a r t i s t : The Wilders
t i t l e : Someone's Got to Pay
d a t e : 2008
l a b e l : Free Dirt Records
g e n r e : Folk
r l s. d a t e : Oct/2008
t r a c k s : 20
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 62,9 MB
_______________________________________________________________________
Educated Hillbillies, The Phantom Drummer, and the Relentless
Acoustic Decibels of a Commando Jam: The Wilders Live Up to
Their Name on SomeoneÆs Got to Pay
When hillbilly band The Wilders first named themselves, they
didnÆt realize the moniker itself was a bit of old-time snake
oil; less of a description, and more a prediction. The
foursome also didnÆt know they had the power to invoke a fifth
paranormal band member now known as the Phantom Drummer. But
this is just what comes to light on their new album, SomeoneÆs
Got to Pay, an Americana album sequenced around a real life
murder trial (or as the lyrics say, ôAn old murder ballad come
to lifeö) and filled out with original tracks that conjure up
small town crazies and wrecked lives. But donÆt let the dark
subject matter fool you. The Wilders just got wilder and the
music is more engaging then ever.
The Wildersùwith a musical soul that lies in the Ozarksùhave
been heading this way for quite a while. There are the dobro
and banjo, old-time fiddle tunes, and allegiances to Hank
Williams and Johnny Cash. There are the old-time songs,
heartbreak, and hard-driving honky tonk subject matter. But
out of necessity the Americana bandÆs early days required
drastic measures that set them on a raucous and innovative
course.
ôWe got a lot of gigs in the early days doing what we call the
Commando Jam,ö explains guitarist and lead singer Ike Sheldon.
They would go to a festival they wanted to play, among dozens
of bands jamming for attention in the lobby. ôWe would set up
and just wait. ThereÆs always a moment when nobody else was
playing and when it would happen we would just say, æGo!Æ WeÆd
play the loudest, most heinous fiddle tune. Everyone would
think, æWhat the hell is going on over there?Æ It was totally
commando, like sneaking around and pulling out the machine gun
and mowing people down with music. You canÆt just be strumming
in the corner. You gotta make noise. ThatÆs how we would get a
lot of contacts. ThatÆs one reason we play like that.ö
They recently came to the conclusion that to get the wild
sound fans see in their live performances on record, they had
to do some counterintuitive things, as a live recording does
not necessarily translate a live sound. In a live setting, you
can see and feel the energy. But on a recording you have to
ramp up the energy levels in other ways. For the first time,
the band has included a drummer on the album. And bassist Nate
Gawron plays electric on this album on several
tracksùsomething never heard before on a Wilders album. In
addition, they used overdubbing to create more layers and
complexity. ôWeÆre not becoming an electric band, but itÆs
time we take this opportunity to do things we never could do
before,ö says fiddle player Betse Ellis.
When they started the group, band members listened to a lot of
early country music, old-time music from the Æ20s and Æ30s,
and early honky tonk. ôThereÆs a good maxim in art,ö explains
Ike. ôYou shouldnÆt really break the rules until you know the
rules. Look at Picasso; the dude was absolutely amazing. He
could draw anything perfectly, very detailed and realistic.
ThatÆs how he could move on to other things. We said æIf we
are gonna play country music, letÆs learn what makes it tick.Æ
And now that we know, we are reaping the benefits; we can
throw the rules out the window. If you want straight Hank
Williams, we can do it right. But donÆt give me any shit for
being just like a rock and roller and totally twisting it
around.ö
While the band already had high energy on stage, when bass
player Nate joined the band the intensity and groove was
bumped up a notch, egging the rest of the players on to play
even faster and harder. One day when The Wilders were in the
studio, guitarist Sam Broussard (of Steve Riley and the Mamou
Playboys) dropped by. Upon meeting Ike he said, ôAre you the
guitar player?ö to which Ike replied, ôYes.ö ôWell,ö said
Broussard, ôyou ainÆt much of a guitar player, but youÆre a
hell of a drummer!ö He went on to say, ôThereÆs all these
bluegrass guys who say æWe donÆt need drums.Æ Well theyÆre
wrong. SomeoneÆs playing drums in every band. It doesnÆt have
to be on a drum. You guys got a good one going on!ö
On their new recording, Glenn Fields from the Red Stick
Ramblers guest stars on the drum kit, but the majority of the
time, the band is without a real live percussionistà in the
traditional sense, that is. ôWhen we get the rhythm going,
Nate and I say, the Phantom Drummer shows up,ö says Ike. ôA
guy came up to us after one concert and said, æI called my son
and told him how great you were. He asked what instruments you
were playing and I said, æWell, fiddle, banjo, a drummerà
Actually IÆm not sure if they had a drummer.Æ Do you guys have
a drummer? It sure sounds like you had one.Æ WeÆve only got a
Phantom Drummer when we all hook up and make that imagined
fifth member driving the beat. Our solos and singers are all
great, but rhythm is job one. It has to move your ass. If your
rhythm sucks, your band sucks. When itÆs working right and the
Phantom Drummer appears, the band plays itself.ö
Hardcore Wilders fans got a taste of what was to come on
OctoberÆs limited-edition, ten-inch red vinyl EP ôSittinÆ on a
Jury.ö Side One features tracks by Flatt and Scruggs, Hank
Williams, and a traditional fiddle tune, while Side Two
features ôSittinÆ on a Jury,ö the original, five-movement work
by Phil Wade, who plays the dobro, banjo, and mandolin in the
band. The new CD takes those five tracks and intersperses them
with more original songs written by the band. Phil sat on the
jury of an intense murder trial in Kansas City, which inspired
the lyrics of this suite.
All of the album material is original, with the exception of
one traditional fiddle tune, ôBroken Down Gambler,ö from The
Skillet Lickers. Betse EllisÆs original hair-raising fiddle
tunes soulfully capture the essence of the old-time genre but
also channel the spirit of her childhood heroes like Pete
Townsend and Jimmy Page. Betse has found a way to balance
these influences; traditional fiddlers inspire her playing as
do those rock legends. On ôCollard Greens,ö Betse pays homage
to living legend Joe Thompson, who keeps alive a tradition of
African-American fiddle style and has inspired other young
string bands.
Though you might not notice on first listen, The Wilders draw
from a wide variety of inspirations and inject them into the
DNA of their sound. TheyÆre not afraid to acknowledge the
African-American influence in hillbilly music or to draw on
the rhythms and attitude of modern day hip hop or punk rock.
BetseÆs and PhilÆs route to old-time music came via a world
music band they formed before The Wilders. Philùwho plays
dobro, banjo, and mandolinùplayed the sitar at one point, but
comments: ôMy sitar/hippie days are long, long gone. I've got
the beer belly to prove it.ö
ôWeÆre doing whatever we want and thatÆs whatÆs really
exciting for us,ö concludes Ike. ôThis ainÆt sitting on the
front porch rocking chair music. We play hillbilly music and
we play the shit out of it.ö
_______________________________________________________________________
01-wild old nory [03:31]
02-broken down gambler [02:28]
03-an old murder ballad come to life [00:53]
04-sittin' on a jury - prologue [02:11]
05-my final plea [04:37]
06-hey little darlin [03:34]
07-old dirty boot [02:10]
08-raised up my right hand [01:03]
09-sittin' on a jury - the prosecution [01:05]
10-someone's got to pay [03:29]
11-happy that way [03:20]
12-collard greens [02:36]
13-hey mr. judge [00:52]
14-sittin' on a jury - the defense [03:13]
15-sorry i let you down [05:09]
16-rock in the woods [01:53]
17-davey took a gun and killed his wife [01:23]
18-sittin' on a jury - the verdict [01:23]
19-sittin' on a jury - epilogue [01:18]
20-goodbye i've seen it all [02:55]
-------
49:03 min