‘Mowed Sound’ is rock rooted in the classic style
Omaha, Nebraska is home to David Nance and on the new, self-titled album from he and his band called
David Nance & Mowed
Sound, it is all about rock with a sound rooted in the classic style of the genre. Nance claims that all the songs on the album were written as country songs, but the finished product leaves only tidbits of such in the dust. If you like it loud and crunchy with a pop undercurrent, you will find much to like about Nance & Mowed Sound. Joining it in the Ear Bliss spotlight this week is an album from a veteran of the UK pop scene. The year 2024 marks 40 years of making records for the UK-based singer and songwriter Peter Astor. He celebrates with the new album Tall Stories & New Religions which finds him recutting a collection of songs that originally appeared on albums from various combos he has fronted over the years. Let’s take a look.
David Nance David Nance & Mowed Sound
Third Man Records
When it comes to Omaha, the name David Nance, at least in music circles, carries as much cachet as Omaha Steaks and Mutual of Omaha Insurance. Arguably best known for his ongoing series of lo-fi reworkings of classic albums from the likes of Lou Reed ( Berlin), The Rolling Stones ( Goats
Head Soup), The Beatles ( Beatles For Sale) and Devo ( Duty Now For the Future), the singer, songwriter and guitarist Nance’s Omaha roots trace back to the garage punk scene of the early aughts with the band Forbidden Tigers. After a period in Los Angeles which yielded three homemade albums that straddled everything from punk to blues rock to even touches of outlaw country, Nance made the move with his wife back to the comforts of Omaha. Nance’s latest project is called David Nance &
Mowed Sound and it makes its debut for Jack White of The White Stripes fame’s Third Man Records. For it, Nance tapped the talents of some veteran musicians of the Omaha scene, many of them friends, to help drive his musical message home and that he and they do to solid proportions on David Nance & Mowed Sound.
Nance himself describes the album as a “big magic trick” saying “Most of these songs were written as country songs and then were perverted into different forms… but it sure isn’t a country record.” The songs move from the flat-out rock and roll of the album’s addictive lead single called “Mock the Hours” to “Tumbleweed” which has a ‘70s-styled outlaw country haze hanging over it to the hypnotic grooves of “Side Eyed Sam” to the bluesy hues of “No Taste Tart Enough.” Nance is by no means breaking any new ground here, but what he does deliver is a formidable and reliable collection of songs and music that wears well on the ears and all from a musician who by all accounts has certainly earned his stripes in the rock and roll world. (Check out tracks from David Nance & Mowed Sound at https:// davidnance.bandcamp. com/album/david-nancemowed-sound.)
Peter Astor Tall Stories and New Religions
Tapete Records
Who says you can’t go home again? An English songwriter and solo artist best known for his work with combos such as ‘80s British indie bands The Loft and The Weather Prophets and ‘90s projects The Wisdom of Harry and Ellis Island Sound, the UK-based singer and songwriter Peter Astor on his new solo album called Tall Stories & New
Religions does exactly that, and to excellent measure I might add, tapping into the catalogue of his past work. On Tall Stories & New Re
ligions, Astor cherry picks various songs from those prior endeavors, as well as from some of his various early solo work (Astor has been releasing solo albums since the early aughts), and doing so as an older and wiser artist reimagining those old works in new ways. There is a level of sophistication to the pop sounds of Astor in 2024 than the sounds of yore. Think something on the order of a Nick Lowe whose years of performing brought a cool, calm, and collected approach to his later year solo music making. Standouts are many including the love song with a twist that is “She Comes from the Rain” which dates back to his Weather Prophets days and was actually the band’s first charting single and “Chinese Cadillac” which was a Weather Prophets “B” side from the late 1980s. Astor’s unhurried approach to the recasting of the songs comprising Tall Stories & New Religions breathes new kind of life into each and every one. (You can listen to tracks from Tall Stories & New Religions at the Tapete Records Bandcamp page at https://peteastor.band-camp.com/album/tall-sto-ries-new-religions.)
LIVE SHOTS:
Two weeks until the official start of spring and lots on tap on the live music scene in and around the
Ocean State. Here’s our weekly recap of happenings worth checking out. Beginning in South County, Pump House Music Works (164 Kingstown Road) in Peace Dale presents a twin bill on Friday evening featuring Catnip Junkies and Just Garcia Band. Paula Clare and friends perform on Sunday evening starting at 7 pm. Monday nights at the Pump House are the Uke jam and Tuesday evening is the weekly Old-time jam. Wednesdays are an acoustic lounge and open mic hosted by Matt Fraza. Courthouse Center for the Arts in West Kingston features Rolling Stones tribute Nasty Habits on Friday evening. Tribute band Foreign Journey playing the music of Foreigner and Journey performs Saturday night. Sweet Hitchhiker is at the Courthouse on March 15 playing the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Reckless Blues plays the classic swing, jazz and blues hits of the 50s and 60s at a special Thursday matinee show on March 21 at 1:30. At The Ocean Mist in Matunuck, it’s JustUs playing an early show on Friday evening. Sunday Funday at The Mist features The Rob Davis Band starting at 4 pm. Don’t forget that every Thursday at The Mist is house band The Ocean Mistics and friends from 6-9 pm. The Greenwich Odeum in East Greenwich presents Nashville-based singer and songwriter David Nail on Friday evening and the Grammy-nominated songwriter and piano sensation Jim Brickman on Saturday night. The Legendary Wailers featuring Junior Marvin come to The Odeum on March 16 with DudeManBro opening. Micky Dolenz of The Monkees fame is there on March 24. At the Narragansett Café in Jamestown, it’s The Mantees on Friday evening. The Senders are in the house on Saturday night and the Cee Cee & The Riders close the weekend with roadhouse blues on Sunday at 4 pm. The Wood River Inn in Wyoming features Michael Iula on Friday evening. The monthly acoustic open mic with Pete V happens on Sunday starting at 5 pm. The Knickerbocker Music Center in Westerly (35 Railroad Ave) hosts Eight to the Bar for your dancing and listening pleasure on Friday night. Nick Bosse & Northern Roots play roots rock and country at The Knick on Saturday night. Daphne Parker Powell returns to the area to play a free show in the tap room on Sunday evening at 7 and Olivia Charlotte is there on Wednesday night. Also in Westerly, mark the calendars for March 21 when the The Travelin’ McCourys appear at the United Theatre. In the northern reaches of the state, Chan’s Restaurant in Woonsocket features Brass Attack on Friday evening and The Knickerbocker All-Stars are in the house of eggrolls and blues on Saturday night. At The Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket, it is Michael Jackson tribute Who’s Bad on Friday night. Fleetwood Mac tribute Tusk is at The Stadium on March 15 and the Femmes of Rock starring Bella Electric Strings are there on March 16. In Cumberland, The Blackstone River Theatre presents music from Scotland with Daimh (pronounced Dive) on Saturday evening at 7 pm. The multi-awardwinning trio Socks in the Frying Pan from County Clare on the West coast of Ireland brings its traditional sounds to the Blackstone on Sunday evening, also at 7 pm. In Pawtucket, The Met Café presents Playing Dead on Saturday night. GA-20 with special guest Ward Hayden entertain at The Met on March 16. Askew on Chesnutt Street in Providence features Bible Studies, Ben Shaw, and Lucy Isabel on Friday night. It’s a big bill on Saturday night at Askew with Dred Buffalo, Toad & The Stooligans, The Z-Boys and Tyler Fauxbel all performing. Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy turn up the burners at Askew on Sunday night. Every Monday at Askew is Meatball Mondays & Open Mic with Adam Newell at Askew. Indigo Girls come to Providence on March 23 for a show at PPAC. A terrific show is on tap at the Columbus Theatre in Providence on March 17 with Haley Heynderickx and The Westerlies with Tim Baker. Silversun Pickups brings its pop-rock sounds to The Strand in Providence on Sunday night. The Newport Live music series resumes on March 16 with a performance at the Jamestown Arts Center featuring Nashville-based blues rock guitarist Jax Hollow. Coming on March 22 is the return of Chris Spedding and Anton Fig for a performance at the Newport Casino. Also in Newport, mark those calendars for March 23 when Raul Malo of The Mavericks fame comes to the Jane Pickens Film & Event Center. Finally, Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River presents Jim Messina on Friday night. The ultra-talented singer and mandolinist Sierra Hull performs at The Narrows on Sunday evening and the legendary Preservation Jazz Hall Band performs on March 15.