Old Californio – Westering Again

There are only a few regions around the great 48 that seem to have their own sound or musical vibe that serves as an identifiable tag of sorts to the rest of the country. I cant help but think of Texas when I listen to Willie’s Red Headed Stranger or anything from Joe Ely, for that matter.  Those greats soundlike Texas should sound to me. California, and the canyons that surround Los Angeles, to be specific, possess the same locational-vibe-identification.  Listen to works from early-day Eagles and Buffalo Springfield or even latter-day canyon dwellers such as Jenny Lewis and her latest, Acid Tongue, to see what I am getting at here.

Westering Again by San Gabriel Mountains-area quintet Old Californio is a great example of what I am talking about when I look to define how California sounds. I cant help but get the impression that they are shooting for this, given their band name and many of the titles of various californi-centric tracks.  “California Goodness” and “Lazy Old San Gabriels” show off that sunny, almost Brian Wilsonian vibe that we have come  to expect from songs about the Golden State (well, it would be more so if Brian Wilson wasn’t so freaking concerned with catching waves, but just hangin’ and catchin’ a decent buzz in a cabin somewhere that was a safe distance from the water).  “City Lines” displays yet another great sonic style that has unique origins, Bakersfield Honky-Tonk.  The song’s intro twangs with a sense of urgency that brings to mind the great Buck Owens instrumental, “Buckaroo” or the appropriately titled, “Streets of Bakersfield”.

While there may be albums or bands that sound very “Delaware” or very “South Dakota” (no offense to those states, they’re quite lovely), there is something about the imagery of the wacky state to the west that seems to inspire artists generation after generation. Old Californio has mined the fertile territory of their California mountain home to create what might be there state tourism office’s greatest commercial.