Gob Iron
Encyclopedia
Gob Iron is an American
musical group officially formed in 2006. It consists of Uncle Tupelo
/Son Volt
's Jay Farrar
and Varnaline's Anders Parker
. Their debut album, Death Songs For The Living was released on October 31, 2006 by Transmit Sound/Legacy Recordings
. Their name comes from a British
slang term for a harmonica
.
. Farrar had originally intended to record a new Son Volt album, but that project was postponed in favor of these songs.
The songs played, with one exception of a Farrar original, were reworked versions of traditional folk songs by artists such as Rev. J.M. Gates, Stephen Foster
and the Stanley Brothers
. Lyrics and melodies have been altered, some almost entirely rewritten through what is sometimes referred to as the "folk process". While Farrar and Parker chose the songs on the fly, it was later found that death was a common theme running through; hence the title, 'Death Songs For The Living'. The songs are puncuated by nine short instrumentals, one between every pair of songs.
Allmusic praised Death Songs For The Living as Farrar's best effort since Son Volt's 1995 Trace
. The album is described as "strong, deeply felt, and speaks of a genuine commitment to keeping the folk tradition alive through a willingness to challenge its structures".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical group officially formed in 2006. It consists of Uncle Tupelo
Uncle Tupelo
Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville...
/Son Volt
Son Volt
Son Volt is an alternative country group formed by Jay Farrar in 1994 after the breakup of the band Uncle Tupelo.-History:The group formed after Farrar met Jim and Dave Boquist during the final Uncle Tupelo tour. Together with former Uncle Tupelo drummer Mike Heidorn, the band rehearsed and...
's Jay Farrar
Jay Farrar
Jay Farrar is an American songwriter and musician currently based in St. Louis, Missouri. A veteran of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001...
and Varnaline's Anders Parker
Anders Parker
Anders Parker is an American singer-songwriter, guitar player, singer and multi-instrumentalist with a career spanning two decades. He has performed and recorded as a solo artist and as a key member in bands such as Varnaline and Space Needle...
. Their debut album, Death Songs For The Living was released on October 31, 2006 by Transmit Sound/Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings
Legacy Recordings is Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division. It was founded in 1990 by CBS Records under the leadership of Jerry Shulman, Richard Bauer, Gary Pacheco and Amy Herot to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated...
. Their name comes from a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
slang term for a harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
.
Music
The songs that would become 'Death Songs For The Living' were recorded spontaneously during a 5-day period in autumn of 2004 in Farrar's studio in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Farrar had originally intended to record a new Son Volt album, but that project was postponed in favor of these songs.
The songs played, with one exception of a Farrar original, were reworked versions of traditional folk songs by artists such as Rev. J.M. Gates, Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
and the Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers
The Stanley Brothers were an American bluegrass duo made up of brothers Carter and Ralph Stanley.-Biography:Carter and Ralph Stanley hailed originally from Dickenson County, Virginia. The family soon moved to McClure, Virginia where their parents worked a small farm in the Clinch Mountains...
. Lyrics and melodies have been altered, some almost entirely rewritten through what is sometimes referred to as the "folk process". While Farrar and Parker chose the songs on the fly, it was later found that death was a common theme running through; hence the title, 'Death Songs For The Living'. The songs are puncuated by nine short instrumentals, one between every pair of songs.
Allmusic praised Death Songs For The Living as Farrar's best effort since Son Volt's 1995 Trace
Trace (album)
Trace is the first album by Son Volt, released in 1995. The band was formed the previous year by Jay Farrar after the breakup of the influential alt-country band Uncle Tupelo. The album reached #166 on the Billboard 200 album chart and received extremely favorable reviews...
. The album is described as "strong, deeply felt, and speaks of a genuine commitment to keeping the folk tradition alive through a willingness to challenge its structures".
Discography
| Discography | Release Date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Death Songs for the Living | October 31, 2006 | Transmit Sound / Legacy Recordings Legacy Recordings Legacy Recordings is Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division. It was founded in 1990 by CBS Records under the leadership of Jerry Shulman, Richard Bauer, Gary Pacheco and Amy Herot to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated... |