Elliot Randall & The Deadmen

Elliot Randall and the Dead Men performed at Mamma Llama Saturday night after the December Art Cruise. The turnout was light but some fans fought the rain and came up from Redding to see them. Elliot Randall is a country singer and songwriter. Like many country bands today the Dead Men have a strong rock sound to their music. The guitar of James Deprato was haunting at times as he backed up the great tunes sung by lead singer Randall. His playing brought the house down, making the 25- plus patrons sound like 90. Kyle Caprista and Danilo Lopez sang backup while playing drums and bass guitar. The lyrics and music were as good as I’ve heard from famous country singers and as someone commented to me it’s the timing, competition or connections that make the difference of getting into that top 5 percent who become famous. I have heard much music here that is on the verge of perfection. This band is definitely one of those as is the North Star Session playing Mamma Llama this coming weekend. - Trinity Journal

The Americana Music Association announced its year end Top 100 Albums of the Year. The Top 100 albums are based on those records reported to the Americana Airplay Chart during the period of November 17, 2009 through November 15, 2010. We’ll serve up the first half of the list and you can visit the Americana Music Association website to access the full list of all 100 albums…

The Top 50 most played albums, as charted on the Americana Airplay Chart are:

1. Various Artists, Crazy Heart Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, New West

2. Rosanne Cash, The List, Manhattan

3. John Hiatt, The Open Road, New West

4. Carolina Chocolate Drops, Genuine Negro Jig, Nonesuch

5. Ray Wylie Hubbard, A Enlightenment B Endarkenment Hint There Is No C, Bordello/Thirty Tigers

6. Robert Earl Keen, The Rose Hotel, Lost Highway

7. Band Of Heathens, One Foot In The Ether, BOH Records

8. Avett Brothers, I And Love And You, Columbia

9. Patty Griffin, Downtown Church, Credential

10. Reckless Kelly, Somewhere In Time, Yep Roc

11. John Mellencamp, No Better Than This, Rounder

12. Darrell Scott, A Crooked Road, Full Light

13. Merle Haggard, I Am What I Am, Vanguard

14. Alejandro Escovedo, Street Songs of Love, Fantasy

15. Willie Nelson, Country Music, Rounder

16. Lyle Lovett, Natural Forces, Curb/Lost Highway

17. Carrie Rodriguez, Love And Circumstance, Ninth Street Opus

18. Robert Plant, Band of Joy, Rounder

19. Paul Thorn, Pimps & Preachers, Perpetual Obscurity

20. Los Lobos, Tin Can Trust, Shout! Factory

21. Jim Lauderdale, Patchwork River, Thirty Tigers

22. Cross Canadian Ragweed, Happiness And All The Other Things, Universal Records South

23. Red Molly, James, Independent

24. Chip Taylor, Yonkers NY, Train Wreck

25. Yarn, Come On In, UFO

26. John Prine, In Person & On Stage, Oh Boy

27. Tift Merritt, See You On The Moon, Concord

28. Various Artists, Twistable Turnable Man, A Musical Tribute To The Songs Of Shel Silverstein, Sugar Hill

29. Dave Rawlings Machine, A Friend Of A Friend, Acony

30. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Speed Of Life, NGDB

31. Kevin Welch, A Patch Of Blue Sky, Music Road

32. Johnny Cash, American VI: Ain’t No Grave, American/Lost Highway

33. Elliot Randall & The Deadmen, Caffeine & Gasoline, ER

34. Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs, God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise, RCA

35. Shelby Lynne, Tears, Lies & Alibis , Everso/Fontana/CO5

36. Marty Stuart, Studio B Sessions, Sugar Hill

37. Sam Bush, Circles Around Me, Sugar Hill

38. Will Kimbrough, Wings, Daphne

39. Corb Lund, Losin’ Lately Gambler, New West

40. Elizabeth Cook, Welder, Thirty Tigers

41. Kevin Deal, 7 Seven, Blind Nello

42. Allison Moorer, Crows, Ryko

43. Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses, Junky Star, Lost Highway

44. Eleven Hundred Springs, This Crazy Life, Smith Entertainment

45. Guy Clark, Somedays The Song Writes You, Dualtone

46. Dierks Bentley, Up On The Ridge, Capitol / Sugar Hill

47. Patty Loveless, Mountain Soul II, Saguaro Road

48. Drive-By Truckers, The Big To-Do, ATO/RED

49. Tim O’Brien, Chicken & Egg, Howdy Skies

50. Eilen Jewell, Butcher Holler – A Tribute To Loretta Lynn, Signature Sounds - Great American Country

(Note: we have included this article because our album, Caffeine & Gasoline, came in at #33.)

The Americana Music Association today announced their Top 100 Albums of 2010. Based on the number of spins reported by Americana radio stations to the Americana Airplay Charts, the Americana Music Association's list actually extends back two months into 2009. The time frame to be included in the Top 100 is albums that were reported to have received airplay between November 17, 2009 and November 15, 2010.

The Top Ten albums on the Americana list is an interesting mix of established Americana Artists and Rising Stars of Americana. Coming in at #1 on the Top 100 is The Soundrack to the movie Crazy Heart, produced by T. Bone Burnett and featuring the Oscar winning hit "The Weary Kind" by Ryan Bingham.

Americana Music Awards Album of the Year winner The List by Rosanne Cash came in at #2. A sampling from a list of 100 "must listen" songs given to her by her famous father Johnny Cash, The List has achieved success not usually seen by covers albums.

Coming in at #3 is Americana legend John Hiatt with his new album The Open Road. At #4 is Old-Time African American Revivalists The Carolina Chocolate Drops with their album Genuine Negro Jig. At #5 is whiskey fueled Americana poet Ray Wylie Hubbard with the Americana Award nominated A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment, Hint: There is No C.

Here is the entire Top 100 Americana Albums list from the Americana Music Association:

Various Artists Crazy Heart Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Rosanne Cash The List

John Hiatt The Open Road

Carolina Chocolate Drops Genuine Negro Jig

Ray Wylie Hubbard A Enlightenment B Endarkenment Hint There Is No C

Robert Earl Keen The Rose Hotel

Band Of Heathens One Foot In The Ether

Avett Brothers I And Love And You

Patty Griffin Downtown Church

Reckless Kelly Somewhere In Time

John Mellencamp No Better Than This

Darrell Scott A Crooked Road

Merle Haggard I Am What I Am

Alejandro Escovedo Street Songs of Love

Willie Nelson Country Music

Lyle Lovett Natural Forces

Carrie Rodriguez Love And Circumstance

Robert Plant Band of Joy

Paul Thorn Pimps & Preachers

Los Lobos Tin Can Trust

Jim Lauderdale Patchwork River

Cross Canadian Ragweed Happiness And All The Other Things

Red Molly James

Chip Taylor Yonkers NY

Yarn Come On In

John Prine In Person & On Stage

Tift Merritt See You On The Moon

Various Artists Twistable Turnable Man: A Musical Tribute To The Songs Of Shel Silverstein

Dave Rawlings Machine A Friend Of A Friend

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Speed Of Life

Kevin Welch A Patch Of Blue Sky

Johnny Cash American VI: Ain't No Grave

Elliot Randall & The Deadmen Caffeine & Gasoline

Ray LaMontagne & The Pariah Dogs God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise

Shelby Lynne Tears, Lies & Alibis

Marty Stuart Studio B Sessions

Sam Bush Circles Around Me

Will Kimbrough Wings

Corb Lund Losin' Lately Gambler

Elizabeth Cook Welder

Kevin Deal 7 Seven

Allison Moorer Crows

Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses Junky Star

Eleven Hundred Springs This Crazy Life

Guy Clark Somedays The Song Writes You

Dierks Bentley Up On The Ridge

Patty Loveless Mountain Soul II

Drive-By Truckers The Big To-Do

Tim O'Brien Chicken & Egg

Eilen Jewell Butcher Holler - A Tribute To Loretta Lynn

John Fogerty The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again

Suzi Ragsdale Best Regards & Less Of The Same

Various Artists Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine

Great American Taxi Reckless Habits

Peter Wolf Midnight Souvenirs

Mary Gauthier The Foundling

Jakob Dylan Women And Country

Two Tons of Steel Not That Lucky

Norah Jones The Fall

Stone River Boys Love On The Dial

Mary Chapin Carpenter The Age Of Miracles

Court Yard Hounds Court Yard Hounds

Delbert McClinton Acquired Taste

Jason & The Scorchers Halcyon Times

Hank III Rebel Within

Will Hoge The Wreckage

Martin Sexton Sugarcoating

Cadillac Sky Letters In The Deep

John Evans Lollygaggin'

Steel Wheels Red Wing

Blue Rodeo The Things We Left Behind

Chuck Prophet Let Freedom Ring

Justin Townes Earle Harlem River Blues

Holmes Brothers Feed My Soul

Tom Russell Blood And Candle Smoke

Sara Petite Doghouse Rose

Doug and Telisha Williams Ghost Of The Knoxville Girl

Radney Foster Revival

Nora Jane Struthers Nora Jane Struthers

Various Artists Coal Country Music

Somebody's Darling Somebody's Darling

Cindy Bullens Howling Trains And Barking Dogs

Infamous Stringdusters Things That Fly

Fred Eaglesmith Cha Cha Cha

Joe Pug Messenger

Keller And The Keels Thief

Matt the Electrician Animal Boy

Bill Kirchen Word To The Wise

Rebecca Loebe Mystery Prize

Tom Gillam Had Enough?

Crooked Still Some Strange Country

James McMurtry Live In Europe

Terri Hendrix Cry Till You Laugh

Shelley King Welcome Home

Frazey Ford Obadiah

Otis Gibbs Joe Hill's Ashes

Mavis Staples You Are Not Alone

Eric Bibb Booker's Guitar

Texas Tornados Esta Bueno!

Rosie Flores & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts Girl Of The Century - Examiner.com

With the release of his second independent album, Caffeine & Gasoline, Bay Area-based songwriter Elliot Randall has taken a giant leap forward—and the national stage can’t be out of his reach for too much longer. In the midst of their first California tour, Randall and his tastefully talented band, The Deadmen (James Deprato, Kyle Caprista and Danilo Lopez), are riding high off the buzz of having Caffeine & Gasoline debut on the Americana chart while taking their engaging live shows to new fans. The California tour culminates with a hometown gig at San Francisco’s Café Dunord on March 6th, and they will also be making the rounds at South by Southwest in Austin, playing on the Music Fog stage at Threadgill’s on March 20th.

When I first caught wind of Randall on his 2007 release Take The Fall, I was immediately struck by how this good looking kid of twentysomething had such a good grasp on songwriting to go along with his immediately strong and honest vocals. Having spent much of his childhood with family in the Carolinas, Randall’s love of the twang factor and the craft of songwriting is something he stands proudly behind. “My dad was a Country songwriter, so I guess it’s in my blood,” says Randall during a day off on the current tour. “It comes naturally to me to be writing Country music. When I started writing, I didn’t listen to any Country or Americana stuff, I was just another kid listening to Dave Matthews and Ben Harper. Then once I picked up the guitar and learned how to play and began writing my own stuff, regardless of how I wanted it to sound, it kept coming out kinda Country.”
Randall has the twang turned up a notch or two on the new album, which was produced by David Simon-Baker (Mother Hips, Jackie Greene), and its clearly evident from the one-two opening punch of the title track and the hard shuffling “Oh Miranda,” where Deprato’s slide guitar cuts a deep groove over the excellent harmonies provided by the rhythm section of Lopez and Caprista. But it’s really Randall’s introspection on relationships that are the cornerstone of his songwriting, which you’ll find on his favorite track, “Trying Again.” “It’s a slow song played in 6/8 time about trying to re-enter the world, sort of licking your wounds, getting the nerve up to get out there and give it another shot. Come to think of it, it’s kind of the theme of the record as it goes along with the song “Getting My Nerve Up.”
Caffeine & Gasoline are not only essentials for the road, but is now an essential album to add to your collection. Be on the lookout for Elliot Randall & the Dedmen, hopefully in your town soon. - No Depression

Elliot Randall & The Deadmen sound like they’ve been rolled in the dust of Abilene, bounced around the bed of a rusted Ford pickup, and dropped off at a lonesome crossroads to wait for the devil.

The San Francisco quartet is currently touring in support of Caffeine & Gasoline, its sophomore effort, which is filled with enough twang and vocal harmonies to keep country fans satisfied, and enough grit and outlaw spirit to attract alt-rock fans as well. Though the album was just released on Feb. 5, it’s already been reported as the top five most added at Americana radio in its debut week.

Not surprising when you consider Randall’s 2007 debut, Take the Fall, which was quickly added into rotation at XM Radio’s “X Country,” where it remained for 13 weeks and reached #16 on their charts.

“Caffeine & Gasoline was an easy album to make and at the same time the album I’ve always wanted to make,” said Randall. “Nearly everything on it was recorded live, straight to tape, with all the guys playing as a band. I hope this album proves that you can be a singer/songwriter and still get a groove going. I wanted this album to show that it’s okay to rock a little bit. And having a kick ass band helps too.”

The album was recorded and produced at Mission Bells Studio in San Francisco by David Simon-Baker (ALO, Jackie Greene, The Mother Hips) and Randall, and features Randall’s core band—Kyle Caprista (drums, vocals), James Deprato (guitars, banjo, mandolin), and Danilo Lopez (bass, vocals)—and a special guest appearance by Jackie Greene on keys.

Check out Elliot Randall & The Deadmen on Sunday, Feb. 21 at Frog and Peach. - New Times, San Luis Obispo

Caffeine & Gasoline – Elliot Randall & The Deadmen

Need an album for a springtime roadtrip? Look no further. Backed by the three-piece Deadmen (James DePrato, Danilo Lopez, and Kyle Caprista), Randall—don’t confuse him with the “Reelin’ in the Years” guitarist Elliott Randall—delivers a rockin’ collection of Americana tales about the beat up, broken down, and heartsick. Overall, it’s a strong album with well-written songs, even if a couple of them run together. Although ballad “Trying Again” drags despite its well-written lyrics, “Chasing My Tail” is a hooky piece of roots pop that easily could have been found on a Gin Blossoms album 15 years ago. Keep an eye (and an ear) on these guys; they’ve got a bright future. — Juli Thanki - The 9513

Randall grew up a good southern boy who, like many good southern boys, found his way to California where he is currently living in the bay area. With a little twang in the music and some obvious life experience in the lyrics he gives us an album where even the hopeful songs are just a little depressing, maybe because he’s in California and that’s depressing, but musically it’s a good thing. While Caffeine and Gasoline is little bluesier than a lot of what gets billed as modern Americana it’s a welcome departure from the norm. Great guitar riffs and three part harmonies punctuate lyrics like “The night we met your boyfriend beat me up/Then I came to and you were driving me home in my own pickup truck…” throughout the whole album making me think I should pick up some PBR on the way home, drive down to reservoir, open all the windows, crank the tape deck up and knock back a few in the bed of the truck and watch the clouds drift on by. Of course I can’t do that but I can always dream someone will “…get me drunk and take my keys…”

This one is Essential Listening as far as I am concerned. - NineBullets.net

Elliot Randall is a country singer-songwriter who doesn’t sound like he should be from San Francisco. His music has an authentic feel, with lyrics that recall Waylon and Willie, along with the darker Merle and even the offbeat Dwight Yoakum, all coupled with the poppier sensibilities of The Eagles. The album is crystal clear, produced to perfection, yet it still feels organic. One of the biggest problem I have with “major label” bands is that the production always seems to eclipse the artist, leaving behind only traces of personality. Randall is indie, but he’s managed to capture the purity of major-label production without losing his authenticity.

Perhaps his ability to move between the safety of the studio and the initimacy of personal songwriting comes from the variety of his experiences: He grew up in South Carolina, the son of an Assistant Dean of English and Literature at Northwestern University, and earned a golf scholarship at Arizona State. Not to many country singers are experts at golf.

His second album, Caffeine & Gasoline, has tasty harmonies and ballads, along with good roadside barnburners like the title track, and showcases his guitar-playing to the fullest. There’s not a bad song here, but there’s one in particular that I feel deserves special mention. “Chasing My Tail” is a versatile anthem, one that could be a Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, or Modest Mouse song, and it’s easy to hear the vast possibilities of this song. Not that I’m saying Randall doesn’t do it well. He does. His pitch-perfect voice and understated guitar solo are breathtaking. This is one of those songs that makes the heart climb and race. It’s inspirational. Oh, and the slow ballad Casanova is also worth mentioning–a beautiful song. Hell, the whole album is terrific. Put it on, start your engine, and lose yourself in the drive. - Berkeley Place (blog)

Elliot Randall earns the tears in his beer. The San Francisco-based singer-songwriter has encountered naysayers who don’t believe an authentic country music artist can come from California.

“I always tell them, you want me to go through and name all the super accredited list of awesome country musicians from California?” he says. “I can start with Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakum, Gram Parsons. It goes on and on.”

Even if the California tradition isn’t convincing, Randall has a geographic trump card. Though he’s lived in the Bay Area since high school, he spent his childhood in North Carolina.

“It’s pretty real for me,” he says. “I try to be pretty personal when I’m writing. My father’s a cowboy … he lives in North Carolina, and he writes sad country songs, and he’s kind of a sad country guy. There’s a little bit of a tradition of melancholy in my family.”

That melancholic tradition carries on in Randall’s songs—down-on-your-luck stories he sings in a crisp tenor that sounds longer lived-in than his meager 27 years. A lot of country singers have to work hard to sound world-weary. Randall comes by it honestly.

“Songwriting has always come really naturally to me, and singing is always something I work on,” he says. “But I pride myself on my songs. What I’ve learned about music is … if you really get into an album and start digging it, the length of time you dig that album and how much you really dive in is, I think, a matter of the songs and the lyrics.”

Randall’s backing band, The Deadmen, boast a wrong-side-of-the-road dark Americana, outlaw country sound, full of woozy, heartbreaking pedal steel and slide guitar parts. The lyrics frequently mention dogs and pick-up trucks but without forcing it or sounding cheesy, and there’s not a lick of phony shit-kicking in the music.

The work of guitarist James DePrato is especially ear-grabbing.

“He’s a phenomenal guitar player,” says Randall. “It’s sort of a blessing I got so lucky to have such a great slide player. … We feature it on a lot of songs, and it’s definitely a good live element, too.”

The name of the band comes from the band members’ interest in other genres of music.

“You’d be surprised at the cross-section of all different kinds of music that met at country,” says Randall. “If you like soul music, you can find some of that in country, and certainly there’s a lot of that honky-tonk vibe in a lot of—as I’ve been educated by my band—in a lot of that early metal.”

So a metal name for a country band.

Elliot Randall and The Deadmen’s new album is Caffeine and Gasoline.

“I kind of wrote most of the material off of what it was like living on the road,” says Randall. “Those are the two necessities of living on the road: caffeine and gasoline. … It’s a collection of road songs. I like to think it’s good driving music.”

The album has a warm, intimate vibe. It was recorded on tape and primarily live in the studio. It has great sound, production, arrangements and performances, but, for Randall, these qualities are secondary.

“For me, songs rule everything,” he says. “Anything that doesn’t follow the story, any guitar part or bass part that doesn’t follow the story, if it’s out of line with the mood or what we’re trying to say—it makes it easy to edit, because you know when something’s clashing with the purpose of the song. … Great songs feel like they’re almost designed for that listener. I think about some of my favorite songs, and I think I’m the only who sees them that way, like no one feels them as deeply as I do.”

He cites Little Feat’s “Trouble” and The Eagles’ “Desperado” as two of his all-time favorites, and “Getting My Nerve Up” as one of the standouts on his new record.

The downbeat verses about one of the classic themes of country music, wanting to get drunk, contrast with a chorus that veers toward but doesn’t quite break out in uplift: “Fill your cup, but Lord, it ain’t enough, I’m getting my nerve up.”

Randall’s July 30 performance at Rollin’ on the River will be his first in Reno.

“I’m excited,” he says, with a rare laugh, “because I love to gamble.”
- Reno News Review

Elliot Randall glides through his songs like a smooth, aged whiskey. Whether he is burning slowly, or the bad is a full throttle, Take The Fall is, easily, one of the best independent releases of 2007. There are elements of Ryan Adams and Thad Cockrell. The band cooks like a rocking Flying Burrito Brothers. Randall follows the show-biz adage of "leave 'em wanting more. " Every one of the 10 tracks on this album is a winner. This young man from San Francisco is one to watch. - Miles Of Music

"KFOG gets it right. From the off, this album grabs you and doesn’t let go. It’s powerful, melodic, sublime and utterly delicious...Randall can make you soar, contemplate and pull at your heartstrings – all at the same time."
- Phil Edwards, AmericanaUK

"Take the Fall is, easily, one of the best independent releases of 2007...Every one of the 10 tracks on this album is a winner. This young man from San Francisco is one to watch."
- Jeff Weiss, Miles of Music

"I love this kid. From the first time I heard his music I was moved. His beautiful, almost haunting songs led me to believe he was much older than twenty-four..."
- Renee Richardson, KFOG 104.5 San Francisco

"Randall's superb release "Take The Fall"....straddles the country and rock worlds proficiently and his work sounds both timeless and fresh."
- Twangnation

"[A band] that flies below the radar but could take off at any minute... A little bit country, a little bit Elliot Smith...Randall is a strong songwriter and performer"
- Brad Kava, San Jose Mercury News

"Very impressive, definitely worth checking out."
- Womenfolk.com

Elliot Randall's debut album, "Take the Fall", named "Best Debut"!!!
- The San Francisco Examiner 5/31/07 - Elliot Randall

It was a combination of a songwriting workshop and heartbreak over a girl that jump-started Americana singer Elliot Randall's career.
"I think that every songwriter gets into songwriting because of a girl," he said. "Songwriters can write about heartbreak all day long if (they) experience it."
Heartbreak or not, Randall has made a name for himself in a relatively short time. Since his debut album, Take the Fall, came out in 2007, he's had the chance to open for some of his childhood heroes: Creedence Clearwater Revisited and the Steve Miller Band.
On Friday night, at the Fox and Goose Pub, Randall and his four-piece band will play the first concert of a California tour that he is co-headlining with folk rock singer Gina Villalobos. Local singer-songwriter Kate Gaffney will open the show.
Country music is deeply rooted in Randall's blood -- his father was a country songwriter, and his grandfather was a musician as well. "Once I started getting into songwriting, roots-type stuff just started coming out," he said.
His family moved from the deep South to South Carolina when he was little, and shortly before high school, they moved to California. It was at Santa Barbara City College that he took the songwriting workshop.
"It's a really well-known program run by a professor named Dr. Clark, an amazing songwriting coach and mentor. He really helped me with my craft," Randall said.
Randall mentioned that many people who have taken the class have been successful. One example is pop singer Katy Perry, whose 2008 album, One of the Boys, recently went platinum.
Later, Randall moved to San Francisco, where producer David Simon Baker (ALO, Jackie Greene, The Mother Hips) helped him record Take the Fall. The album reached number 16 on XM Radio's "X Country" charts, and Randall gained a regional following in the Bay Area.
But he won't say that he's successful or that he's "made it." That kind of thinking puts too much pressure on his career, Randall said.
Right now, he's working with Baker again on a new album entitled Caffeine and Gasoline, set for release in October or November. It will feature less heartbreak and include more lively songs, Randall said.
"I don't want to do another singer-songwriter, depress-everyone-in-the-world, sad Grey's-Anatomy-soundtrack record," Randall said of the record. "It's got some sweet ballads, but frankly I don't think there are enough Americana bands out there trying to rock the house, trying to get people moving."
Randall said he enjoys playing in Sacramento because the people who go to his shows (he played at Marilyn's on K Street last time) are willing to have a good time.
"I don't think people (in Sacramento) are as obsessed with being hip as they are in the Bay Area, so it was a nice change. I dig the fact that it's a real hardworking Northern California city, and people have to sort of cut loose a little bit and have some fun."
Randall will debut some of the new songs from Caffeine and Gasoline in the show Friday, which begins at 9 p.m. There will be a $5 cover charge for the show at Fox and Goose Pub, 1001 R St.
Photographs credit Music Fog - Sacramento Press

Elliot Randall "Take The Fall" - Here's Jessie

As we await a brand new release and the tour getting started, we are revisiting the album that turned us on to Elliot Randall at X Country, Take The Fall. San Franciscan Randall has a sweet voice, a keen eye, a deft hand with lyrics, and a great command of production dynamics. By the way, a couple of bonus tracks have been added since the original release! What a good album this is! We can hardly wait for the third one! My recommended tracks for you POD-ing pleasure:

Cut 1 "How To Get Old" - great hook as country meets rock meets pop
Cut 3 "Second Time Around" - a modern classic
Cut 4 "Take The Fall" - Luscious, brooding
Cut 5 "Everything Reminds Me of You" - countrified singer songwriter fare
Cut 6 "Don't Give Up On Me" - tuneful, sentimental, and driving
Cut 9: "We Don't Talk Like We Used To" - gentle, aching
Cut 10: "Leaving This Town" - pure fun- hands in the air
Cut 11 "Red Velvet Curtains" - new bonus track - cogent, relatable, rockin' - Music Fog

Okay, It has taken me over a week to sit down and write this album review. We received this album in the mail a couple weeks ago, and I've been listening to it on-and-off ever since. For some reason, it took me a while to decide how I really felt about it. Not that I don't dig the music, but it took a while to really grab me and pull me into it. For the most part, we talk about bands for which many people will lean one way or another. You love them, or you hate them, that's it. The Drive By Truckers for instance, are by far my favorite living rock and roll band, but they're definitely not for everyone. I mean, imagine your mother listening to "Aftermath USA" and not wondering what exactly you do on the weekends that would cause you to relate with that song. Elliot Randall on the other hand, is for everyone. This is the kind of album I could see my mother listening to, and there's something cool to be said for that.

The 28 year old grew up in South Carolina, but has called the Bay Area home for the past 10 years or so. "Take the Fall" was released in 2007, and I'm a bit sad that I'm just now getting a hold of it. Randall being responsible for the writing, lead vocals, and guitar, has three others backing him on an array of guitars, bass, steel, drums, and support singing. When you listen to Elliot, like Justin Townes Earle, you get the feeling that he is more lyrically mature than his age would suggest. This, he attributes, to his mother's constant focus on the importance of reading. His musical influences can be acredited to his father's love of Willie Nelson and the Eagles. Many folks have compared his sound to Ryan Adams, but I'm hearing more of a Jason Isbell style, with very soulful lyrics, and a slow bluesy sound.

The album fittingly starts off with "How To Get Old," which opens with Elliot's soothing voice doing most of the work. The song deals with issues that come with growing up: love coming and going, finding out who and what really matter, etc. The tempo picks up about a minute in, and there is a killer guitar solo towards the end. I feel that this tune does a great job of setting the tone for where the rest of the album will go. This album really has great versatility. "Elephant" is a slow, smooth love song, that seems simple and raw, choosing to bypass extra guitars for extra voices in most parts, while still allowing for a really cool slide to pull things together. It's cool to hear this album and think about what the songs mean, especially since Elliot is around our age here at FPM. We've thought a lot of the same things, gone through some growing up, but we could never put pen to paper so well, and pair it with hand to instrument. Thats why we have this blog thing.

Some other notable tunes that you'll want to hear are "Second Time Around," "Hold The Candle," which is another slow tune, and the title track "Take The Fall." Of the whole album, I'll say that my favorite is "Don't Give Up On Me." This is where Randall brings out the whiskey-drinking, foot-eating dumbass that lives inside of each of us, and is singing towards the controlling woman that we inevitably piss-off. The song has a great tempo, and a cool sing-songy chorus that'll stick in your head like that strand of beef-jerky between your back two teeth... but in a good way. All-in-all, this is a great album, that you should definitely give a listen to. I can certainly see this guy making it big, or at least making a good run at it. He's got the right sound to please large audiences, and I'm looking forward to watching his success. - Front Porch Musings

Elliot Randall and the Swillers

Molly Malone’s

Jan. 10, 2008

By Victoria Joyce
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)

SugarBuzz Magazine

Sweet-faced San Francisco singer-songwriter, Elliot Randall gave his backup band a new name while on stage at Molly’s on Fairfax Saturday night; The Swillers. Drink up, everybody.

Thirty year-old Molly Malone’s is two clubs in one. First, it’s an Irish bar, dark and thick with atmosphere. Used as background in several films, remember Nick Cage getting drunk in “Leaving Las Vegas?” Patrons walk through a quintessential pub, walled with guilted Guinness mirrors and portraits of writers and poets of the Old Sod. In the back, you connect to an intimate music room next door.

This long, rectangle room with brick walls and amber-lit, broken ceiling fans is home to the best of LA’s Alt-Country, Folk, Jazz, Punk and Rock, maybe just a touch dialed down, softer and smarter.

Perfect example: Eliot Randall. From the opening twang of Randall’s 9 o’clock set you knew this was going to be good. Guitar man, James Deprato resembles a young Charlie Sexton. And plays like him too. Picking up a bottle of Bud as a slide was a nice touch to his soaring psychedelic solos and his jangling riffs.
Randall’s strong bass player, Danilo Lopez, is the fashion plate of the band with his Motorhead tee, leopard guitar strap and Hittite ringlets under his curled cowboy hat. His eyes were hidden but not his smile. Drummer, Kyle Caprista banged his drums like he was playing Shea Stadium and provided back up vocals Randall described as “girly.” We’d call them pretty.

“Our keyboard player (Danny Blau) doesn’t drink. He’s the designated driver,” Randall let the gathered fans and friends know. He’s also a first class honky-tonk piano player that fills out the classic Blues-Rock stadium sound of the newly christened Swillers.

Elliot Randall has created some industry buzz with his stand out songwriting. Lyrics are peppered with gothic romantic references of searching, longing and traveling on a permanent American Pilgrimage. “Second Time Around” is a song title used by Sammy Cahn when he wrote for Frank Sinatra. E’s version is about a woman in a green dress with all the answers. Seriously Southern, song “Red Velvet Curtains” is Scarlett O’Hara meets Tennessee Williams spinning a tale of sleeze, struggle, cracks in the wall and domestic makeover’s with those amazing guitar solos and big time drums.

E announced a Johnny Cash cover that brought hoots and hollers. “Folsom Prison Blues” was done with the ferocity of the Ramones. Faster than Cash’s signature, it was a song trying to catch up with itself.

Closing with a Tom Petty cover “Mary Jane's Last Dance”, Elliot made it his own. Randall’s voice is similar to Petty’s but his tempo was faster, more frantic. Again giving the impression of a song trying to catch up with itself.
He got there - SugarBuzz Magazine

Elliot Randall “Take The Fall“ (Independent, 2007)


KFOG gets it right.

For the Steely Dan fans amongst you hoping that their ex guitar player has released another solo album, you’re going to be disappointed. This is not ‘that’ Randall (he spells his name with two ‘t’s) and it sounds nothing like Steely Dan. And this is a good thing. Oh yes.

This Elliot Randall is 24, lives in San Francisco and is a regular on KFOG 104.5, the Bay Area’s premier rock station. ‘How To Get Old’, the opener on ‘Take The Fall’ is also featured on their ‘Local Scene 4’ compilation cd.

From the off, this album grabs you and doesn’t let go. It’s powerful, melodic, sublime and utterly delicious – all at the same time. Randall can make you soar, contemplate and pull at your heartstrings – all at the same time.

Randall has been compared to Thad Cockrell and Ryan Adams, but easy tiger (see what I did there?) those comparisons will be hard to uphold. However it has to be said this is an extremely accomplished album for a debut. Having released an EP in 2006 (‘Grace’) this is Randall’s first attempt at a full album and it manages to interweave roots rock and country in a classic Americana style. Not many albums can make such good use of lap steel and Rhodes keyboards that sound like a mellotron (though I don’t think it is) without straying into twee mainstream country circa the 70’s.

Now living in California, Randall is originally from Charleston, South Carolina and he was invited by ASCAP to showcase two of his songs at their annual ‘’I Create Music’’ expo before he released ‘Take The Fall’. Seems to have helped as he’s now causing something of a stir on the West Coast and this album will bring him to the attention of a wider audience.

The lyrics on this album defy his tender years. He seems to have done it all and has the required levels of angst and hurt that far older songwriters take years to experience. ‘We Don’t Talk Like We Used To’ speaks for itself – it doesn’t need any further explaining so I won’t provide any. ‘Elephant’ tells the tale of a girl who seems to have re-invented herself to the obvious pleasure of the narrator and it meanders along in a lovely atmospheric way. ‘Everything Reminds Me of You’ is also pretty explanatory and something this writer can identify with. Randall doesn’t hide his light under a bushel that’s for sure.

‘Second Time Around’ compares one partner with another and demonstrates his attraction to girl two as they remind him of girl one “you look pretty in your green dress”. Not sure that this is the best tactic but hey, we’ve all been there. This track also shows off Randall’s virtuosity on lead guitar as it cuts cleanly through the song. I could listen to it for a further ten minutes and still not hear enough.

It’s all here; up tempo, slow & moody, solo, full on band sound, melodies, maudlin lyrics, shades of light and dark, and tales of girls and the effect they have on us boys. Not unlike Ryan Adams then – oops, sorry.

This album is going to be on heavy rotation on my radio show in the months ahead. You read it here first. Now go out and hear it.

Date review added: Monday, August 20, 2007
Reviewer: Phil Edwards
Reviewers Rating: 9 out of 10 stars
- Americana UK

ACCLAIMED ALBUM FROM SAN FRANCISCO SINGER/SONGWRITER ELLIOT RANDALL TO BE RE-RELEASED BY INGROOVES

SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco singer/songwriter Elliot Randall and INgrooves, a leading provider of digital distribution, marketing and promotion services to the independent music community, have entered into a distribution agreement to re-release the country-rocker's much lauded debut album "Take The Fall". The debut album by Randall will be digitally re-released on January 20th, featuring a collection of songs that have been described as "powerful, melodic and sublime" (Americana-UK) and, "a little bit country, a little bit Elliot Smith" (San Jose Mercury News). To celebrate the re-release, fans who purchase the cd online will be treated to two brand new bonus tracks.

"We are excited about teaming up with INgrooves to re-release the record." , says Randall. "We were looking for a way to give "Take The Fall" a wider audience than it previously had. INgrooves has a great reputation and an impressive artist roster. We feel that we've found a great match are honored to be working with them."

The 26-year old Randall lives in San Francisco but originally hails from Charleston, S.C. He delivers songs that have a world-weary yet romantic quality and have earned him comparisons to some of the great musical stylists that precede him ranging from Ryan Adams to Jackson Browne to Guy Clark and Gram Parsons. Elliot independently released "Take The Fall" in May of 2007 and garnered an impressive list of accomplishments on his own. San Francisco's KFOG included his track "How To Get Old" on their annual Local Scene Compilation and XM Radio's "X Country" added the entire album to the Americana/Outlaw Country station for sixteen weeks where it reached number 16 on a chart filled with national acts. Randall's songwriting was also recognized that year by ASCAP and the NARAS chapter in San Francisco.

To kick off the album re-release, Randall is teaming up with friend and fellow San Francisco singer/songwriter Heather Combs at Cafe DuNord in January.

January Tour Dates for Elliot Randall:

1/10/09 Molly Malones, Los Angeles
1/15/09 KRCB Radio Live, Santa Rosa
1/16/09 Ukiah Brewing Company, Ukiah
1/23/09 Cafe DuNord, San Francisco - Music Dish Country Music Headline Picks

When we walked in, local musician Elliot Randall and his band were bringing down the house. This country girl was in love. Slim's is a small, long venue hall with one long bar on the side and food served in the back and the whole building was vibrating with energy. Think "Devil Went Down to Georgia" on crack and for a full set. Wow. Just. Wow. They found a new fan. All of them are quite sexy in that "I have complete command of my guitar" way too. I rocked out, got amped and was ready for the main act. Unfortunately, the whole silent movie treatment between bands went on way too long for me to sustain my energy and was ready for a nap by the time the screen went up.
- SnappedinSin.com

By Adam Joseph

Americana singer-songwriter Elliot Randall says the vibe of his music stems from a single childhood memory: sitting on a wall in the backyard of his grandparents’ Charleston, South Carolina home, watching the Ashley River go by.

“I’d spend hours chasing fiddler crabs in the marsh and listening to the crickets,” Randall says.

This Friday the shaggy-haired musician brings his Southern sensibility – featuring Danielo Lopez on bass and Kyle Caprista on a stripped-down drum set – to the East Village in Monterey.

Country music was embedded into the young musician’s soul early on. He grew up listening to Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard with his father, an amateur country singer.

“When I started playing music, country would always come out,” Randall says.

After moving to the Bay Area in high school, Randall really began embracing his Americana-country roots. The pay off has been substantial.

In 2007, shortly after Randall released his debut, Take the Fall, he played an effervescent cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues” to a dancing audience at The Independent in San Francisco.

Take the Fall is a wedge of authentic Americana music, guided by pedal steel and upheld by gentle narratives about the ups and downs of life.

“How to Get Old” features an abounding orchestra of piano and mandolin with an upbeat, country twang.

“Highway dreams they run dry, small town sleepers they give up/ Neon nights turn to fog, I know I’m alone/ Won’t someone tell me how to get old?” Randall sings with a breathy, Lyle Lovett flair.

“I’m always fascinated with those people that never ask questions about life,” Randall explains of the song. “But I’m one of those people that always has a lot of questions.”

“Elephant” is about Randall’s experience dating a girl who lived upstairs from him during his second year in college. His living situation and romantic situation ended on a sour note. On the night Randall moved out, the girl threw a party and rubbed it in his face. The “elephant” (Randall) was no longer in the room.

“Put your dress on, fix yourself up/ Let everyone know, the elephant is gone,” Randall sings.

The vintage drones of a Hohner organ and a slinky slide guitar paint a picture that is beautifully honest.

With the help of Take the Fall’s success, Randall was able to score David Simon Baker – who has produced big names like Jerry Garcia and Jack Johnson – to co-produce his new album, due out in late January.

The recently completed Caffeine and Gasoline is a tribute to the necessities of life on the road, another homage to the music that runs red, white and blue through Randall’s veins.

The 26-year-old talent’s accessible songwriting continues to draw attention within the Bay Area’s local music scene; last January, he played his first headlining show at Cafe Du Nord in San Francisco, to a sellout crowd.

And this past spring, Randall performed Bob Dylan’s “Simple Twist of Fate” with the San Francisco Songwriters Coalition, which includes Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead, at San Francisco State.

For the next few months Randall will tour in support of his forthcoming album – and hopefully chase some fiddler crabs on his off days.
ELLIOT RANDALL plays 8pm Friday, Dec. 18, at East Village, 498 Washington St., Monterey. Free. 373-5601.








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- Monterey County Weekly