I think I see a rip in the social fabric. Brother, could you spare some ammo?

October 15, 2012 9:43 AM

Corb Lund is a classically trained jazz musician who was a founding member of Canadian metal legends The Smalls. For the past seventeen years, though, as the centrepiece of Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans, he has been cranking out alt-country records that have garnered praise from well outside usual country music circles. His biggest hit is almost certainly the comedic Truck Got Stuck. His most recent single however is the sombre peak-oil apocalypse tune Gettin' Down on the Mountain. Corb also maintains maintains an excellent songwriting blog that he describes as 30% guitar lesson: "What That Song Means Now."
posted by 256 (22 comments total)

Thanks.
The song of his that I love is Student Visas.
posted by Seamus at 9:50 AM on October 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

A couple more tunes for you:

A Game in Town Like This
Family Reunion
I Wanna Be in the Cavalry
Devil's Best Dress

And, if you want to see him live, he is just about to kick off a coast to coast Canadian tour.
posted by 256 at 9:52 AM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

I did not know about that blog! Thank you!

He plays Vancouver on the 12th. I arrive the next week... which unpleasant discovery prompted me to notice that The Grand Cariboo Opry are playing on the 8th. Maybe I should move my holidays back a week and just miss christmas?
posted by Pre-Taped Call In Show at 10:18 AM on October 15, 2012

"I Wanna Be In The Cavalry" is one of my favorite songs. I first heard about him from the Sound of Young America podcast.
posted by drezdn at 10:21 AM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

If you've done a MeFi CD Swap with me, there's a pretty good chance you got some Corb Lund from me. Truck Got Stuck of course, but also the great pair of songs Rye Whiskey/It's Time To Switch To Whiskey, which is a classic live crowd-pleaser and set-ender.

But maybe my favorite is the one that I threw on my first MeFi Mix, Long Gone to Saskatchewan. The fascinating thing about the song is its' context in the greater body of country music. Long Gone is from the perspective of a rancher considering moving from expensive Alberta to cheaper Saskatchewan. The song is about actual ranching; the financial pressures and the ins and outs. "Hell, I like Alberta, but dang ain't you hearda how much it can cost to buy oats?" "we might have to feed a bit more, and it's further to ship 'em".

Country music is a well-established genre, but there are remarkably few songs about the actual business or lifestyle of farming or ranching. Loads of lovin' and heartbreak songs, lots of America and Jesus songs, lots of songs about drinkin' and fightin' and gettin' rowdy. But relatively little about the actual day-to-day goings-on. There's probably more country music about truck driving or being a rodeo cowboy than there is about actual ranching.

But damnit, both shows here in Calgary have already sold out. I'm fascinated by the show in Cadillac, SK, which is a village of 100 people that I've never even heard of before and is a hell of a long way away from anything.
posted by Homeboy Trouble at 10:30 AM on October 15, 2012 [3 favorites]

Corb Lund has also been said, by Ian Tyson, that he has inherited that mantle, which makes sense to me.
posted by PinkMoose at 10:33 AM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

MetaFilter meetup December 5 in Cadillac, SK?
posted by 256 at 10:35 AM on October 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

Corb Lund is one of my favourite musicians, despite the fact that I don't like a ton of country music. He's a damn fine songwriter with a knack for songs both serious and humorous. And, from what I can tell from watching his YouTube videos, he doesn't seem to have let the fame that he's seen over the past few years go to his head.

I just wish the the Edmonton show wasn't already sold out. I did mention to my wife that tickets would make an excellent birthday present, though, so I've got my fingers crossed.
posted by asnider at 10:43 AM on October 15, 2012

Asnider tickets have it sold out in Edmonton, that's only the VIP packages that are sold out. Ditto Calgary.
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 11:44 AM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Asnider tickets have it sold out in Edmonton, that's only the VIP packages that are sold out. Ditto Calgary.
posted by Heart_on_Sleeve at 11:44 AM on October 15 [+] [!]

I was confused by the webpage as well. Looks like there are still tickets at 60 bucks a shot. Probably worth attendance, although the venue isn't great.
posted by Stagger Lee at 12:31 PM on October 15, 2012

The Smalls were CALGARIAN, not just CANADIAN. Cool shit comes from Calgary even if Corby is Edmonton-based now.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 12:33 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Cool shit comes from Calgary even if Corby is Edmonton-based now.

Let's avoid the Edmonton vs. Calgary debate by agreeing that Corb comes from Taber. Corb Lund and delicious corn. What else has come out of Taber?
posted by asnider at 12:38 PM on October 15, 2012

Mormons. It's mostly awesome corn, Corb Lund, and sexy mormon farmers. I almost had an interview with him once, where I was going to talk to him about how LDS culture has seeped into his work, never made it work though.
posted by PinkMoose at 2:20 PM on October 15, 2012

This far in the thread without even a mention of Cows Around? Also the NPR interview and story from a month or two back may be interesting.
posted by genug at 2:44 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Well goodness me Fox TV where did you get your sight?
Can't you keep track, the puck is black
that's why the ice is white.
And that big red glare, you see up there
well we've seen that for years
for heavens sakes all it takes
is a couple of dozen beers.
posted by Midnight Rambler at 2:47 PM on October 15, 2012

WARNING: if, like me, you were unfamiliar with the "Truck Got Stuck" song, you should know before you click that link that it is a pernicious earworm.

Dammit.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 2:54 PM on October 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

What else has come out of Taber?

I get my onions from Taber. Corb is my favourite hurtin' Albertan.
posted by furtive at 3:09 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Re: the live version of "The Hockey Song" linked to by Midnight Rambler.

Skyreach Centre? It's been almost 10 years! But it's kind of nice to think back to the good ol' days before Katz was holding our hockey team for ransom.
posted by asnider at 3:16 PM on October 15, 2012

Corb Lund's Hard on Equipment (Tool for the Job) describes every musclehead that ever worked on a pipeline. Which is as close to everyone who ever worked on a pipeline as makes no difference. There is an absolutely unlimited supply of these guys around, to the point where how they use any particular tool explains their attitude toward authority.

His doors don't close 'cause the jamb ain't plumb
An' he's a God damn menace with air nail gun.
...
He puts holes in the boards with the wrong kinda bit
And when they don't line up he blames the guvermint.

posted by dmayhood at 5:06 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

There is an absolutely unlimited supply of these guys around, to the point where how they use any particular tool explains their attitude toward authority.

(Sorry -- that line makes no sense. I had to post fast 'cause I left the Skil saw clamped on, and it was startin' ta skitter acrost the floor after my cat.)
posted by dmayhood at 6:44 PM on October 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm surprised Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier hasn't been mentioned, or All I Wanna Do Is Play Cards.

As for the entire Calgary vs. Edmonton debate, I'm going to have to give it to Calgary if only because they have (or had) a better jingle on the R3-30.
posted by stannate at 8:35 AM on October 16, 2012

One of the shows on Bluegrass Country started playing Bible on the Dash recently and I was really digging it; after failing to locate the album on iTunes within the span of my attention, I'd forgotten about it for a few weeks. Thanks for the reminder--album now owned!
posted by drlith at 10:30 AM on October 16, 2012 [1 favorite]