Dex Romweber Duo featuring Jack White “The Wind Did Move”

sfilzen — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 16:12:56 +0000

Dex Romweber Duo featuring Jack White “The Wind Did Move” b/w “Last Kind Word Blues” 2009. Third Man Records. Earlier this week Dex Romweber Duo’s drummer, Sara Romweber (Dex’s older sister) died at age 55. In the 80′s she was part of Let’s Active who were popular on the indie/college radio scene and opened for R.E.M. “The Wind Did Move” is a blues/Americana-leaning rockabilly scorcher with backup whoops and hollers, as well as “sawing wood” by White. “Last Kind Word Blues” is a more sedate and soulful bluesy number with an old-timey saloon flavor. It’s a cover of the song originally recorded by Geeshie Wiley, recorded in Grafton, WI for Paramount Records in 1930. Whether it was Dex or Jack who chose this, I don’t know, but Jack White has had a fascination with Paramount Records, putting out a couple of massive and expensive box sets: The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records – which I’d like to note is the same title as a grad school paper I wrote about Paramount back in the late 90′s that was published in the Wisconsin Magazine of History Vol 82, #2, Winter 1998-1999. (Doubt he read it, but maybe!)

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The Black Keys “The Big Come Up”

sfilzen — Mon, 15 May 2017 14:47:20 +0000

The Black Keys “The Big Come Up” released on yesterday’s date, May 14th, fifteen years ago in 2002. White vinyl on Alive Records. May 14th was also Dan Auerbach’s birthday (b. 1979). The Big Come Up was The Black Keys’ debut album, famously recorded in Patrick Carney’s freezing cold basement on an 8-track tape recorder, providing the recording with a lo-fi grainy quality that mimicked their deep blues influences. They cover a couple of these: Junior Kimbrough’s “Do The Rump” and the traditional blues song “Leavin’ Trunk” (originally credited to Sleep John Estes and recorded over the years by Taj Mahal, Harvey Mandel, Tedeschi Trucks Band and probably many others). Also: the main riff on “Busted” is heavily influenced by “Skinny Woman” by R.L. Burnside. The Black Keys bring a garage punk inspiration onto the album with a cover of The Stooges’ “No Fun” which only appears on the vinyl release, as well as classic rock on their rendition of The Beatles’ “She Said, She Said.” The Black Keys’ originals are also stellar, my favorites include the boogie blues “Countdown” and the raucous “Yearnin,’” and the 60′s go-go tinged “Them Eyes.”

With the release of this debut album, The Black Keys helped (along with The White Stripes and other less well-known bands) usher in yet another blues renaissance to popular music. On the back cover of the record, Denise Grollmus writes “…when you place this record on your turntable you’ll suddenly realize that – somewhere, somehow – there are people who are rekindling the life of truly soulful music. At first, the quality of the recordings may force you into nostalgic distance. You may be thinking to yourself that it is impossible for two young white men in 2002 to have made such a recording. Think again.”

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blues revival Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

Dex Romweber Duo featuring Jack White “The Wind Did Move”

The Black Keys “The Big Come Up”