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Dave Alvin
Manage episode 261842431 series 2113766
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The 53rd episode of the Burning Ambulance podcast features an interview with singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Alvin, and is sponsored by Harry's men's grooming products. If you’re listening to this, you can get a Harry’s trial set at harrys.com/burning. You’ll get a weighted ergonomic handle for a firm grip; a five blade razor with a lubricating strip and trimmer blade; rich lathering shave gel with aloe to keep your skin hydrated; and a travel blade cover to keep your razor dry and easy to grab on the go. Go to harrys.com/burning to start shaving better today!
I am incredibly excited that I got to talk to Dave Alvin. I first heard the Blasters, the band he formed with his brother Phil in 1979 or so, 30 years ago, in 1990, when a compilation called The Blasters Collection came out, and I was just blown away. Their music was a mix of rockabilly, blues, country, hillbilly music, Forties jump blues and Fifties R&B – they basically threw everything into a blender and somehow turned it into one thing, all driven by Dave Alvin’s lead guitar and Bill Bateman’s massive drums, which could really be a whole conversation on their own.
Dave Alvin’s made close to twenty albums since leaving the Blasters, including a couple with Phil in the last few years but also a whole string of records with his band the Guilty Men, some collaborations with country singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore and rockabilly singer Sonny Burgess, and guest appearances on a million things, because he’s a kick-ass guitar player with a unique style and sound that a lot of people want to use for things. And now he’s got a new band called the Third Mind, which was the impetus for this interview. They don’t really sound like anything else he’s done before – their music is highly improvisatory psychedelic rock, with some touches of very early jazz-rock fusion thrown in there, too. So if you were wondering how a roots-rock semi-traditionalist singer-songwriter winds up on this podcast, well, that’s how.
This conversation is really fascinating, and goes down a lot of pathways I wasn’t expecting. We talk about Robert Johnson, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Dick Dale, Sun Records, growing up in California…Dave Alvin’s a hell of a sharp guy who knows a lot about music, and I had a fantastic time talking to him. I’m sure you'll enjoy hearing our conversation.
If you do enjoy this podcast, please consider visiting patreon.com/burningambulance and becoming a subscriber. For just $5 a month, you can help keep this show and Burning Ambulance as a whole active and thriving. Thanks!
Music heard in this episode:
The Blasters, "Long White Cadillac" (Non Fiction)
The Third Mind, "Journey in Satchidananda" (The Third Mind)
85 episodes
Manage episode 261842431 series 2113766
Support Burning Ambulance on Patreon
Get the Burning Ambulance email newsletter
The 53rd episode of the Burning Ambulance podcast features an interview with singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Alvin, and is sponsored by Harry's men's grooming products. If you’re listening to this, you can get a Harry’s trial set at harrys.com/burning. You’ll get a weighted ergonomic handle for a firm grip; a five blade razor with a lubricating strip and trimmer blade; rich lathering shave gel with aloe to keep your skin hydrated; and a travel blade cover to keep your razor dry and easy to grab on the go. Go to harrys.com/burning to start shaving better today!
I am incredibly excited that I got to talk to Dave Alvin. I first heard the Blasters, the band he formed with his brother Phil in 1979 or so, 30 years ago, in 1990, when a compilation called The Blasters Collection came out, and I was just blown away. Their music was a mix of rockabilly, blues, country, hillbilly music, Forties jump blues and Fifties R&B – they basically threw everything into a blender and somehow turned it into one thing, all driven by Dave Alvin’s lead guitar and Bill Bateman’s massive drums, which could really be a whole conversation on their own.
Dave Alvin’s made close to twenty albums since leaving the Blasters, including a couple with Phil in the last few years but also a whole string of records with his band the Guilty Men, some collaborations with country singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore and rockabilly singer Sonny Burgess, and guest appearances on a million things, because he’s a kick-ass guitar player with a unique style and sound that a lot of people want to use for things. And now he’s got a new band called the Third Mind, which was the impetus for this interview. They don’t really sound like anything else he’s done before – their music is highly improvisatory psychedelic rock, with some touches of very early jazz-rock fusion thrown in there, too. So if you were wondering how a roots-rock semi-traditionalist singer-songwriter winds up on this podcast, well, that’s how.
This conversation is really fascinating, and goes down a lot of pathways I wasn’t expecting. We talk about Robert Johnson, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Dick Dale, Sun Records, growing up in California…Dave Alvin’s a hell of a sharp guy who knows a lot about music, and I had a fantastic time talking to him. I’m sure you'll enjoy hearing our conversation.
If you do enjoy this podcast, please consider visiting patreon.com/burningambulance and becoming a subscriber. For just $5 a month, you can help keep this show and Burning Ambulance as a whole active and thriving. Thanks!
Music heard in this episode:
The Blasters, "Long White Cadillac" (Non Fiction)
The Third Mind, "Journey in Satchidananda" (The Third Mind)
85 episodes
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