Saturday, April 4, 2009

Justin Townes Earle

I haven't fallen hard for a new musician since my Fine Frenzy discovery a year ago.

I found Justin Townes Earle this past Tuesday when he opened for Jason Isbell at Spaceland. It was so unexpected . . . I was expecting decent background music at best, but this fellow is not a background performer. He draws in focus using nothing more aggressive than a warm introduction, his easy Tennessee accent bubbling like a creek bed.

It's impossible to not watch him: his impossibly long and lanky body, his floppy Colonel Sanders bow tie, his greased hair. He hunches over his guitar and tilts his head into the microphone. His voice, his lyrics, his eyes all communicate sincerity. I think that's what gets me: the sincerity. I love the music, but I'm a lyrics person, first and foremost, and the words of his songs are so beautiful and simple and honest. So genuinely honest.

Justin Townes Earle rocks my world.

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