ETHAN DANIEL DAVIDSON
This Machine Kills Fascists (self-released)
Bootleg Series Vol. 1 (self-released)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale


Ethan Daniel Davidson doesn't get to spend a lot of time in his home base of Wiseman, Alaska (pop. 18) with a touring schedule that has included over 300 dates in the last two years, but he manages to get considerable mileage out of his stories about the town, his journey there and the characters he's encountered along the way. Those tales provide one of the best monologues on his new release, This Machine Kills Fascists. The disc itself is a tribute of sorts, as the vagabond troubadour covers material from his predecessors and contemporaries, including Woody Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Ochs, John Prine and others. Even the title is a nod to Guthrie, who famously inscribed it on the front of his guitar during the 1940s. Along the way, Davidson establishes his claim to a spot in the folk music pantheon. His style is straightforward, emphasizing the story and/or message of the material with sincerity and eschewing distracting flash. He's also got a great sense of humor and a knack for turning his life story into humorous and engaging folk tales.

Along with This Machine Kills Fascists, Davidson has released Bootleg Series Vol. 1. Most of the tracks present him in live performances, many captured on the recorders of home tapers in his audience and passed along to the artist (hence the title).

The exceptions are a pair of topical tracks, including the hilarious "Talkin' San Francisco Dot-Com Kid Massacre" and the sober "September 11- The Day The Universe Changed." The latter was recorded four days after the tragedy last fall as headlines began to appear about reprisals being taken against innocent members of the Arab-American community. The song is a bit rough around the poetic edges, placing the emphasis on message above musicality, but it's a rare contemporary example of the broadsheet tradition in topical song, and it's a message still well worth hearing.

If you get a chance to see Davidson onstage, he's likely to slip you a copy of these discs for free (he's given away over 20,000 CDs to his audiences) but why wait? You can find them and more over at www.ethandanieldavidson.com. It's worth a visit, and the music is well worth the price.

Track Lists:

This Machine Kills Fascists: Ain't No More Cane On The Brazos * There Were Roses * How I Got A Job At An IRA Bar * Wind That Shakes The Barley * Before The Angel Comes * Highway Patrolman * Dark As A Dungeon * The Gipper, Ronald Reagan and Calumet, MI * 1913 Massacre * Working Class Hero * I Ain't Marchin' Anymore * How I Ended Up In Wiseman, AK * The Frozen Lumberjack * The Great Compromise * And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda

Bootleg Series Vol. 1: Talkin' San Francisco Dot-Com Kid Massacre * September 11 - The Day The Universe Changed * Unlucky In Love/Material Girl * Don't Let Them Grind You Down * I Shall Be Free * The Cost Of The Land Of The Free * Saskatoon * Always Losing

© 2002 - Shaun Dale