Venerable Video: "Ain't No Ash Will Burn" - Jill Andrews and Josh Oliver

Former co-lead singer and songwriter of pre-Americana-explosion Americana/folk/true-country act The Everybodyfields, the beautiful and talented Jill Andrews teams up with former Everybodyfields band member, musician, and talented solo artist in his own right, Josh Oliver, for a no-frills rendition of the song "Ain't No Ash Will Burn." The song, written by Walt Aldridge, has been covered by many artists throughout the years, but Andrews' and Oliver's take is the first one I've come across, and I was immediately struck by it. There is nothing quite so moving to hear as uniquely talented singers harmonizing over the simple melody of chords strummed on an acoustic guitar. Gracefully ignoring the brief mic feedback that occurs around the thirty-five second mark, Andrews and Oliver take this song about love lost and not easily rekindled and turn it into something transcendent and even uplifting. Plus, you can't go wrong with a sad love song that references coal.

   

I have seen snow that fell in May
And I have seen rain on cloudless days 
Some things are always bound to change 
There ain't no ash will burn 

Love is a precious thing I'm told 
It burns just like West Virginia coal 
But when the fire dies down it's cold 
There ain't no ash will burn 

You say this life is not your lot 
Well I can't be something that I'm not 
We can't stoke a fire that we ain't got 
There ain't no ash will burn 

 In every life there comes a time 
Where there are no more tears to cry 
We must leave something dear behind 
There ain't no ash will burn 

There is one lesson I have learned 
There ain't no ash will burn

Lyrics courtesy of www.bluegrasslyrics.com.

Venerable Video: "Neon" (live acoustic) - Chris Young

I've written a few times about "Neon" on this blog before, and I've made no secret about the fact that I love the song. But contained in the clip that follows is what may be my favorite version of it, a phenomenal acoustic rendition that I'd never come across until a few weeks ago. In it Chris Young speaks about falling in love with the song upon first hearing it, so much so that he gave his last album its title. If you need evidence that Young is one of the--if not the--best male vocalist working in mainstream country music today and not just another gussied-up pretty cowboy who sounds mighty shaky live, look no further than this video.

Venerable Video: "Cry Help" by I Draw Slow

I'm attempting to start a new feature here on the blog: the Venerable Video. These will just be videos--music videos, live, or otherwise--that I've run across recently or that I remember from long ago. I am making the word "venerable" (which means "commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity" and is a term usually reserved for historical figures and politicians) fit here because I've always loved that word and alliteration is fun. I do this as a way to try and keep the posts coming, at least weekly. Whereas as my song reviews tend to be three or more paragraphs, I will try to keep these in "snippet" form--no more than four or five sentences. Wish me luck.



This Americana band from Dublin, Ireland is led by siblings Dave and Louise Holden, who play acoustic guitar and sing lead vocals, respectively. Their style is a mix of folk and bluegrass that sounds like it came directly from the hills and hollers of Appalachia (which is pretty cool considering the Scots-Irish heritage of many who live and have lived in that region of the US). But by no means are they trapped in the past; this is old-time music that is assuredly contemporary. This video of "Cry Help" off their 2012 album Red Hills is shot beautifully in black and white at one of their lives shows in Dublin, complimenting the melancholy feel of the song. It is one of those songs that most definitely tells a story but lyrically doesn't spell everything out, thus rewarding repeated listens. You won't be able to get the stunning chorus out of your head. (Band Website)