Blasters reconvene for Dave Alvin's Eleven Eleven

There are some interesting new details about Dave Alvin's forthcoming Eleven Eleven album coming from the Yep Roc label who have announced a June 21 release date. It's very good news for Blasters fans.

Dave Alvin (whose birthday falls on November 11) is joined on his 11th solo outing by his old Blasters' bandmates, namely ace piano pounder Gene Taylor – who hasn't recorded with Dave since 1995's Hard Line album – along with Phil Alvin who has reunited with his younger sibling for a rare one-off duet on the bluesy What's Up With Your Brother?  Although the Alvins have worked together on-and-off for years, Phil always sang lead in the Blasters accompanied by Dave on guitar so this marks the first time they've actually sung together face-to-face on a studio album.
 
"While we were growing up there was a firm line between Phil and me," explains Dave, referring to Blasters' division of duties: Phil sang, Dave wrote the songs and played lead guitar. "The main reason I decided to have him sing with me was that we¹re not going to be here forever; we might as well have fun. Life is too short."
No doubt the sad passing of Alvin's best friend and longtime musical compadre Chris Gaffney had some influence on his decision to put aside any issues between him and brother Phil to get together for Eleven Eleven. Gaffney also appears on the song Two Lucky Bums which would be their final recording together.
"The songs on Eleven Eleven," says Dave "are all about life, love, death, loss, money, justice, labor, faith, doubt, family and friendship. The usual stuff.
"Mortality has been an issue on my mind ever since Ashgrove. Since finishing that album, I lost some great friends -- Gaffney, Amy Farris and Buddy Blue of the Beat Farmers. That weighed on me."

Harlan County Line by Dave Alvin