Some Velvet Evening

With 70 some odd years spent fleshing out the concept of country music, it is darn near impossible to put out a country music project, let alone a neo-traditional one that thrives on going back instead of forward, that is able to find a truly original approach. But Some Velvet Evening, with their use of subtly, sarcasm, and sexual innuendo without sacrificing substance does that very thing.

Some Velvet Evening is the sound of sexual frustration. I’ve been saying that the permeation of irony in modern American culture has killed camp, but No Law Against Talking is a booster shot right in camp’s buttocks. By taking country’s conservative, family-friendly foundations and turning them inside out, yet still staying completely within the confines of them, the duo of Carrie Shepard and John Holk engage you with a mad, sick, but still sweet and simple paradox of sensations and thoughts. Some Velvet Evening splits the creative atom. When you listen to their songs, you are in two places at once, listening with two completely different perspectives that are at war, but at the same time harmonious. It is music parallax.

Their commitment to their sexually subtle songs is deep. If they used this formula just for one or two of the songs, those songs might have been good, but the album concept may have fallen apart. Make no mistake, this approach is a bit, but it is a good bit, executed well, and neither over nor under done. Though not all of the songs employ this bit, they all work within the general framework and theme of the album.

The first two tracks “Shooting The Breeze” and “Ain’t No Law Against Talking” start you down the path of innuendo, but then “Still Have Your Hat” is a rather sweet and straightforward country song, only to lead into the suggestive “Behind The Line”. So much of this album’s effectiveness depends on the song order, and though there are stronger and weaker tracks (as with all albums), the order of this album’s songs is a practice in genius all to itself.

After listening a couple of times through, I had determined it was worthy of a positive grade, but I was going to preface it with a warning that this album is not one you listen to over an over, it’s more like a piece of fine art, where you appreciate the technique and perspective they used and move on because there’s no deep visceral appeal that makes you crave the music in the long term. But I’ll be damned if after listening to this album for a while, the songs really stuck to my bones. Despite the ‘bit”, there is real substance to the music, singing, and lyrics here.

The Louvin-style close harmony approach, supported by excellent ear and arrangement really make the singing of Some Velvet Evening something special. Carrie Shepard has spectacular tone and control to match the natural sweetness of her voice, and John Holk’s soft and smart accompaniments and leads compliment Carrie, along with the sweet nature of the words and themes of the songs. The mastery of the subtlety in the music is what grabs your attention first, but then the singing and songwriting rallies to reveal their music as something to be taken very seriously. The instrumentation is also solid, and appropriate to the “golden age of the Opry” period the music is set in.

The liner notes for this album are sparse, and the internet is no help either. There is a lot of mystery to this album and Some Velvet Evening, and I’d like to keep it that way. I don’t want to know if Carrie and John are an item, or if they’re theater nerds and this is an extension of that world. I just know that they touched on something in No Law Against Talking, and that same “something” is captured just as well in their video for “Shooting The Breeze” (see below).

However, this is one of those albums that the warning needs to be issued that it is not for everyone. Not only will some not get it, some will be vaguely insulted by it. Sarcasm and subtly is for old souls. But on the flip side, the vagaries in which this music works means you could play it for your 80-year-old grandmother or 6-year-old daughter, and they might love it. This really is an artsy fartsy-feeling project, but I beg you, don’t overlook the substance.

As for a grade, give it 1 3/4 of a possible 2 guns up, only held back by a couple of slightly weaker songs, and the great likelihood for misunderstanding of this project. - Saving Country Music

Some Velvet Evening is the charming Honky Tonk duo of Detroit’s own Carrie Shepard and John Holk. Their sound is reminiscent of days gone by. As stated in their bio, “Masters of twang, melancholy and harmony, their original tunes harken back to the lonesome crooners of yesteryear in the tradition of the Louvin Brothers, Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn, and Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris.”

Their debut album No Law Against Talking is an assemblage of cleverly written songs. Their written musical verse travels down the dusty road with a sparkling versatility that pops with vintage country-western style.

The album was produced by John Holk, who was nominated in 2010 by the Detroit Music Awards for Best Country Recording for the John Holk & the Sequins’ album If You See Her. Shepard also performed with the group.

Shepard and Holk met in 2007 at a show in Ferndale. “I went to see John Holk & the Sequins play at the New Way Bar in 2007, and I was completely blown away by the music,” says Shepard. “So when I had an opportunity to do my first solo show at Oak City Grille, I asked John to join me. We each performed some of our own original material and also tried out a few duets including Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra’s “Some Velvet Morning,” from which we borrowed our name. We gradually added more and more duets to our repertoire, returned to Oak City Grille for many more ‘velvet evenings,’ and began writing some duets of our own.”

Shepard and Holk’s vocals blend together well, with pleasant harmonies that are sultry, sweet and full of heart.

The 11 tracks on the album flow together in a steady rhythm. The first track, “Shooting the Breeze,” opens with toe-tapping, rollicking guitar. It has the feel of a Johnny Cash and June Carter duet. The song is about two members of the opposite sex talking to each other, and as the chorus states, “just shooting the breeze.” Underneath that guise there are undertones of a hidden desire; however, “they’re not the cheatin’ kind.”

No Law Against Talking includes the cover song “Come On, Let’s Go,” originally written by Ritchie Valens. Shepard and Holk’s version of the Valens hit has the classic ‘50s pop-rock sound. They sound comparable to the currently popular duo of She & Him on this track.

Other great tracks on the album include “Behind the Line” and “Springtime.” The closing track, “Come on Down,” begins with harmonica and tambourine as the vocals kick in and are met with guitars that intertwine into a song that is melancholy, whimsical and full of longing.

No Law Against Talking is a great album to listen to on a cold, gray, rainy day or a sunny day when you’re feeling blue. If you love honky tonk, catchy lyrics, sultry vocals and brilliant musicianship, check out the album. You also can catch one of their live shows. They will be performing Tuesday, Jan. 24, at Oak City Grille in Royal Oak.

For more info on Some Velvet Evening, visit somevelvetevening.com. - Red Thread Magazine

It’s official. Duets are back in style… at least on the strength of new releases of late, though of course for many of us they never went out of style. The latest duo to come to our attention are Carrie Shepard and John Holkeboer (known as John Holk) who for three years have been favourites on the Detroit honky-tonk scene which I must admit, I
didn’t previously know existed. Some Velvet Evening (SVE)
sure do harmonise well together, and their website claims that
“their original tunes harken back to the high lonesome crooners of
yesteryear in the tradition of the Louvin Brothers, Wagoner/Parton,
Twitty/Lynn, and Parsons/Harris” and I have to agree, but there
are a few songs that lean a little more towards a folky sound than I
personally would like. There is a terrific video for
Shooting The Breeze on YouTube that is well worth tracking down.
Shot in the “Grand Ole Opry style” it gives a clear indication
of where SVE are musically. The original song is the album opener,
and ensures things get off to a very promising start. Maintaining
the “innocent conversation or is there something going on
between those two?” theme of Shooting The Breeze is Ain’t
No Law Against Talking, nicely retro and very much in keeping
with SVE’s mission statement. My favourite track though, is the
almost Klezmer-ish Chore List. A sexy little number - “sometimes
you’ve got to get dirty if you want to get anything clean” - it is utterly
irresistible. Shepard and Holkenboer have written all the songs except
two. Southern Moon is an old Delmore Brothers number, and
the closing track, a version of Ritchie Valens’ Come On Let’s
Go is far more rockin’ than anything else here and grabbed my attention, which had drifted off a little towards the last third
of the album when I thought The Seekers had returned. Come On
Down, at five minutes was a little long (and featured the dreaded
Dylan-esque harmonica), and Springtime was just a tad too
60s hippy for my liking. However, this album, and SVE show great
promise and No Law Against Talking is well worth checking out.
Let’s face it, we need more duets.
Duncan Warwick

- Country Music People Magazine UK

SOME VELVET EVENING No Law Against Talking

Shooting The Breeze - Ain't No Law Against Talking - Still Have Your Hat - Behind The Line - Chore List - One Night of Sin - Southern Moon - Springtime - Sabotage - Come On Down - Come On, Let's Go

Being the President of the National Traditional Country Music Assn., for some 35 years now, has certainly exposed me to some 'not so good' country music, and being a fan of some of America's finest duets to emerge in country music, you know like Carl & Pearl Butler, Molly O'Day and her husband Lynn Davis, James & Martha Carson, Curly Fox & Texas Ruby, even Porter and Dolly, but my favorite of all was Lulu Belle & Scotty, and that's who immediately comes to mind when hearing 'Some Velvet Evening.' Made up of Carrie Shepard and John Holkeboer, this incredibly interesting couple make their home in Commerce, Michigan, and extol the very virtues and talent that Lulu Belle & Scotty did. It takes a 'special' person to not only 'write' good songs, but to arrange them and sing them, and that is exactly what Carrie Sheperd's role is in this really neat traditional country project. These are young people mind you, and they probably call their music 'Americana' but I choose to define it as simply great old-time traditional country. The 'harmony' between this couple is apparent, not only in their voices, but in the personal touch they add to this really nice CD. Carrie is writing good country songs that Nashville has pretty much turned away from, but in her hands, her voice, and the addition of John on the instrument side, we have a perfect match. John plays bass, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and percussion. The delightful couple also utilized the talents of fellow musicians Todd Glass on drums; John Lang on pedal steel guitar (quite well done); and Paul McLinden on lead guitar. It's John's acoustic instruments that sets the 'stage' however for this very easy to listen to CD. It harkens to another time, when the music was supposed to be 'human' and 'relatable,' so very unlike what we hear today that has to march to the drummer that dictates content, style, sound-alike, radio compatibility. Wow, is it nice to hear the 'real deal' after listening to the radio these days. John played an important role all the way through from engineering to production. Good job all the way around. I like the 'mix' very much, especially how they used 'stereo' to bring out the best in the pickers. I liked "Springtime" it's soft and pretty, and the mandolin part is just right for this kind of song. Sounds like there's a little bit of harmonica peeking through on "Come On Down" but we don't know who's playing it. CD cover photos are good, the back side shows Carrie with a nice smile, shows her nice personality, but on the front cover she's a little more 'serious.' She doesn't have to be, she's just right. All in all this is a super good 2012 CD on the market. I will be passing this along to the Rural Roots Music Commission. I never know what 'category' they put music, but they usually know what they are doing. Congratulations Carrie and John, nice job well done.
Carrie Shephed, 27201 Chanki Dr., Commerce, Mi 48390

BOB EVERHART - Country Music News International

“No Law Against Talking” bevat elf rustieke songs, doordrongen van de high lonesome sound, waar The Louvin Brothers, Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris en Conway Twitt/Loretta Lynn belangrijke vertegenwoordigers van waren. Warme ambachtelijke rootsmuziek waar de tijd geen vat op lijkt te hebben van Carrie Shepard en John Holk, die al drie jaar het country en honkytonk duo Some Velvet Evening vormen.

Het album “No Law Against Talking” met een gruwelijk kitscherige hoes waarbij ik stijl achterover viel, zal niet voor iedereen weggelegd zijn. Voor de een is het waarschijnlijk glad geneuzel en sentimentele zweverigheid, een ander droomt zalig weg en verdrinkt zich in de ingetogen liefdesliedjes met voortreffelijke tweestemmige samenzang. Vocalen, die zo mierzoet klinken dat een diabetespatiënt maar beter uit de buurt kan blijven.

De mooizingerij van Carrie en John, de geraffineerde arrangementen en het tot in de puntjes verzorgde spel op de akoestische gitaar, de contrabas en de voor de countrymuziek onvermijdbare pedal steel mengen prachtig en klinken hartverscheurend. “No Law Against Talking” is een heerlijk album vol retromuziek om bij weg te zwijmelen. Intens en recht uit het hart. Geïnspireerd op de country & western variëteprogramma’s die in de jaren vijftig zo populair waren op de Amerikaanse tv is de strakke videoclip bij het nummer Shooting The Breeze, die hopelijk Carrie Shepard en John Holk helpt bij het doorbreken in Nederland.

www.somevelvetevening.com

(Johan Schoenmakers) - Alt Country Forum. NL

Detroit is not known as a bastion of honky-tonk; although at least one other band from Detroit has hit it big time this year and that is Whitey Morgan and the 78's. While Whitey Morgan goes for the outlaw country style of Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings the duo of Jon Holk and Carrie Shepard (Some Velvet Evening) lean more in the direction of the classic harmony duo sounds of Louvin Brothers, Wagoner/Parton, Twitty/Lynn and Parsons/Harris.

The band’s brand new debut record is called No Law Against Talking. Below are two songs that showcase both the band’s harmony vocals, as well as their sultry, slinky country music. The new record is available here via CD Baby; if you love the sound of real country music and not the mindless, soul stealing pablum that Nashville calls country than support the artists that are making it now and buy this cd. - Songs:Ilinois

Album: No Law Against Talking by Some Velvet Evening

The sweet and carefree harmonies of Some Velvet Evening are a bit like a twangier, boy/girl version of Simon and Garfunkel. With a kitschy album cover that conjures up images of early Country Rock super-group, The Nashville Country Jamboree, No Law Against Talking leads to no disappointment in expectations. The soft and subtle old-timey arrangements from this Ferndale, Michigan duo, are like a pleasant trip back to a childhood spent watching Hee-Haw and singing cowboys. It’s a good enough blend of clever indie folk, pop and old-school country to earn our respect. And it’s always nice to see a band that doesn’t take themselves too seriously.

Sounds Like: Simon and Garfunkel, Hank Williams, Early Country Rock, Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins

Standout tracks: “Shooting the Breeze,” “One Night of Sin” - Turnstyled Junkpiled

Here is a taster from seven of the best. I would encourage you to check them all out further.

First up are Some Velvet Evening, a duo from Detroit better known to their friends and families as Carrie Shepard and John Holk. With a name like Some Velvet Evening they are presumably trying to evoke the spirit of Lee Hazlewood, but to me they are more of a mixture of traditional honky-tonk and a Laura Cantrell sound (particularly strong on the track I have chosen) - which makes for a pretty good combination. Their album is called "No Law Against Talking" and it is out now on Hole-Key Records. - 27 Leggies

Since we've started putting up reviews, we've been getting lots of emails from our indie country friends to include them on our blog. We're more than happy to oblige (if we can keep up the pace!) So starting this week, we'll try to feature one new album each week! To get things started, we're going to go old shcool...
This has been a good year for tradtional country music. First Patsy Cline's Winchester, VA home was finally opened to public tours, then we were treated to not one, but two new Hank Williams CDs (Lost Notebooks and The Legend Begins) Even Blake Shelton gave a nod to yesterday's country roots when he sang about Conway and Loretta in his song Honey Bee. But Some Velvet Evening goes a lot further than just mentioning the legendary Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, they channel their very spirit on every song on their new album, No Law Against Talking. From the first few bars of Still Have Your Hat, you are transported to a different era of country music (even the cover has a great retro charm.) With stripped down production and gorgeous harmonies, Some Velvet Evening captures the very essence of country music. Without elaborate arrangements, orchestration, or overdubbing, the beauty of Carrie Shepard and John Holk's voices take center stage. The two voices glide and blend effortlessly in perfect harmony. They combine to create an intimacy that enhances the lyrical story telling of this album. As almost all the songs are about relationships, the beauty and emotion of the singers add a heartfelt resonance to each tune. From the hopeful yearning of Sitll Have Your Hat ("I know you can't be gone, because I still have your hat.") to the delightfully sensuous Chore List ("I'm making you a chore list baby: 1 Do just what I say 2 undo my necklace...") and the inevitable following song, One Night of Sin, you get the feeling that you are eavesdropping on a couple's most intimate moments. Listening to this album with your sweetheart may even lead to a few intimate moments of your own! - Family Reunion Country

“Dynamic honky tonk duo Some Velvet Evening, consisting of Carrie Shepard and John Holk, celebrate the release of their debut album, No Law Against Talking with a CD release show on September 13 at Oak City Grille. As they say themselves on a press release, “Masters of twang, melancholy and harmony, their original tunes harken back to the high lonesome crooners of yesteryear in the tradition of the Louvin Brothers, Wagoner/Parton, Twitty/Lynn and Parsons/Harris. For the past three years they have been local favorites on the Detroit honky tonk scene, with their special take on close harmony duets in the vintage country and western style. As well as that CD release show, Some Velvet Evening also play the Lagerhouse on September 18, Birmingham Farmer’s Market on October 9, and the Crazy Wisdom Tea Room on October 14. Get out there for a rootin’, tootin’ good time.”
— Brett Callwood, Metro Times - Metro Times