Searching For Meaning With Glossary

Glossary - Almsgiver [buy]

“Now, your mama she done told you
Papa told you, too
Them boys with guitars
Can’t take care of you
They only run and they’re reckless
They live the way they want to.”

I’m taking a brief respite from the Clarence White Chronicles to talk about a band that you can actually see live in the here and now. I know, I know, The Adios Lounge teeters on the edge of recklessness with these new bands and their modern music. But, if you’re like me, you prefer your modern bands to have at least one foot rooted in the past and Glossary is no exception. To these ears, theirs is a throwback sound that begins with The Band, Springsteen, and even Little Feat, gets to The Replacements, and then takes a left turn through Blue Mountain and Marah. Or, as the name of the tour they shared with fellow travelers Grand Champeen, The Drams, and Two Cow Garage made perfectly clear, “This is American Music.” Sho nuff.

The two songs I’ve posted here are both from The Better Angels Of Our Nature (original cover pictured right), their most recent album and one consumed by the challenge of growing older in a rock ‘n’ roll band. The songs on Better Angels also address the peculiar difficulties of relationships for said rock ‘n’ rollers. Given that singer/guitarist/songwriter, Joey Kneiser, and vocalist/percussionist, Kelly Kneiser, are former spouses, I think it’s fair to say that the album’s theme hits close to home. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that the theme itself isn’t all that original. But hey, are you gonna stop eating good BBQ just because you’ve had it before? Of course not. Trust me, this is stick-to-your-ribs southern music, tempered by regret and nostalgia and yet passionately embracing the simple, uplifting power of rock ‘n’ roll.

Glossary - Blood On The Knobs [buy]

“14 years growing up in bars
Sleeping on floors
Playing cheap guitars
I’m still holding onto rock ‘n’ roll
Holding onto rock ‘n’ roll.”

As a bonus, here’s a video of Joey and Kelly doing an acoustic version of “Blood On The Knobs” at WMTS, the student-run radio station at Middle Tennessee State, located in their hometown of Murfreesboro, TN.

Glossary - Blood On The Knobs

You can catch Glossary tonight and tomorrow in Ohio, then they’ll be in Detroit, and they’re finishing up their tour on the east coast. It looks like most dates feature Lucero and Justin Townes Earle (yes, Steve’s kid), so you may wanna call the venues regarding the specific lineup order.