drunken prayer

There is a profound sadness that comes with the gift of empathy. George Jones walked in the shoes of every character he sang about and it nearly ruined him. He drank from the Cup of Loneliness. He was blessed with a golden voice but it was raw pathos that separated him from the chaff.
“Oh, she left me without mercy”. Listen to The Grand Tour. When he says “mercy” I want to turn away so as not to intrude on such a devastating moment.

Once again George, you’ve brought me to tears. Thank you for walking through this world with me.

“The Missionfield” was picked as a finalist for the 6th Anniversary Celebration of Music Video Asheville. The award show will be at Cinebarre Biltmore Square on April 24th. Stay tuned!

Here are all the videos that will be shown at Music Video Asheville 2013:
Aaron Winterhalter “Cotton Candy”
Ashley Chambliss “My Universe”
Free Radio “Something in the Water”
Pam Jones “Good Notion”
Steep Canyon Rangers “Long Shot”
The Archrivals “Alice”
Futur Primitif “Digital Space”
Red Honey “Bang Bang”
E. Normus Trio “Love”
Drunken Prayer “Missionfield”
Tin Pan Algorithm “Intents and Purposes”
Yo Momma’s Big Fat Booty band “Lovin’”
Letters to Abigail “Angel in Ordinary Shoes”
Snake Oil Medicine Show “Bluegrasstafari”
Pierce Edens and the Dirty Work “Money”
Agent 23 Skidoo “Gotta Be You”
Hunter Bennett “All Smiles”
Comet West “Bear Trap”
Alpha Lee “Agent 21/New World Order”
The Broadcast “Documentary Episodes 1 and 2″
Vertigo Jazz Project “Dot Dot Dash”
Town Mountain “Up the Ladder”
Crazy Horse and Colston “Goodness Gracious”
Paper Tiger “Daylight”
Jaime Lauren Webb “Buffalo”
Jeff Santiago Y Los Gatos Negros “NYC”
Underhill Rose “I Wanna Love You”
Kristin Luna Ray “Sitaram”
Sirius b. “Belamorkanal a.k.a. Train Song”
Total War “All You Have Tonight”
Brian Adam Smith “Doc Watson Sitting Beside Himself”
Glory on the Floor (feat. Sofia Miller) “Cold Fashioned”
Free Radio “World Turn”

Tickets are on sale now.

Brought to you by the fun kids over to the Lost at E Minor, here’s a group of short articles I submitted recognizing the efforts of friends, loved ones and co-workers.
So here’s to you:
Suzie Million$
SkinFare
#whatshouldavlcallme
Mugison
and of course our beloved Deer Lodge.

We hope you are as impressed with them as we are.

Those can-drumming, gutter lifestyle having, ride sharing, cat finding, punks tear a Drunken Prayer flyer off a telephone pole in the last Portlandia.

Here’s something that exists.
My friend and one time collaborator, Will Chatham, recently unearthed some weird 4-track recordings we did a while ago. More than simply glassy-eyed liberal arts school roommates, Will and I were fearless psychonauts, unafraid and unaware; creators of stuff and things. Duck and cover, more is sure to come.

Here my adventures in video editing charge headlong into the psychedelic void…

Thank you listeners of WNCW . I’m humbled to have Drunken Prayer’s Into the Missionfield voted into your Best Albums of 2012 list among some of my own favorite records (I’m looking at you, Father John Misty). Though it may be sheer vanity, the recognition means a lot.
It’s ironic. I had two very tight and dedicated travelling bands in WNC in the past, The Merle and The Unholy Trio. We had strong grass-roots support but struggled to get noticed in the media. Time will tell, but for now the opposite seems to be true.

You can purchase your very own copy on CD or vinyl HERE from Fluff and Gravy Records.

Check out #33 on covermesongs.com‘s Best Cover Songs of 2012 list.
“On his posthumous American record, Johnny Cash and Rick Rubin revived ‘Ain’t No Grave’ with chains and cello. North Carolina’s Drunken Prayer goes the powerpop route instead, like the Feelies going gospel.”

American Songwriter

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.
 
Morgan Christopher Geer, the man behind Drunken Prayer’s moody blend of Americana and alt-folk, has the sort of gravelly, lived-in voice that evokes memories of The Band and Tom Waits. Coincidentally, it was Tom Waits who convinced Geer to form Drunken Prayer – in the middle of a fish market, no less.

“I met Tom Waits when I was working at a bookstore in Sebastopol, California,” he explains. “He lives near there and would come in from time to time. I ended up selling him a book about the rats in New York City, and he turned me on to a great gospel record recorded live at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem by John Hammond. We ran into each other again in the seafood isle of a small local market. I thanked him for recommending the record, and that lead to a long talk about music and life. I doubt he remembers but it meant a lot to me. He inspired me to sing in my own voice, a scary thing to do.”

On Drunken Prayer’s second album, Into The Mission Field, Geer barks and croons his way through a song cycle inspired by garage rock, soul, psychedelia, and the band’s folksy roots. It’s an eclectic mix, but everything comes together on the title track, which even flirts with a bit of gospel music.

By Andrew Leahey for American Songwriter, November 30th, 2012

Welp, you knew this was coming. It’s Christmastime again, but this year instead of resurrecting all those hoary old Christmas songs, try these naughty bits on for size: “It’s Christmastime” b/w “Look Ma, I’m Drunk (and Crying)”
 

 $8

Limited edition, numbered, red vinyl 7″ with a hand made sleeve, featuring The Krektones.