Well, next week the boys and I are gonna be on TV again. We have a cameo as the prison band on the new show “Justified” on the FX network. They are using my song “Castleneck” as the tune that the band plays. This tune is about a guy that worked at my favorite bar in Allston Mass. called Bunratty’s. Everyone called him Castleneck because he had a medieval castle tattooed on his neck. I didn’t know his real name until they printed it in the paper after he shot his girlfriend to death in front of Bunratty’s and then went home and shot himself. So the song is sort of a murder ballad telling the whole sad story. When I recorded this song I thought it sounded like a country crossover. Something that could help us expand our audience. Someone suggested to me that it wasn’t a country crossover because the song didn’t have a positive message. I was listening to a Brad Paisley cd the other day and I’ll be damned if every song had a positive message. Also included in every song was a mention of living in the country, your truck or car, some outdoor activity i.e. fishing, camping, and the sentimental ones were about happy marriages and the cute little tiffs they get into but love each other anyway.
BARF! does Brad Paisley never have a bad day? has he never been dumped or cheated on his wife? or gotten drunk because he was so sad he couldn’t stay sober?
Save me Merle Haggard!
The bottom line is these songs lack any real emotion and I can’t listen to them. But obviously lots of people do. I love a good time foot stomper as much as the next guy but not a whole album of them. All you Paisley fans feel free to chime in.
Anyway, the song for this week is a lost version of “Castleneck” that I recorded about 20 years ago on an album that never got released. As a matter of fact, I think this is just a rough mix. We never finished it. Some friends and I had a power trio southern rock band called 10W40 that was pretty good for a minete or two. You can download it from my website. You can also see the video we made for the new version of the song here. Compare the two versions and let me know which one you like better. It’s me on guitar and banjo, Scott Cormier on bass, and Slacker on drums. Click on the link next to the picture below to listen.
cw
Devitt, myself, and craig on the set of "Justified" in our prison outfits
Congrats on your gig—you’re certainly Justified in those horizontal stripes! I knew that bit part in my short art film “The Deadliest Sin” would lead to your big TV career
Comment by katyallgeyer — March 24, 2010 @ 2:59 am |
Cliff, I’m not sure which version I like better. All I want to know is why in the hell would anyone put your ugly mug on TV? What’s ultimately worse is that you were listening to Brad Paisley…have you lost it? Next thing you know you’ll be listening to goddamn Kenny Chesney or somethin’. No Shirt, No Brain, No Problem. Keep it together brother, we’re all pullin’ for you! Flip Flops and Bottle Tops! How low can you go? The music industry is like one big gigantic flaming Limbo Tournament. But seriously folks…these guys should be on TV every day…well except maybe for Sundays….and another thing, what’s with the camouflage baseball hats? Incongruous to the max! Where’s Robin when you need her? P.S. I guess I should cancel my cable subscription today. Ha!
Comment by DV — March 25, 2010 @ 5:37 pm |