Our intern Seth Fiegerman has joined the search for one of rock music’s Holy Grails. Here’s his discovery:
Bob Dylan is dead; he has been for the last 25 years. There's a mustachioed imposter masquerading in his shoes, leading him into Victoria Secret commercials and guiding his pen to write songs about Alicia Keys. But it's not him. He's not there.
I found the new Dylan, with the same free wheeling spirit and voice, in a young barn-stomping, roots-rock band from upstate New York, called The Felice Brothers. The brothers consist of James, Ian, and Simone Felice, on accordion, guitar, and drums, respectively, and their friend and “adopted” brother Christmas on bass. The brothers sing together on many of the songs, but Ian is the principle vocalist; a voice that is eerily similar to late 60's Dylan. Sometimes the band throws other instruments into the mix - violins, trumpets, washboards - but the sound is always raw, heartfelt.
One of their signature songs, Ballad of Lou the Welterweight, tells the story of a boxer mowed down by a dumb, cheap-hitting fighter. All through his demise, Lou longs for his lover. The chorus ducks in and out of the narrative: "Powder your nose/Pull down your pantyhose/ Let me love you from behind / My darling." First you smirk at the line, next it's in your head for days.
The band spent part of this year opening for Bright Eyes, a band that faithfully draws comparisons to Dylan. But Bright Eyes have nothing on the Felice Brothers, at least when it comes to the live show.
I saw the Brothers last week at New York's Highline Ballroom. Simone, the drummer, and also a young novelist, stirred the crowd's energy. He leaped around behind the drum set, introduced songs, and at one point, grabbed a cane and jabbed the band members. He's not the best drummer technically, but there's great satisfaction in imagining that he could put on the same show with a set of garbage cans.
James, the accordionist, also sings lead on some songs, and has a beautiful, gravelly voice. A large man, James dances around in a full black suit, black wide-brim cap and has the beginnings of a Lincoln beard. And then there's Ian, the vocalist, less outwardly jovial than the others, but with a voice capable of singing another world to life.
Together, the band not only channels the best of Dylan but also the best elements of American music. They show us that we don't have to cling to the last breaths of old artists for musical nourishment. The Felice Brothers are here and they know the value of good storytelling, the power of music to tell it, and the joy of being able to perform in front of anyone who will listen.
For a list of their shows, and some samples of their music, check out the band on MySpace, or else search for their live videos on YouTube.
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