Shawn Nelson & the Ramblers

Artist Information

Biography

Texas singer-songwriter Shawn Nelson takes the music he creates beyond its honky-tonk core to offer songs you can dance to that also prompt the listener to think and feel. It’s the natural result of being inspired by as well as meeting and spending time with such Lone Star State songwriting legends as Robert Earl Keen and Guy Clark as well as elements from his life, unique background and musical journey.

On SAN JUAN STREET, Nelson’s fourth album, his many musical and lyrical influences find full fruition as he blends his deep Texan roots with everything from jazz to Tex-Mex to reggae to bluegrass. Produced by Joel Guzman, known for his accordion work with Joe Ely, it features the playing of his band The Ramblers plus such guests as Matt Slusher and Will Dupuy from the South Austin Jug Band, fiddler Trisha Keefer of The Trishas, and famed Austin jazz trumpeter Ephraim Owens.

From the lilting Texas dancehall strains of the opening cut, “Nobody Got A Hold On Me,” to the borderland ambience of the title track, SAN JUAN STREET reflects the ever-growing musical breadth and lyrical sophistication of the Lone Star singer-songwriter movement. Nelson displays a gift for capturing personal feelings we all know like romantic yearning (“More Than California”), unrequited passion (“I Can’t Hide’) and longing for a better life (“Mercy”) that he interweaves with larger spiritual and global perspectives, all of it underpinned by the faith and perseverance expressed on “There’s Time” that is a Nelson personal trademark. Taking stylistic cues from the breadth of his musical inspirations, he weaves bluegrass (“Anna Lee”), reggae (“Daydreamers”), Tex-Mex (“Dreams In The Desert” and “San Juan Street”) and more into a distinctive country-based roots rocking sound all his own.

SAN JUAN STREET is the culmination of a musical career that began in a genuine good ole honky-tonk, The Back Forty, in downtown Austin when Nelson was a student at the University of Texas. A budding singer, songwriter and guitar player at the time, he summoned up the pluck to audition for its owner and won a regular gig at the joint, where he got an education in entertaining hard-drinking barflies for the rest of his college years.

Not long after, Nelson also landed an internship at the Arista Austin record label, and got to meet the artist who prompted him to start playing guitar and writing songs, Robert Earl Keen. “I was inspired by Robert Earl because he seemed like a normal guy,” Nelson explains. “He grew up in Houston as I did, and then went to Texas A&M and started playing in college. It kind of opened my eyes and I thought, wow, maybe I can do that.”

Keen came into the Arista Austin office to secure a deal for his album PICNIC, which Nelson heard him play the songs for through the open office door of the head of the label. Then he was invited to come along with them to a Cowboy Junkies show that evening. “Imagine getting to interact with your hero not just as a fan,” he notes. It gave Nelson the impetus to pursue his dream.

After graduation, he moved to Nashville to work as a song plugger for the publishing company of songwriter Liz Rose, known for co-writing hits for Taylor Swift. His time in Music City was an important learning experience for Nelson, but eventually the siren’s call of the Lone Star State beckoned him home.

The first sign came when he was having a drink late one Saturday night in a bar, pondering whether Nashville was the right place for him and his music. Suddenly Texas songwriting legend Guy Clark sat down next to him and gently slapped Nelson on the back and offered to buy the next round. Clark had been at the funeral of his longtime pal and fellow Texas musical icon Townes Van Zandt earlier that day. In a highly emotional and sentimental mood, he spent the next few hours talking with Nelson about life, music and songs.

“Guy said Townes was the best songwriter that ever lived, and if I wanted to write songs I should study him, and I’d be just fine,” Nelson recalls. “I’m not sure I’ve even scratched the surface of that study.” Yet Nelson’s songs on SAN JUAN STREET do show a similar gift for imbuing the Texas country-folk song with larger themes and spirit that range from the historical to the mystical.

On arriving back in Austin, Nelson started a band, Frontage Road, with fellow singer-songwriter John Saba, who now leads the critically acclaimed alt-country group San Saba County. Frontage Road debuted at the famed Luckenbach dancehall and on their next show opened for Bruce Robison, convincing Nelson he was on the right path.

His next band, Crazy Chester, earned two weekly residencies at the Austin clubs Momo’s and Steamboat, played Dallas and Houston, toured outside Texas, and cut an album before they disbanded. It was time for Nelson to step out front and lead his own group. He cut three albums — SHAWN NELSON & THE RAMBLERS, LIVE FROM ANTONE’S and AIN’T NO EASY WAY — before recording his fullest artistic expression to date on SAN JUAN STREET.

Nelson originally met Guzman while working at Arista Austin, for which Guzman did engineering and production projects. After being reintroduced, Guzman asked Nelson to mix sound for his live shows and then start opening for him. Ultimately he offered to produce Nelson’s next album.

SAN JUAN STREET reconnects Nelson with his earliest musical inspiration, represented by the jazz trumpet of Owens on “San Juan Street.” As a kid growing up in Houston, his family would frequently visit New Orleans. On their first visit when Shawn was seven years old, he heard a second line brass band playing on the street and went to the legendary Preservation Hall to hear its classic house jazz group.

What Nelson heard captured his imagination. “It was this feeling, something that’s not even really tangible, something that’s really alluring to me, both then and now,” he explains. “I love the energy of the brass bands.” He took up trombone and by junior high was playing gigs around Houston with his school jazz band. New Orleans also evokes lyrical strains in Nelson on the songs “Hit The Road” and “Anna Lee,” both tales prompted by Hurricane Katrina.

As a kid Nelson was at the same time introduced to the music and ambience of the honky-tonk when his family would head back to his father’s hometown on the Texas coast on weekends. “We’d hang out at a honky-tonk on Friday nights. My brother and I would play pool and eat shrimp po’ boys,” he recalls. Those nights still resonate in such songs as the Texan declaration “Down Here” and “In The Afternoon,” which was inspired by an afternoon at Austin’s Continental Club listening to famed twang guitarist Redd Volkeart.

His mother’s side of the family also provides creative strains that emerge in Nelson’s songs. She hails from a clan of Lebanese immigrants, the Jamails, which rose to prominence in Houston. Shawn’s determination is fired by his grandfather, a decorated war hero known as “The One Man Cannon” who was among the first soldiers to land on Utah Beach on D-Day, and after the war started a popular exotic Houston nightclub called The Congo Jungle. “He was instrumental in inspiring me to go after what you want in life,” Nelson explains.

His Middle Eastern roots — including a cousin who was president of Lebanon and assassinated by opponents — emerge in the songs “Babylon” and “Nobody Gotta Hold On Me” in which events past and present in the Mideast cradle of civilization inform Nelson’s lyrical ruminations on the larger issues of mankind.

“I try to write songs that tell the human story, whether it’s war, economics, social struggles, bad weather, the alien question, ancient mysteries or love. And I try to stick with characters that have a choice to make, a hill to climb or a obstacle to overcome. I feel like I’m a character in this human story as well,” he says. “I just write songs all the time, I never stop, I can’t, they just come to me when I am picking on my guitar. And I feel like I have to write them down and play them for people to possibly brighten their day or let them know that they are not alone in this world of good and evil.

“It’s all about people and how things affect them,” he concludes. “I’ve never known anything in my life that gives me as much joy as playing music. I feel at this point that I am so deep into it that I can’t turn back now. Perseverance is a big theme for me, and my musical career is focused on building a body of work. I can’t do anything else but keep on doing my thing and staying true to myself, and writing songs and making records that I think are good.”

Instrumentation

Shawn Nelson - Lead Vocals and Rythm Guitar
Fletcher Murchinson - electric mandolin
Matt Slusher - Lead Guitar & Vocals
Patrick Herzfeld - Drums
Joe Beckham - Bass

Discography

LP "San Juan Street"
Released October 25, 2011

LP "Ain't No Easy Way"
Released March 2009

LP "Live From Antone's"
Released November 2005

LP "Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers"
Released November 2004

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• ReverbNation

Audio

• Nobody Got A Hold On Me
  Listen  
• More Than California
  Listen  
• San Juan Street
  Listen  
• Down Here
  Listen  
• Dreams In The Desert
  Listen  
• Hit The Road
  Listen  
• Daydreamers
  Listen  
• Mercy
  Listen  
• Anna Lee
  Listen  
• Hollow Moon
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Nobody Got A Hold On Me
• More Than California
• San Juan Street
• Down Here
• Dreams In The Desert
• Hit The Road
• Daydreamers
• Mercy
• Anna Lee
• Hollow Moon

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• Music Review: Shawn Nelson - San Juan Street [+ Show ]
  

  He's been bouncing around Austin since at least 2003. Still, no one would have picked Shawn Nelson t...He's been bouncing around Austin since at least 2003. Still, no one would have picked Shawn Nelson to make one of this year's best country albums. San Juan Street finds the local working with some of the most sympathetic players he's ever had the pleasure of collaborating with while also demonstrating above-average writing skills. Produced by accordion master Joel Guzman and featuring guitarist Matt Slusher and bassist Will Dupuy (formerly of South Austin Jug Band), plus Ephraim Owens on trumpet and Trisha Keefer on fiddle, Nelson mixes and matches styles flawlessly. There's outlaw-flavored two-stepper "Nobody Got a Hold On Me," the fiddle fueled alt.country of "Anna Lee," and the subdued yet ardent Tex-Mex in "Dreams in the Desert." With 14 cuts, Nelson could've pared down some of the lesser tracks; the reggae-fied "Daydreamers" seems out of place. Overall San Juan Street is filled with unexpected pleasures.
  
  3.5 Stars Out Of 5

• Shawn Nelson - San Juan Street [+ Show ]
  

  by Greg Roberts After listening to Shawn Nelson’s new album San Juan Street, I realized that I ...by Greg Roberts
  
  After listening to Shawn Nelson’s new album San Juan Street, I realized that I felt the same way I have in the past when I was standing at the edge of a vast open space in New Mexico just before sunset when all you could hear was the sound of the wind blowing across the sand and you could feel an almost overwhelming sense of loneliness mixed with a huge feeling of appreciation that I got to see the stark beauty of it.
  
  A prolific writer, Nelson manages to keep the message of his songs always out front, never buried by over production and random instrumentation. Great songs are usually deceptive, sounding very simple while at the same time resonating a complex measure of human emotion that’s always in the center with a great production that balances the song perfectly.
  
  “ San Juan Street”, “Hit The Road”, “Down Here”, Nobody Got a Hold on Me”, just a few of the 14 songs on this album and all are impressive. It doesn’t hurt that the producer of the album is none other than Joel Guzman, a music stalwart himself who not only produces the session but also provides some fine accordion, keys and percussion as well.
  
  You owe it to yourself to go to www.shawnnelsonmusic.com and check it out. He’s definitely in the “One to watch” category.

• Shawn Nelson - San Juan Street [+ Show ]
  

  by Shawn Underwood in Alt-Country, Americana, Reviews, Roots The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd,...by Shawn Underwood in Alt-Country, Americana, Reviews, Roots
  
  The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Shawn Nelson. What do they have in common? Anthems about being a free spirit. You undoubtedly know about Ramblin’ Man and Free Bird. In the case of Shawn Nelson, it’s Nobody Got A Hold On Me, the first track on his 4th release, San Juan Street. Stylistically the song is kind of a mash-up of Ryan Bingham and Old Crow Medicine Show. But it also has some southern rock roots. And it’s a good harbinger of the material to come on the album.
  
  Based in Austin, Nelson has put together a collection of elements in his sound that certainly reflect influences from the area, like the Tex-Mex horns of the hill country that comes through in Dreams In the Desert and the title track. There are also ingredients from further east, like the Cajun fiddle in Anna Lee or the multiple lead guitar southern ballad of There’s Time. The flexibility of the entire band shows up best, though, in Daydreamers with it’s reggae beat and Norteno trumpet part.
  
  San Juan Street isn’t just about musicianship and instrumental prowess. Nelson is honing his singer-songwriter lyric chops much like one of his inspirations, Robert Earl Keen. The protagonist in many of the songs on this record is the familiar hapless guy who just reacts to his current predicament. There’s the man who loses his wife to the flood in Anna Lee or the pollyanna who sees nothing but happiness ahead “there’s no end to me and you” in Daydreamers, but then realizes “that don’t bring back them damn old good old days” in the next song, the record’s title track.
  
  San Juan Street has something that will appeal to just about any Twangville reader. Even better, there are some surprises with the horns, the accordion arrangements, and some sweet guitar licks, that have the album really growing on you with subsequent listens. Currently there’s a link on Nelson’s web site where you can buy the album for whatever you feel its worth. How can you go wrong?
  
  Listen to these tracks first: Nobody Got A Hold On Me, Dreams In the Desert, Anna Lee, Daydreamers

• Shawn Nelson – “San Juan Street” (feat members of the South Austin Jug Band and The Trishas) [+ Show ]
  

  A lot of the “country” music coming out of Texas seems to me to be too corporate. Even if the artist...A lot of the “country” music coming out of Texas seems to me to be too corporate. Even if the artist is independent the music is fairly obvious and shallow, the branding of the artist is too clunky, and the range of performances are rather narrow. I don’t want to name names but if you are curious what I mean check out the top ten over at Lone Star Music.
  
  So where am I going with this? Just that Shawn Nelson’s new cd is like a breath of fresh air compared to the stale beer country being served up by a bunch of Texas singer songwriters. An indication of this is found in the people Shawn surrounds himself with. San Juan Street was produced by the great accordion player Joel Guzman and Shawn’s band features folks from the South Austin Jug Band, The Trishas and famed Austin jazz trumpeter Ephraim Owens. For now Shawn Nelson’s new record can be picked up here for a limited time as a free download or you can pick up a copy of the cd at the Austin CD Release Show at The Continental Club on Friday, October 28th.
  
  Here’s his song “More Than California” which has a perfect blend of laid back Austin country and relaxed California rock.

• Austin Music Man Shawn Nelson To Release New Album This Month [+ Show ]
  

  by Greg Roberts Austin, TX — SAN JUAN STREET, the new album by Austin’s Shawn Nelson, hits the st...by Greg Roberts
  
  Austin, TX — SAN JUAN STREET, the new album by Austin’s Shawn Nelson, hits the street on Tuesday, October 25, and the recording captures expertly Nelson’s best: his rich, round, reedy vocals; listenable lyrics; and master-level multi-instrumental skill.
  
  He and his equally talented stage band will mark the occasion with a Release Show on Friday, October 28, at The Continental Club, 1315 S. Congress Ave. Tickets are $10 for Shawn Nelson at 10 p.m. and The Derailers at midnight; information: 512.441.2444.
  
  SAN JUAN STREET (Fonky Tonk Records), which was recorded at Guzman Fox Studios in Austin, produced and engineered by Joel Guzman, mixed by Bradley Kopp, and mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering in Boulder, Colo., has something for every music lover — from the South of the Border-flavored title track, featuring Mexican horn and mandolin and beat; the haunting “Down Here,” with its rock ’n’ roll-driven guitar and fiddle; and “Hit the Road,” a pure-D, long-voweled country love song with the smart lyrical twists and turns found in most of Nelson’s originals.
  Nelson — who counts electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica, trombone, and coronet among the instruments he plays on the new album — has toured extensively, especially across Texas. His first three albums, SHAWN NELSON AND THE RAMBLERS (November 2004), LIVE FROM ANTONE’S (November 2005) and AIN’T NO EASY WAY (March 2009), yielded songs that have evolved into favorites for fans and band.
  
  NoDepression.com calls Nelson “a great performer.” Understatement of the year.

• No Depression - MM55 Radar Report - Shawn Nelson [+ Show ]
  

  MM55 Radar Report - Shawn Nelson By Chris Harkness on August 11, 2011 at 2:30pm I recently rec...MM55 Radar Report - Shawn Nelson
  
  By Chris Harkness on August 11, 2011 at 2:30pm
  
  I recently received a pre-release copy of Shawn Nelson’s new CD entitled San Juan Street. I admit to being a fan of Shawn Nelson since I first booked him into The Hideaway in Houston, Texas… Shawn Nelson is a recent addition to a long list of artist’s contributing to the new “Cosmic Cowboy” movement in Austin, Texas…
  
  In my humble opinion, the music scene in Austin has grown stale over the past decade with far too many DJ driven dance clubs and shot bars replacing live music venues on a once vibrant sixth street, making it ever more difficult for Austin to continue claiming to be “Live Music Capital of the World”… I am hopeful that the magic will return with the emergence of new and exciting artists like Shawn Nelson… Shawn’s style takes the listener back to a simpler time when the likes of Jerry Jeff Walker, Gary P Nunn, Michael Murphy and so many more were rebelling against the corporate machine and spawning “The Cosmic Cowboy Movement” of the 70’s…
  
  I recently spoke briefly with Shawn about “San Juan Street” and he told me the CD is due to be released October 2011 and a tour is in the works… Shawn also said the project took longer than he had hoped, due to cash flow fluctuations… Shawn also said “CD’s can be done one of three ways, Fast, Good or Cheap – I chose Good”… All songs on San Juan Street were written by Shawn Nelson and the project was recorded at Guzman Fox Studio in Austin, Texas. Shawn enlisted the help of some well-respected and talented individuals to work with him on this endeavor. San Juan Street was Produced and Engineered by Grammy winner Joel Guzman - Mixed by Bradley Kopp and Mastered by Grammy winner David Glasser at Airshow Mastering.

• Recommendation: "Ain't No Easy Way" [+ Show ]
  

  Where does faith begin? Will it start with the omnipresent power of a higher Does it lie in the safe...Where does faith begin? Will it start with the omnipresent power of a higher Does it lie in the safety and comfort of another’s arms? Can it be discovered in the certain knowledge that life can be an uneasy series of challenges?
  
  These questions all weigh on the mind of singer-songwriter Shawn Nelson. Such queries aren’t unique; many search for the same answers and many more will follow suit in the future. Not all will set a pen to paper, but all can understand the struggles Nelson discusses on his third solo recording Ain’t No Easy Way. His expressions of faith lost and found in the face of disappointment, temptation, and redemption offer a voice to those who silently wonder whether they can rise above the world crumbling around them.
  
  As a songwriter, Nelson operates under one basic rule: Keep it simple. Hyperbole has obviously never made his acquaintance, and that’s perfectly fine with him. While the Austin, Texas resident’s compositions do not contain flowery language, he is more than capable of capturing beauty and despair. A host of fine musicians lend their talents to Ain’t No Easy Way including past and present members of Nelson’s own band the Ramblers (Joe Faulhaber, who also provides the record’s only-cowrite on “Jesus & The Honky-Tonk Queen”, Nick Chambers, and PJ Herrington) as well as Kris Brown, Trisha Keefer, Jerome Kinkaid, and LZ Love. Additionally, Nelson’s well-worn, salt-of-the-earth voice elevates him from singer to storyteller, infusing the narratives on the record with a kind of ragged grace under fire.
  
  In a song that seems ripped from today’s headlines, mournful opener “Ain’t It A Shame” follows the plight of a man who has done everything he’s always been told to do in order to survive, yet he is still unable to make ends meet. Nelson demonstrates the palpable frustration of a protagonist who is “chained to the grave/a slave to the game.”
  
  The gospel-influenced rave-up “Don’t Let the Devil Drag You Down” responds directly to “Ain’t It A Shame,” warning against the dangers of becoming overburdened. Keefer’s blazing fiddle solo intensifies the joyous mood of the piece, and Love’s harmonies on the number provide an ethereal contrast to Nelson’s gravelly vocals.
  
  While there’s plenty of talk about faith, Nelson is hardly pious, as is demonstrated in the toe-tapping hook-up tune “Don’t Wanna Be Your Baby” in which he relates with blunt enthusiasm “I don’t wanna be your baby/No I don’t even wanna be your friend.” Lest the potential, somewhat drunken conquest get the wrong idea, he unapologetically admits “We only got tonight/But I gotta be at work by nine.” Exuberant picking and Nelson’s wry delivery carry what would otherwise be construed as a crude conversation.
  
  Elsewhere, in the more melancholy “Jesus & the Honky-Tonk Queen” Nelson offers futile resistance to a temptress in the red dress traipsing around the local watering hole: “I thought I was sittin’ on Jesus’ knee/But it was just a warm barstool and a honky-tonk queen.”
  
  Slow burner “You Are There” and the bluesy “Do Me Fine” are decidedly more romantic numbers, where Nelson seeks solace in the healing love of a woman.
  
  Rounding out the record is “Streets of Gold,” which espouses the hopes of people who are “proud and poor” yet “tired of tryin’ and cryin’ for crumbs/and fighting for nothin’ but war.” In some ways, the protagonist of “Ain’t It A Shame” has come full circle, arriving at a place where he can dare to dream of something better for himself and his loved ones. While Nelson proclaims that “there ain’t no easy way” in life, neither are there any easy answers to the questions he asks throughout his record. Ultimately, he seems to arrive at the conclusion that the answers aren’t as important as the act of finding the courage to recognize the world for what it is and fight against what it isn’t.

• Austin Music City Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Shawn Nelson brings a new edge and fresh perspective to songwriting and especially songwriting in T..."Shawn Nelson brings a new edge and fresh perspective to songwriting and especially songwriting in Texas. He is to Texas music what gamblers were to the old west. With a smile on his face and a pistol in his boot, one way or the other you’re going to like the hand you are dealt. Telling the truth, with no boundaries, guidelines or formulas. What a concept."
  
  - Greg Roberts

• Appearing In East Texas: Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers Play at Stanley's [+ Show ]
  

  By LAUREN KEATON Staff Writer June 8, 2007 After playing in the Rose City "five or six times" b...By LAUREN KEATON
  Staff Writer
  June 8, 2007
  
  After playing in the Rose City "five or six times" before, Shawn Nelson and The Ramblers "can't wait to come back."
  
  Well, lucky for East Texans the country rock group will be performing along with Tyler band Whiskey Myers at Stanley's Famous Pit Bar-B-Q on Friday, June 15.
  
  Whiskey Myers members John Jeffers, Cody Tate, Gary Brown, Jeff Hogg and Cody Cannon will tune up at 8:30 p.m.
  
  Shawn Nelson and The Ramblers are set to take the stage at 10 p.m.
  
  Tickets are $10 at the door.
  
  For more information visit www.stanleyspitbbq.com.
  
  Nelson has been involved in music from a young age, but picked up a guitar for the first time during his senior year at The University of Texas at Austin.
  
  After playing for about six months, he stumbled onto a weekly gig at a local Austin joint called "The Back Forty" and fell in love with the industry, he said.
  
  "(The owner) gave me Tuesdays and Thursdays and that is how I started playing," said Nelson.
  
  Nelson moved to Nashville shortly after graduating from college and began working for a music publishing company ... but missed being an artist in the music scene.
  
  "I really wanted to play in Texas," said Nelson.
  
  Now, back in the Lone Star State about 10 years later he is following his dream, teaming up with The Ramblers, a group consisting of members Joe Faulhaber, Nick Chambers and P.J. Herrington.
  
  Traveling just across town for the show, some East Texas boys will be warming up the stage for Nelson and his group.
  
  "This is the first time Whiskey Myers has ever played in Tyler, but they have already developed a following,'' said lead singer Cannon.
  
  "We threw a lot of parties," he said, adding that is where he and the rest of the band would causally play, getting noticed by friends and fellow partygoers.
  
  When they started performing their original music at venues in places such as Gun Barrel City, a lot of people would show up from their home area. So the boys expect a nice turn out to this weekends' show.
  
  "We are totally different, we put on a good show," said Cannon.
  
  For more information on Shawn Nelson and The Ramblers visit www.shawnnelsonmusic.com., and for more information on Whiskey Myers visit www.myspace.com/whiskeymyers.
  

• Austin Music Minute [+ Show ]
  

  Monday, May 21, 2007 Music: Shawn Nelson & the Ramblers Shawn Nelson & the Ramblers are playing ...Monday, May 21, 2007
  Music: Shawn Nelson & the Ramblers
  
  Shawn Nelson & the Ramblers are playing Thursday night at a new Italian restaurant slash live music venue next to the Continental Club. Shawn is a singer/songwriter who mixes country, blues and rock – just perfect for an evening out on S. Congress.
  
  Shawn Nelson & the Ramblers
  Thursday, May 24, 2007 @ Botticelli’s
  1321 S. Congress Ave.
  
  — Teresa Ferguson
  
  © 2006 KUT.org
  
  Hear The Austin Music Minute from May 21, 2007 featuring Shawn Nelson at http://www.kut.org/items/show/8436
  
  
  

• The Daily Texan - Review [+ Show ]
  

  Life & Arts | 4/25/06 Sound Bites Artist: Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers Album: Live from Anto...Life & Arts | 4/25/06
  Sound Bites
  
  Artist: Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers
  Album: Live from Antone's
  Label: Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers
  
  The temperature is rising, summer is on its way to Austin and Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers' latest album will be a perfect soundtrack for the fun of the season.
  
  In Live at Antone's, Nelson sings renditions of his best songs recorded live on June 24, 2005, at Antone's, a classic Austin venue. Live keeps audiences entertained with the styles that the band incorporates into its sound - anything from the traditional gospel of "Down By the Riverside" to the down-home, bluesy feel of "Troubadour." The music exudes the optimistic, laid-back nature of Nelson. In "Walkin' Down the Line," a cover of Bob Dylan's original song, Nelson encourages audiences to forget their troubles as he croons, "Been walkin' down the line / feelin' just fine." In "The Junkies," Nelson makes a clever analogy, equating falling in love to being a junkie, singing, "She's got me running with the junkies / searching for something / too far gone to come back down." Even while talking about love, it seems Nelson waxes optimistic.
  
  Lyrics such as these promise comfort and relaxation despite the dreaded summer heat. The music of Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers is sure to appear at backyard barbecues, beer joints and Barton Springs, as Austinites enjoy themselves touring the summer.
  
  -Emily Watson
  

• Austin Daze - Album Review [+ Show ]
  

  Austin Daze Maria Mesa’s Record Reviews February 2006 “When I was very young, my Mom used to ta...Austin Daze
  Maria Mesa’s Record Reviews
  February 2006
  
  “When I was very young, my Mom used to take me to the Armadillo. Yeah, THAT Armadillo. I don’t remember a whole lot, but the music in general was a lot like this. It was this funky mishmash of country, blues, rock and gospel. It was feel-good music played by people who felt good playing it, and everyone felt good hearing it. The years went by and that’s the sound Austin became known for. It’s country that doesn’t fit the Nashville plan, and it’s the tradition Austin City Limits has tried to maintain. I guess it’s “Americana” or “Roots music,” but whatever you want to call it, it definitely is Austin. The important thing is that it draws from all kinds of influences both black and white, and draws everyone together. It’s as hippie friendly as it is cowboy friendly, and the kids and grandparents will be there too.
  
  This music just says come on in, grab a cold one, the BBQ’s over there. You can dance or sit down and tap your toes, we don’t care- just glad you’re here. That’s the feel I think Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers are trying to create here. Listening to this CD, I can imagine them in just about any honky tonk where the beer is cold and everyone’s glad to be off work.
  
  Shawn Nelson was born in Houston, and lived in Austin while attending UT. Afterwards he moved to Nashville to work for a music publishing company, but decided to move back to Austin to pursue his own career. After a few other projects, he teamed up with the Ramblers and became the chief songwriter and front man. Aside from strumming the acoustic guitar, Shawn adds mandolin for a bluegrass feel.
  
  Lead guitarist Joe Faulhaber is without a doubt a very good guitar player. His leads sizzle on just about every track here. Although I’d probably be into it 100% if I saw him in person, some of his solos come off a bit long winded for this recording- particularly on “The Difference.” Louis Landry adds plenty of soul with his R&B and gospel tinged Hammond B3 organ, and high backing vocals. Bassist Shaun Dickerson stands out to me as bass players go. Supplying smart walking blues basslines that accentuate the melody and make you want to move is his specialty. His tone is warm, well compressed and ever present in the mix. And anytime you have a drummer with a name like Mooke, you know it’s gonna be good, right?”
  
  Maria Mesa | Music Reviewer | Austin Daze | Atown Records
  
  

• Tulsaworld.com - DFest Best Bet [+ Show ]
  

  If you're ready to knock a couple of beers back, then head to Mercury Lounge for the country-rock, h...If you're ready to knock a couple of beers back, then head to Mercury Lounge for the country-rock, honky tonk act Shawn Nelson & the Ramblers. You'll no doubt raise a longneck bottle to this rowdy act from Austin.

• More Music Outside [+ Show ]
  

  One of the great things about the Telluride Bluegrass Festival is that you don't have to actually ta...One of the great things about the Telluride Bluegrass Festival is that you don't have to actually take part in the festival to check out great music. The weekend brings in a huge audience to our small town, and in that audience are many outstanding musicians who ordinarily wouldn't make the hike up to play at a tiny bar.
  
  Or even a big, new theater, as it happens to be this year. The Pagosa Hot Strings play the Michael D. Palm Theatre Friday night. The Hot Strings are carving out their niche as the hottest Newgrass band in the Four Corners region. With a strong foundation in traditional Bluegrass, this band is creating original music that "pushes the envelope" and pleases a broad spectrum of acoustic music lovers.
  
  Original members Josiah Payne (mandolin), Jared Payne (guitar) and Carson Park (fiddle), have been playing music together since they were ages 11, 9 and 7, respectively. That was 10 years ago. Through those early years they have amassed some impressive awards, including winner of the 1997 Rockygrass Bluegrass band contest, the 1998 Colorado state fiddle champion (Park), 1998 Colorado state Mandolin champion (Payne), 1999 winner of the Telluride Bluegrass band contest, and 2000 National Mandolin Champion (Payne). I have a feeling the young gentlemen from just over the mountain are also going to compete in this year's Band Competition in hopes of racking up another award.
  
  Shawn Nelson and the Ramblers are a hot group out of Austin, Texas, one of the country's best proving grounds. Nelson is a songwriting guitarist who has put together a fine band of guys who love playing together. They give you two choices for labeling their sound: Pure Texas Honky Tonk or Hill Country Rock 'n' Roll. Whatever you call it, the band does a great job with that slightly southern, bluesy rock sound. If you like the Allmans, Widespread Panic, the Stones, or the Dead, you will dig the Ramblers. Their covers do justice, and the originals that Nelson pens are even better. On a mini tour of downtown Telluride, they have already played a couple nights at Chair 8 and Big Daddy's and have another show at Big Daddy's tonight (Friday) and one at the Brown Dog on Saturday.
  
  There is also an impressive lineup for the festivals NightGrass series. Some of the obviously hot shows are sold out, but two others have the potential for being the weekend's best. Friday night Leftover's Vince Herman hosts a serious picking party at the Moon. This is Herman's only show this month due to an emergency back surgery he recently underwent, so it guarantees to be special. He's made a lot of friends over the years at Bluegrass, and I'd expect to see some of them on stage with him. I also expect that some kind of benefit show for him will be put together for later in the weekend, so keep your eyes and ears open. The Duhks from Winnepeg (see Grooview on page 1) play the Moon Saturday night. They are such an interesting, diverse and talented group, it will be amazing to see them up close.
  
  See the Grooview from June 3 or check out the Beat Sheet for more information on the other NightGrass shows.
  
  

• Ramblin' with Shawn Nelson [+ Show ]
  

  Austin Country-Rocker Jams at Borski’s this Weekend Mark Williams Music Editor Good rockin’ c...Austin Country-Rocker Jams at Borski’s this Weekend
  
  Mark Williams
  Music Editor
  
  Good rockin’ country music rolls down from Central Texas into Montgomery County on Saturday night, as Shawn Nelson & The Ramblers play Borski’s Tavern (I-45 at Shepherd Hill Rd., Willis, 936-344-6212). A Houston native, Nelson hit the road at an early age to pursue his dreams of being a singer-songscribe, pit stopping in Nashville before returning home to the Lone Star State -- this time to Austin where the Ramblers were born.
  
  Nelson grew up with a wide array of influential sounds: Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, George Strait -- but being a Houston boy, Nelson had access to the sounds of New Orleans; a trip to the Big Easy at age 7 inspired the young Nelson play trombone. Soon, he was playing with jazz and concert bands across Texas -- winning awards while gaining vital experience along the way. As he grew into a young man, Nelson’s music found even more diverse influences: the Grateful Dead and the Rolling Stones, the Southern fried Allman Brothers and reggae martyr Bob Marley all proved to be “profound influences” on Nelson’s music, which encompasses “threads of country, blues and rock, all combined with a strong undercurrent of groove.”
  
  Following his graduation from UT in Austin, Nelson worked for a music publishing company and a record label in Nashville, soon coming to the realization that playing music was much more important to him than promoting it. Like many musicians with different ideas about country music, Nelson found Nashville a tough row to hoe: “It is good for songwriters and studio musicians, because there is work there and I learned alot about writing songs,” says Nelson, “but I wasn't polished enough to stick around, so I moved back to Austin to pursue music in a more natural habitat.” Nelson’s musical philosophy is simple: “Write lyrics with intent and back them with solid melodies. I want to create songs that are strong enough to be sung by anybody.”
  
  Nelson got lucky in 2004 when he formed the Ramblers, a four-man combo that makes his original compositions sound great: Joe Faulhaber on lead guitar, keyboard man Louie Landry, Shaun Dickerson on bass and drummer Mooke Mayrath. “We all just came together from different bands and projects that were coming to an end. Mooke was the drummer in my last Austin band, but this one is just a better fit. We’re playing a lot more shows and are doing more on the road, but we still have our day jobs. Right now, we’re trying to figure out how to make a living at this. You can definitely call us a working man’s band.”
  
  Nelson and members of the Ramblers refer to their unique sound as “Fonky-Tonk”, which Nelson describes as a “mix of funk, rock and country,” but says that the band “is more focused on the spirit of the music than what it’s called.”
  
  The band’s self-titled debut album is bursting with “echoes of blues, rock and country [that] consistently creates an original, yet familiar sound that captivates its listeners with well-crafted songs, high harmonies and groove laden melodies.” These are no silly pop songs but rather real tunes with real meaning; Nelson’s lyrics captivate the listener as each song paints its own unique picture.
  
  The Ramblers stand out strong as well: from guitar swells you’d swear were a pedal steal to the clavinet solos you’d bet you last dime was an electric guitar, Shawn Nelson has enlisted some real talent for this band -- and it definitely shows in the end product. The band’s debut album is all over the web: download it at I-Tunes, Napster mp3tunes.com or order the album from CD Baby; also check out the band’s website at shawnnelsonmusic.com…
  
  send your comments to
  mark@thebulletin.com
  

Setlist

The sets depend on the show and the venue. A typical set will consist mainly of original tunes with a few covers. Some artists covered are Townes Van Zandt, Billy Joe Shaver, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings and traditional numbers as well.

Basic Requirements

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