If It's Too Loud...

Photo via Facebook I've had the chance to see Pokey LaFarge in various incarnations over the last eight years or so, but I've never seen a fully solo performance. While being in between albums and bands, he decided to do a solo tour with fellow Midwesterner Jake La Botz, who is also performing solo. While both fall firmly into the folk/Americana genre, the pair have very different sounds which complemented each other perfectly. First up was Jake La Botz, taking the stage two minutes early. Playing seated for his set, La Botz went through ten of his songs about addiction, struggle, and heartache. He has this downtrodden, lived in sound in his music, but somehow keeps things uplifting. His is more on the style of folk and country meets early rock 'n' roll, which went over very well with the still entering crowd. Despite being seated for the entire performance, La Botz is an incredibly captivating performer. He stays laid back, but puts on more of a rock show than a...

Puddles Pity Party is undeniably popular, although I don't know if I've ever quite got it. It's too weird of a concept to be taken fully seriously, but he's far too talented to be a pure novelty. But, if he's going to join with Jake La Botz to cover The Kinks... how can I possibly resist that? The pair take on "Strangers," one of my favorite understated Kinks classic songs. It's somewhat reinvented with a country feel.  Puddles Pity Party says about the recording: " This song was written by Dave Davies. Our pal, Jake La Botz, stopped by the garage. We talked about life and living and his Buddhist meditation practice. Then we decided to play this song. It's been on my mind lately, although I've never played it before. Jake plays a mean guitar, and I love playing that outta tune Ban-Tar or whatever it's called. Let's hear it for Andrew and that Fog Storm 1200! I adore making art with these guys." You can watch the video fo...

Jake La Botz grew up in Chicago and started playing music on the streets of the city with blues legends like Honeyboy Edwards and Maxwell Street Jimmy Davis. From there, he did time in punk bands until that was ended by a drug addiction. He's now sober, teaches meditation in prisons in Nashville, acts in films and plays, and has new music coming out. "They're Coming for Me" is a dark, bluesy, folk rock song. Musically it's fairly mainstream, but there's something about La Botz's voice that is undeniably compelling. It's a tired trope to say you can hear someone's life in their voice, but La Botz's voice carries a weariness that shows his life, but he also has a sense of optimism. It's the dichotomy of folk/rock/Americana mixed with his punk edged voice that gives "They're Coming for Me" such a compelling feel. You can listen to "They're Coming for Me" below. The album They're Coming for Me  will be ou...