Thumbs up or down on this guy?

Once I got used to his voice (like Willie with his nuts in a vise and a clothespin on his nose), i started to love this band and the tunes. It's Willie Nelson's son. He's got that intelligent Willie vocal phrasing, the songs are cool, the lyrics are a little trippy but nicely turned, and i really love his classic Strat tone and note choice.

http://www.promiseofthereal.com/media.php

The first song's killer, if you ask me. What do you think? Don't be shy.

Thanks for the heads up Noah, I listened to all clips and like the songs for all reasons you mentioned.

He kind of has a jam band feel to me, with Willie influences. Once I accepted that it is a Willie offspring singing and not a computer morph of Willie, Dylan and Townes Van Zandt I focused on what was played/sang and enjoyed it more. But I do like that jam band / alt country stuff now and again.

Where and will he (not Willie) get airplay?

Great question. I guess he's got a new album in the works. It must be nigh on impossible to get regular radio airplay. And even the internet radio stations -- like Radio Paradise and Pandora -- that I listen to seem narrow. I have the Tony Joe White "station" programmed into my Pandora. Two-thirds of the tunes are TJW, J.J. Cale wi/ or w/o Clapton, SRV and Knopfler. I like all those guys, but I can also think of dozens more guys who belong there -- how about Anders Osborne and C.C. Adcock? And the Los Lonely Boys "station" only plays Los Lobos and Santana. Maybe I don't understand Pandora? Maybe we're supposed to be making suggestions? I'll have to go back and look...

I like how Nelson uses that extra percussionist. And I think his rhythm playing is great. I read he doesn't play a lot of full chords but a lot of small chords with hybrid-picking embellishments. You can hear it. Thanks for posting, Sam!

Listened to all but the last on so far. I am really enjoying them. The voice is definitely, original. I like it, especially in start to go.





Off topic

"Jazz is about getting as far from I-IV-V as you can until people start leaving."

Dang man, that is hilarious.