Uncommon Ground ^ James Curley

James Curley
Songwriter James Curley and his band, Radio Fade, perform rhythmic, rootsy Americana-tinged Rock in the tradition of The Band, Little Feat, Allman Brothers, John Hiatt & Little Village, etc. The sound is real and authentic, featuring acoustic and electric guitars, slide guitars, Hammond B3 and Piano, and a veteran rhythm section to accompany James's literate songs.

On his records, James likes to embellish the arrangements of certain songs with horns and strings and other elements not easily reproduced live without a ten-piece band. The live show is more rockin' and is tailored for great crowd response. It features songs like 'Rest Your Weary Bones' - a syncopated bluesy 'welcome song' to the live crowd, '700 Parking Tickets - a swamp groove piece about scofflaws that serves as a vessel to showcase Ben Lansing's great bluesy slide guitar licks, and 'How Dumb Do You Think I Am?' - an alt-authentic country ballad written by Joel Pace, who handles keyboards, accordion and vocals. All this is held tightly together by rhythm section veterans Dave Heim on drums and George Callobre on bass to provide a rootsy groove under the songs.

James and the band incorporate many of the cover tunes as extended segues out of the original songs. They refer back to the kinds of classic songs that inspired the original song in the first place in a kind of 'loop d'homage' that appeals to crowds and provides a known song by other artists as a touchstone. A good example of this is the extended dance version of James' song 'Housekeeping' which segues into the Beatles' 'I Feel Fine' in classic early rock & roll mode.

Cover tunes can vary greatly depending on venue. James draws on a rich depth of literate songwriters and performers. He’s as comfortable pulling Iain Matthew's 'Seven Bridges Road' into a set as he is the Grateful Dead's version of 'I Know You Rider', often as an extended jam on both songs.

Other cover material can include Dylan, Bruce Cockburn, John Prine, Hank Williams, Gram Parsons, John Fogerty, Grateful Dead, Little Feat and others. Even though James remains a Grateful Dead fan, there are no meandering 'space jams' or other material that interests the musicians more than the audience. James Curley and Radio Fade 'walk the line' between 100% Authenticity and pure entertainment.