Instruments Guitar, vocals Role Singer Name Dave Alvin | Years active 1980–present | |
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Born November 11, 1955 (age 68) ( 1955-11-11 ) Occupation(s) Musician, singer-songwriter, music producer Albums Profiles | ||
Dave alvin fourth of july live from austin tx
David Albert Alvin (born November 11, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, music producer and poet. He is a former and founding member of the roots rock band The Blasters. Alvin has recorded and performed as a solo artist since the late 1980s and has been involved in various side projects and collaborations. He has had brief stints as a member of the bands X and the Knitters.
Contents
- Dave alvin fourth of july live from austin tx
- Dave alvin kern river merle haggard cover
- Early life
- Career
- Solo
- Further recordings with Phil Alvin
- Producer and collaborator
- Film
- Poetry
- The Blasters discography
- The Blasters videography
- X discography
- The Knitters discography
- Other contributions
- Music used in popular culture
- Writings
- References
Dave alvin kern river merle haggard cover
Early life
Alvin grew up in Downey, California. He and his older brother, Phil Alvin, as teenagers attended rockabilly and country music venues and listened to the music of Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, and others. Dave attended Long Beach State University.
Career
In 1979, Alvin and his brother Phil formed the roots rock band The Blasters with fellow Downey residents Bill Bateman and John Bazz. Alvin served as the group's lead guitarist and chief songwriter. As such he is responsible for Shakin' Stevens' British-German 1980 top 20 hit "Marie, Marie" (see his album Marie, Marie (This Ole House)). Despite a growing fan base in the United States and Europe, Alvin left the band in 1986 and became the lead guitarist of the Los Angeles-based alternative rock band, X. He left X in 1987 to work on a solo project after the group recorded their album See How We Are. Alvin became a member of country-Folk band The Knitters and appeared on their 1985 album Poor Little Critter on the Road and their 2005 follow-up, The Modern Sounds of The Knitters.
In the early 1980s Alvin, along with fellow Blasters members Bill Bateman and Steve Berlin, performed on several albums by the Los Angeles punk band The Flesh Eaters. Alvin also played with the Gun Club and appeared on two songs from their 1984 album, The Las Vegas Story.
Solo
Alvin's first solo album, Romeo's Escape (entitled Every Night About This Time in England), was released in 1987. It was well received by critics but did not sell well. Because of the album's low sales, Alvin's recording contract with Columbia Records was terminated. He then toured with Mojo Nixon and Country Dick Montana, billed as the Pleasure Barons; an album recorded live on their 1993 tour was released.
In 1989, Dwight Yoakam recorded Alvin's song "Long White Cadillac". Alvin's second solo album, Blue Blvd, was released by Hightone Records in 1991. It received positive reviews and had moderate sales. His album Museum of Heart was released in 1993. He recorded King of California, an album of acoustic music, in 1994. In 2000, he recorded the album Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land, a collection of traditional folk and blues classics, which earned him a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
In 2011, Alvin recorded the album Eleven Eleven, released by Yep Roc Records. The album marked his return to rock roots. Rolling Stone magazine, in a review of the album, called Alvin "an underrecognized guitar hero".
Further recordings with Phil Alvin
In 2014, Dave and Phil Alvin, as a duo, released the album Common Ground, consisting of their versions of songs by Big Bill Broonzy It was the first studio collaboration of the brothers since the mid-1980s. In 2015 they released Lost Time, a collection of covers including four songs by Big Joe Turner.
Producer and collaborator
Alvin has produced records for Chris Gaffney, Tom Russell, the Derailers, and Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys. He collaborated with rockabilly musician Sonny Burgess. He has worked as a studio session musician accompanying Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Little Milton, Katy Moffatt, and Syd Straw.
Film
Alvin appeared in the movies Border Radio and Floundering and on the FX television series Justified in 2011. He also appeared in Streets of Fire, with the Blasters, in 1984.
Poetry
Alvin has published two books of poetry: Any Rough Times Are Now Behind You and Nana, Big Joe & the Fourth of July. His poetry has appeared in Caffeine, the A.K.A. Review, Rattler, Asymptote and Enclitic and in the anthologies Nude Erections, Hit and Run Poets and Poetry Loves Poetry—An Anthology of Los Angeles Poets.
The Blasters discography
(recordings with Dave Alvin as member)
The Blasters videography
X discography
The Knitters discography
Other contributions
Music used in popular culture
The song "Dark Eyes", from the album Public Domain, is played over the radio in an episode of the television series Six Feet Under (the episode "You Never Know", in the third season).
The song "Dark Night", recorded by the Blasters, plays over the opening sequence of the movie From Dusk till Dawn.
The song "So Long Baby Goodbye", recorded by the Blasters, plays over a scene in the film Bull Durham.
Alvin appears on-camera and sings "Harlan County Line" in an episode of the television series Justified (season 2, episode 3, "I of the Storm").