Podcasts about burn something beautiful

Alejandro started as a punk guitarist for the The Nuns, moved to Austin in the '80s and became a songwriter with True Believers. He has since put out 14+ solo albums of story-driven, lyrically intense, stylistically varied Texas rock. We discuss "Beauty and the Buzz" from Burn Something Beautiful (2016), "Sally Was a Cop" from Big Station (2012), and "Pissed Off 2AM" from With These Hands (1996). End song: "Velvet Guitar" from A Man Under the Influence (2001). Opening: "Hard Road" from True Believers (1986). More at alejandroescovedo.com. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Alejandro started as a punk guitarist for the The Nuns, moved to Austin in the '80s and became a songwriter with True Believers. He has since put out 14+ solo albums of story-driven, lyrically intense, stylistically varied Texas rock. We'll be discussing "Beauty and the Buzz" from Burn Something Beautiful (2016), "Sally Was a Cop" from Big Station (2012), and "Pissed Off 2AM" from With These Hands (1996). End song: "Velvet Guitar" from A Man Under the Influence (2001). Opening: "Hard Road" from True Believers (1986). More at alejandroescovedo.com. Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us at patreon.com/nakedlyexaminedmusic.

Alejandro Escovedo was born into a musical family in San Antonio Texas. Where his older siblings and father pursued Mexican music, he dove into rock and roll. His San Francisco punk band The Nuns played dates with The Ramones and the Sex Pistols. He moved to Austin where he emphasized songwriting and formed early roots rock bands Rank and File and The True Believers. Then through a solo career and enthusiastic collaborations he took on the status of an underground icon. In 1998, No Depression magazine named him its first Artist of the Decade. In 2006 the Americana Music Association granted him a Lifetime Achievement Award as a performer. Escovedo's newest project stemmed from collaboration of old friends Peter Buck - former guitarist of REM - and Scott McCaughey of power pop band The Minus 5. They collectively wrote and produced Burn Something Beautiful, a ruminative folk rock album that confronts aging and some of Escovedo's life struggles, including a 20 year battle with Hepatitis C. Escovedo sat down with me at the City Winery Nashville a few hours before the Burn Something Beautiful Band took the stage.  

Alejandro Escovedo's long career has led him through strains of punk, folk and Americana, but for 2016's Burn Something Beautiful he channels rangy, guitar-heavy rock & roll. He's joined on that album by Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Scott McCaughey (Minus 5), but for this session it's just him and his acoustic guitar. Songs performed on this episode are "Farewell to the Good Times," "Heartbeat Smile" and "Beauty and the Buzz." Recorded on November 13, 2016 at KDHX in St. Louis, Missouri. Engineered by Jon Valley. 

Renowned songwriter, singer, true believer, Alejandro Escovedo released Burn Something Beautiful on October 28th, 2016 via Fantasy Records. The new album, Escovedo’s first solo endeavor since 2012’s highly acclaimed Big Station, is in actuality, a highly collaborative affair. Teaming with Peter Buck (R.E.M.) and Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5) to co-write the album’s songs, Escovedo also enlisted the pair to act as the project’s producers. At once a celebration of the rock and roll life, a contemplation on mortality, and the healing power of love, Burn Something Beautiful connects repeatedly with Escovedo’s soulful heart and voice at its core. Recorded at Portland’s Type Foundry studio, cwith the help of an esteemed group of musicians .They include guitarist Kurt Bloch (The Fastbacks), drummer John Moen (The Decemberists), vocalists Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney) and Kelly Hogan (Neko Case, The Flat Fie) as well as saxophonist Steve Berlin (Los Lobos). In a trailblazing career that began with The Nuns, San Francisco’s famed punk innovators, to the Austin-based-based alt-country rock pioneers, Rank & File, to Texas bred darlings, True Believers, through countless all-star collaborations and tribute album appearances and finally a series of beloved solo albums beginning with 1992’s acclaimed Gravity, Escovedo has earned a surplus of distinctions: No Depression magazine’s Artist of the Decade Award in 1998 and the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Performing in 2006, just to name two. “You just do your good work, and people care,” Alejandro says. “I always believed, when I was a kid, that if you worked hard, you would find fulfillment. I think I got a lot of that from my father and my brothers. A working musician is all I ever wanted to be. Hard work, stay true to what you want to do, and then eventually someone would notice for that very reason.”

He has reached retirement age but you wouldn’t know that from his new album “Burn Something Beautiful.” The highly influential, Texas-born roots rocker has changed up his collaborators to give his music a more freewheeling sound