John Prine and Iris Dement- In Spite Of Ourselves

John Prine and Iris Dement singing “In Spite of Ourselves” live from Sessions at West 54th. Prine wrote the tune for the Billy Bob Thornton- directed film Daddy and Them (2001) in which he also appeared as Billy Bob’s brother and Andy Griffith’s son.

We are giving away two (2) pairs of tickets to Jens Lekman‘s upcoming shows on Wednesday, May 27th and Thursday, May 28th at the Echo. The shows are all ages with comedian Tig Notaro supporting. To win, e-mail whenyouawakela @ gmail.com (subject: Jens Lekman) and tell us your favorite song that deals with war and/or veterans (in honor of Memorial Day). Include your first and last name in the email and the night you would like to attend. Two winners will be picked and contacted. Tix for the show are $15 and you can buy them in advance here.

Jens Lekman- A Postcard To Nina (Live)

Mark your calendars now! We are returning once again to Footsies on Thursday, June 4th for our very own all-girl DJ night: Gold Dust. We’ll be spinning Southern Rock, Country Rock and Classic Rock from 10 pm- 2 am at the Highland Park/Mt Washington establishment. You can check out pics from last month’s event here. So if the good lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we’ll see you at Gold Dust!

Jimi Hendrix- Star Spangled Banner (Live at Woodstock)

Happy Memorial Day, folks.

When You Awake and McCabe’s Presents Justin Townes Earle, Charlie Wadhams and Frank Fairfield tonight, Sunday, May 24th at McCabe’s in Santa Monica. Tickets are $16 at the door and the show starts promptly at 7 pm. If you missed our interview with Justin posted earlier this week, click here to check it out. See you tonight!

Justin Townes Earle- Mama’s Eyes

Thin Lizzy- Whiskey in the Jar

My old college buddy Richard recently started a website called Pie a Day where he bakes a different pie every single day and shares his experiences and recipes with you. I asked him to create a little country themed pie for When You Awake and he came up with this delicious deep dish Bourbon Peach Pie. You can find step by step instructions (with pictures) on how to make this delectable treat at Pie A Day.com. We recommend pairing the baking and devouring of it with a little Thin Lizzy and the booze-fueled tune, “Whiskey in the Jar.” Total peach perfection.

Warren from the great Australian website High Noon Saloon has put together a mixtape for us featuring the best country and folk music from Australia. An Australian Johnny Cash? A Delta bluesman-type singer straight out of a remote Aboriginal community? This mix has got it all. This is the second in a series of mixtapes featuring different bloggers from around the world introducing us to the great folk and roots (can we still call it “americana”?) groups in their countries. If you missed our first installment, Cosmic French Music, click here. The Australian mixtape is after the jump.
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Sir Douglas Quintet- Mendocino

Doug Sahm and Sir Douglas Quintet singing “Medocino” live on the tv show Playboy After Dark in 1970. Now tell me if the two guys dancing at the 1:53 mark don’t inspire you to grab your coat and hat and hit the dance floor tonight. Friday night, baby! And yes…that is Hugh Hefner dancing at the 2:45 mark.

Interview by Sinden Lee. Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins.

Justin Townes Earle.  Being the natural skeptic and usual hater of most things, I was fully prepared to sneer and silently judge this musical offspring of a very remarkable and renowned country singer (I’ve made a clipped choice not to mention his father’s name in this piece.)  While it’s an honor to be compared to his Daddy, I’m certain JTE is over the comparison and name-dropping.  And JTE is due his own respect as he’s earned his right with me to stand alone. The very thought of a kid of some famous musician tinkering with notes makes me bristle—Lennon, Dylan—don’t know, don’t care.  This one’s the exception.

I got my grubby paws on his two solo albums, The Good Life and Midnight At The Movies.  I say solo, because he also fronted two bands:  The Swindlers and The Distributors before venturing out onto his own simply as Justin Townes Earle.  What bludgeoned my auditory senses were the incredible depth and his capacity to tell a story as if he were an old man.  The guy is only 27 years old!  The sound is stripped-down, no bullshit resplendence.  Then I became an all-out YouTube lurker, checking out his live performances.  He’s tall, rail-thin but has a commanding presence and owns the mike and stage like a seasoned pro.  Accompanied by his multi-finger pickin’ sidekick Cory Younts, who plays a mean mandolin,  Earle’s a capella delivery is an Ali-like smooth punch right into your gut.  It’s simple and restrained, but the sound is excessively absolute.

I had the great pleasure of getting Earle on the phone for a quick interview.  He was on his tour bus riding through downtown Seattle.  The phone connection sucked, but he was ever so patient and gracious.  Our conversation went from the sublime to the rather silly:

When You Awake:  You pay tribute to the great American folk hero in your song “They Killed John Henry.”  What is it about his legend and persona do you identify with?

Justin Townes Earle:  I think that it all relates to my grandfather.  He told better stories than anyone.  One was the story of John Henry.  The other was Joe Hill.  Those were big ones.  He spoke about these men that were bigger than life.  And that’s what Papa was.  He could solve everything and he really was untouchable.  He died a lot earlier that I thought he should.  Papa was just like those guys: one mythic and one very real.

Continue reading the interview after the jump….
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I’m DJing tonight at RBar in Koreatown as part of Foundtrack and Puma’s weekly get together, Thursdays. I’ll be spinning a mixture of classic rock tunes from 10-11:30 pm. Expect some Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Tina Turner, Rolling Stones and oh so much more. There’s no RSVP but the password to get in is “Rudi Dassler”…and it’s free! Apartment 3, the rad Los Feliz store, will also be settting up a popup shop at the bar where they’ll be selling vintage and designer pieces for under $40. Ch-ch-ch-check it out!