The Boys Are Back In Town
Dr. Dog, Billy Strings, Evan Honer and Julia DiGrazia, Noeline Hoffman, KISS, and Jack White
Guess who just got back today
Them wild-eyed boys that had been away
Haven't changed, had much to say
But man, I still think them cats are crazy
They were askin' if you were around
How you was, where you could be found
Told them you were livin' downtown
Drivin' all the old men crazy
The boys are back in town, the boys are back in town
—Thin Lizzy, The Boys Are Back In Town
It’s Labor Day Weekend which means the Music Swap is back in town!!! We have a great lineup of fall content planned for you. This week, we’re kicking things off with song selections from all five contributors. Then, for the Bonus Track, we’ll turn it over to an ethics professor who likes punk rock and wants to tell you about the new Jack White album that dropped on a big day in American history.
Talk is Cheap by Dr. Dog (Mat)
The boys are back in town and Dr. Dog is back in the studio, baby. They quit touring several years back and I wasn’t sure we’d ever get another album. But, perhaps as a sign of their rebirth, they recently released a self-titled record. And, it’s a gem. This track gives you a taste of these guys at their best: melodic vocals, a catchy hook, and a taste of quirkiness. It just works. Go ahead and listen to it for yourself, though. Talk is cheap.
Richard Petty by Billy Strings (Adam)
One of these days I’ll wake up steady and ready to go like Richard Petty
I’m a-gonna wake up and change my ways one of these days
We are just under a month away from the greatly anticipated release of Billy Strings’ next album, Highway Prayers. This song will be featured on that album and made it on the recently released album, Live Vol. 1. All the tunes on this smattering of live recordings from Mr. Strings are worth listening to, but this one really stands out for me. I think it’s easy to see Billy as just a prolific guitar picker, but the harmonies created by him and the band are angelic. Sometimes you gotta hop in the car, crank the volume up, and let them horses run! Enjoy!
Jersey Giant by Evan Honer and Julia DiGrazia (Kody)
What’s a Jersey Giant? I learned the answer after going on a wild rooster chase to figure out who authored this song.
For more than a year, I thought it belonged to Josiah and the Bonevilles. Then Spotify served me up this version by Evan Honer and Julia DiGrazia, and I started to second guess myself. After a quick search, I discovered yet another version sung by Elle King. And therein lies the answer - Elle King recorded the original song written by none other than Tyler Childers, someone who no doubt has experience with a Jersey Giant, which is a type of rooster known for its large size.
I love this duet by Honer and DiGrazia, especially the chorus where their voices unite to emphasize the longing for a long-lost love. It has Childers written all over it.
August by Noeline Hofmann (Ben)
Starting the Fall Swap with some Canadian Country. I was (accidentally) one of the first people to listen to Noeline Hoffman’s release earlier this week of her third single. She has 2M+ followers on Spotify and yes, that’s right - it’s only her 3rd song.
“August” has a muted feel, but it captures you. Noeline shared that farm life means tragedy each August—you can feel it as she sings. The banjo and steel guitar help. I think lyrics like, “haze lays heave like a heartache, stingin my eyes” will stay with you after you listen.
There is a reason this young artist has been invited to play/tour with Turnpike Troubadours, Colter Wall, and her big summer break: Purple Gas (Z. Bryan).
I Was Made for Lovin’ You by KISS (Jonathan)
This song was originally recorded 45 years ago, a year before I was born. Growing up I, of course, knew who KISS was, but was told not to listen to them because my parents told me their name was an acronym for Knights In Satan’s Service. Gene Simmons has denied this but whatever the case, this song rocks. KISS is now retired, but I bet it was great hearing this song live at one of their famous concerts with extreme pyrotechnics.
Bonus Track: “President Biden Dropping Out Was Only Slightly Less Exciting than a Surprise Jack White Album” by Andrew T. Walker
The day President Biden announced his exit from the 2024 race is a day historians will doubtlessly look to as a momentous occasion.
Something perhaps less historic happened that same afternoon, but I’ll admit, more electrifying.
A political obsessive, I was scrolling X and taking in the political moment when a Nashville friend of mine, Katie, sent a text out of nowhere letting me know that a radio station was going to be streaming the new Jack White album that, she said, was mysteriously released with no fanfare.
Sure enough, after some searching, it turned out that Jack White had released an album titled “No Name” on Friday at Third Man Records in Nashville and was randomly dropping it in customers’ bags when purchasing other items.
Yes, you read that correctly: One of the gnarliest guitarists and most intriguing artists of our time kept himself on brand by releasing an album by surprise and with no publicity.
It was tuning into the radio station and listening to the record that I was blown away by what I heard. I had to get out of my seat to believe what I was listening to. I am, after all, somewhere between a mosh-pitter and a slow-jive emo kid from the Midwest punk-indie scene.
A departure from his last few albums that were more eclectic than the already-eclectic Jack White is known for, “No Name” represents a stripped-down and vintage Jack White. Listeners will hear a return to the Jack White of the White Stripes, if comparisons are needed. Fast-paced and full of riffs in that signature distortion sound, White’s latest is simply phenomenal.
Of course, after the streaming event was over, there was no way to access the record on streaming services. It turns out that someone had put a bootleg version on Google Drive that people could download (which I promptly did).
The version was uploaded to the major streaming services a week later, and I’ve been captured by the album ever since.
I do not exaggerate when I say that the whole album is spectacular. Every song is distinct and compelling in its own right. Jack White is known for “Seven Nation Army” being belted in unison by crowds at athletic events. While that song is a classic, listeners should treat themselves to the Old Jack White returning anew on “No Name.”
Jack White and I do not share the same politics (that is putting it mildly). But it is always nice to be caught off-guard by a moment of non-partisan, hard-edged rock.
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Andrew Walker lives in Louisville Kentucky where he is a professor of ethics and public policy. His first concert was Blink 182 and he likes to listen to Alkaline Trio and punk rock when he runs.
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May all your favorite bands stay together!
-TheMusicSwap
Love this. Great stuff. The Jack White album is truly special