Americana Highways is honored to bring you this delightful video of J.D Wilkes performing the traditional “Rain and Snow.” The recording is from his recent critically acclaimed album released earlier this year Fire Dream (Big Legal Mess) — co-produced by Bruce Watson and Jimbo Mathus. [For our review of this album see here: REVIEW: J.D. Wilkes’ “Fire Dream” is a Stunningly Imaginative Celebration]
The album features wildly innovative instrumentation throughout, and this song is no exception, with J.D. Wilkes’ unique vocal intonations and banjo, Dr. Sick on guitar, Jimbo Mathus on drums, Liz Brasher on backing vocals and the Drive-By Truckers’ Matt Patton on bass. The song takes you on a wild trip through the macabre lamentations of a despairing spouse with his troubling wife in fresh, Kentucky backwoods style.
The video was animated and created by Irish videographer/animator Teresa Lobos, and comes complete with cow skulls and other apt symbols, to embellish the music which is already a great listen in and of itself.
British animator and artist Teresa Lobos has created for me a strange yet lovely music video that is almost more a “stop-motion” collage.
The video has arrived just in time for the Halloween / Day of the Dead season too. It accompanies my rendition of the old, English murder ballad “Rain and Snow” (as heard on my solo album Fire Dream.)
There’s a lot of pagan weirdness in this video. From cow-skull masks to voodoo dolls to creepy, dancing marionettes being cranked in a box. I’m not really sure what’s going on, but I like it! — J.D. Wilkes
Wilkes is a novelist, cartoonist, musician, Kentucky colonel, and unparalleled showman, and creates artwork such as the cover of the recent Squirrel Nut Zippers album. Investigate all things J. D. Wilkes here: http://www.jdwilkes.com/ and read our earlier interview here: Interview: J.D. Wilkes Opens Up About Folktales, Drama, and Memphis Style, and see some show photos here: Show Review: J.D. Wilkes and the Legendary Shack Shakers Christen DC’s City Winery, Wild Rockabilly Hillbilly-Style while you’re watching here:
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