Elvis Costello has spent the back half of his career flitting from style to style, recording everything from opera to R&B, but he avoided the country-folk of 1986's King of America until 2009, when he teamed up with America producer (and fellow Coward Brother) T Bone Burnett for Secret, Profane & Sugarcane. By its very definition, country-folk seems straightforward, but the only thing simple about Secret is the speed of its recording. Costello and Burnett assembled an all-star acoustic string band -- featuring Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Dennis Crouch on bass, Stuart Duncan on fiddle and banjo, and Jim Lauderdale on vocal harmonies -- and cut the album in just three days, its swiftness similar to its knocked-out predecessor Momofuku. Secret, Profane & Sugarcane often bears its quick conception fetchingly, feeling loose-limbed and intimate, a record made simply because it's fun to play, a sentiment that can't quite be said of its songs. Surely, there are times where the humor is as riotous as those old Coward Brothers singles -- Costello and Burnett have a ball on the bawdy travelogue "Sulphur to Sugarcane" and sweetly harmonize with Emmylou Harris on "The Crooked Line" -- but Secret is frequently fussy, particularly on the songs Costello has carried over from his unfinished Hans Christian Andersen opera. The very presence of these songs ("How Deep Is the Red?," "She Was No Good," "She Handed Me a Mirror," "Red Cotton") suggests just how muddled Secret, Profane & Sugarcane is conceptually: it bounces all over the place, threading these stagebound tunes between a collaboration with Loretta Lynn and his take on "Down Among the Wine and Spirits," which he originally wrote for Ms. Loretta, a rollicking leftover from The Delivery Man ("Hidden Shame"), a cover of Bing Crosby's "Changing Partners," the Burnett co-writes, a few new songs, and a reworking of Elvis' old "Complicated Shadows." Despite the occasional stuffiness, there's a lot of good material here and it's all executed well, but it's hard not to shake the feeling that this is a collection of leftovers masquerading as a main course.
MUSIC NEWS- In praise of independent music retailers, Elvis Costello will celebrate the release of his brand new 'Secret, Profane & Sugarcane' album (out now via Starbucks' Hear Music label) on Monday, June 22, 2009 by performing free in-store shows at Amoeba Records San Francisco, CA and Hollywood locations (sorry Berkeley store!). Costello will kick off his one day "Amoeba Music Tour...
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Elvis CostelloSecret, Profane & Sugarcane (2009) Costello teams up again with the great T-Bone Burnett for a largely acoustic version of bastardized Americana, not unlike the duo's pairing on Costello's King Of America back in 1986. Plenty of weepy Appalachia and countrified nuance. Listen to the excellent "I Felt the Chill Before the Winter Came," written by Costello and country legend Loretta...
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Costello's latest completes his trio of 2000s Americana albums. Though enjoyable enough, it is the weakest of the three.
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One of the best festivals in the world is now streaming live from paradise to your PC! Tonight features Elvis Costello!Go to:http://www.koto.org/Friday, June 194:30 - 5:45pm — Jenny Lewis6:15 - 7:30pm — Béla Fleck & Toumani Diabaté8:00 - 9:30pm — Elvis Costello & The Sugarcanes10:00 - 11:30pm — Railroad EarthSaturday, June 20 11:15 - 12:15pm — Greensky Bluegrass12:30 - 1:45pm — Punch
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Elvis CostelloSecret, Profane & Sugarcane (2009) Costello teams up again with the great T-Bone Burnett for a largely acoustic version of bastardized Americana, not unlike the duo's pairing on Costello's King Of America back in 1986. Plenty of weepy Appalachia and countrified nuance. Listen to the excellent "I Felt the Chill Before the Winter Came," written by Costello and country legend Loretta...
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MUSIC NEWS - With a varied performance schedule this season, performing with The Sugarcanes or The Imposters; solo at an NYC bar, LA and SF Record shoppes, in front of thousands at Bonnaroo or with Sheryl Crow at the MLB All-Star charity concert, Elvis Costello is performing at his peak this summer, hot on the release of one of his best albums.Most of Costello's recent gigs have been with...
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Elvis Costello Secret, Profane, & Sugarcane CD Releases June 2 The record was produced by T Bone Burnett and recorded by Mike Piersante during a three-day session at Nashville's Sound Emporium Studio. Joining Costello were Jerry Douglas (dobro), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Mike Compton (mandolin), Jeff [...]
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Costello's latest completes his trio of 2000s Americana albums. Though enjoyable enough, it is the weakest of the three.
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MUSIC NEWS- In praise of independent music retailers, Elvis Costello will celebrate the release of his brand new 'Secret, Profane & Sugarcane' album (out now via Starbucks' Hear Music label) on Monday, June 22, 2009 by performing free in-store shows at Amoeba Records San Francisco, CA and Hollywood locations (sorry Berkeley store!). Costello will kick off his one day "Amoeba Music Tour...
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Elvis Costello's Secret, Profane & Sugarcane doesn't hit store shelves until June 2, but the folks from over at Newsweek got him in the studio to record a solo performance of the song Sulfur to Sugarcane.Put that together with the other track that's been previewed from the album (Complicated Shadows) and you have the potential for one great Costello LP. As there is no official video for the so...
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Elvis Costello dropped by The Tonight Show last night to play "Sulphur to Sugarcane" off his recent country album Secret, Profane and...
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Elvis lives! Elvis Costello, that is. Costello will again join with T Bone Burnett as producer for “Secret, Profane & Sugarcane,” (Hear Music, June 2nd) his first acoustic American roots album since 1986’s “King of America” (also a Costello/ Burnett collaberation.) The album was recorded during a three-day session at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio.The [...]
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MUSIC NEW - The 3rd season finale of NBC's 30 Rock airs on May 14, 2009 and has secured a number of major musicians, including Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Mary J Blige and Maroon 5's Adam Levine. (buy 1st and 2nd seasons on dvd here). Called the “Kidney Now!” episode, it apparently features other surprise guests! Elvis is prepping for his release of, and tour for, his new Ju
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MUSIC NEWS - Hear Music (Starbucks) has announced a June 2, 2009 release of Elvis Costello’s new album ‘Secret, Profane & Sugarcane’ (track list below). The album was produced by T Bone Burnett and recorded by Mike Piersante during a three-day session at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studio. With Costello at the sessions were Jerry Douglas (dobro), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Mike
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Elvis Costello will be releasing his new record titled Secret, Profane & Sugarcane on June 2. Secret, Profane & Sugarcane will feature ten previously unreleased tracks produced by T Bone Burnett, as well as covers of Johnny Cash’s “Hidden Shame” & “Boom Chicka Boom” as well as Bing Crosby’s “Changing Partners.”Tracklisting1. Down Among the Wine [...]
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Elvis Costello is returning to acoustic based Americana music when his next album, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, hits store shelves on June 2.The album, which was recorded in three days at Nashville's Sound Emporium Studios, is produced by T-Bone Burnett. The pair had previously worked together on King of America and Spike.Costello formed a band for the session with a number of esteemed bluegra...
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MUSIC NEWS- In praise of independent music retailers, Elvis Costello will celebrate the release of his new 'Secret, Profane & Sugarcane' album (out via Starbucks' Hear Music label) on Monday, June 22, 2009 by performing free in-store shows at Amoeba Records San Francisco, CA and Hollywood locations (sorry Berkeley store!). Costello will kick off his one day "Amoeba Music Tour" at Noon ...
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 "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane")
