JoshCast #24 - Southside of Heaven

Two months since the last JoshCast. How have you survived? Fear not, because it just returned from its summer hiatus, largely due to the fact that I've found Grooveshark, another means to embed music -- a dire need after Lala was shut down at the end of May.

To make up for lost time, how about 5 new tracks...one for each day of the week? And not only that, but each one from a different corner of the music-verse? On to JoshCast #24!

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If you've seen the movie Crazy Heart, you are aware of the sheer genius of (1) Jeff Bridges and (2) Ryan Bingham. Chances are you hadn't heard of the latter (and maybe still haven't) until he -- like Bridges -- took home an Oscar for his role in the bittersweet, whiskey-soaked drama.

Before winning that gold statue, he broke onto the country(ish) music scene in 2007 with his major label debut, Mescalito. His loose, roadhouse songwriting style, coupled with his rusty voice (think country-fried Bob Dylan), made for a real fine album. (In addition to the song I'm about to introduce, see "Bread and Water".)

As I listened to it all the way through for the first time this past weekend, I couldn't help but think of the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which in post-production, they filtered the colors so the whole thing had a brownish, sepia texture. True, Mescalito can only be perceived by the ear, but when listening to it, you almost can see, feel, and taste that same dusty tone.

The first track, "Southside of Heaven", is probably the highlight. Its slowburning introduction, soon joined by a gorgeous harmonica, backs lonely lyrics bellowed by Bingham's gravely voice. After a couple of verses, it slows to a smoldering pace for a moment before ending with a rousing banjo-laced finale. GREAT STUFF. Listen for yourself.