the Replay tonight opening up for California's The New Trust, a band poised to record their new album Keep Dreaming with one Mr. Steve Albini (so they must be pretty hip, right?).



If you dig Rev Gusto, you can even see them two nights in a row.  They're on the bill at a Granada event on Thursday.  Visit the FB event page here .