Country music is about the songs and Stephen David Austin has written a bunch of them that fit the bill. Titles like Best X I Ever Had or The Day Buck Owens Died could only be hardcore country. While Austin doesn't posses the greatest voice you might have heard he delivers these songs with understanding and passion. Add to that some fine playing from the likes of Marty Rifkin (who mixed the album), Skip Edwards, Brantley Kearns and Shawn Nourse, all West Coast country music veterans and you have one solid, smart album. His song Heroes and Heroin tells of the demise of Gram Parsons and other musicians drawn to the allure of hard drugs. While Back To Bakersfield is a tale of family migration and a poor but honest existence. The Fat Kid is about prejudice and bullying that leads to devastating outcome that while it runs over seven minutes holds the attention of the listener who can guess the inevitable outcome of the story. My Space takes a somehat sarcastic view of selling your songs, and more, on the internet. The closing track is a stripped back guitar and voice delivery where Austin is joined by his grandson Kayleb and is not as cloying as one might expect and manages to make you smile. The one cover is a countryfied version of Lennon/McCartney's Baby's In Black that is well handled and fits right in beside Austin's own songs though I'm not sure why it was included over another original song. As a wrier he tackles the serious and the sanguine and in that light reminds me of Dallas Wayne who wrote a similar mix of grounded material that can only come with some understanding and maturity. The title of the album and the Buck Owens songs all attest to Austin's love of the music that emanates from there it's heyday and is very removed from what is (mostly) coming from mainstream Nashville today. Anyone looking for their country music neat should order up a Bakersfield dozen right away.
Reviews by Stephen Rapid
Karen Collins & The Backroads Band 'No Yodeling On The Radio' - Azalea City
Right from the off you know your in hardcore country territory. The title track is a truism and makes the song, which features a fine sample of the art, null and void for radio play except for stations that still play genuine country music. Elsewhere Collins give her twangy voice plenty of scope here. She has her credit on eight of the songs, others come from Ira Gitlin and Geff King, members of the Backroads Band, and two outside credits complete the writing line-up. There are other guests here too, like Mike Auldridge on Resophonic and pedal steel who join the accomplished band to give these songs their motion and emotion. Collins herself contributes rhythm guitar, fiddle and mandolin as well as her distinctive vocals. Gitlin leads the players through the instrumental That There Boogie with drive. A song that hits home is the honky-tonk of Too Much Me, Not Enough You written by Brian McGuire. King sings Mama's In A Honky Tonk Downtown with his deeper voice and baritone guitar giving the song distinction by nature of this. King was a former member of another Washington DC area band Honky Tonk Confidential who also featured a version of the song on their album Your Trailer Or Mine? King and Collins duet on their co-write Parallel Lines a song about a relationship that a couple heading in different directions. Salvation Saloon, a song about a real location is a co-write between Collins and another honky-tonk stalwart Arty Hill about the "last call for salvation" offered inside. The album closes with Barbershop and you know you've had a close encounter with some unkempt country music that would fit alongside other area acts like Zoe Muth and Eilen Jewell, though she may not have their distinction but Collins and her band are making music that is thoroughly enjoyable.
Hillfolk Noir 'Radio Hour' - Self-Release
With the popularity of acts like Pokey La Farge and The Wyios there is a growing taste for music with an entertaining energy that is rooted in a past but is given a future by a range of acts who take the influences of a different era and add something that is, if not unique, is certainly individual. Here the six piece band run through their latest set of Travis Ward's songs with spirit and genuine feeling. These songs which, when Travis and Alison Ward share the vocals on, have a great feel to them with simple but effective percussion, solid upright bass and an overlay of banjo, kazoo, harmonica, singing saw and washboard to give the songs some added bite. On, what is, their take on sideshow string-bands, punky-indie folk and back-porch mountain music. Radio Hour has a introduction and some between song adverts to help the illusion of the title along. These guys have played on stages with some notable names as well on street corners when the occasion demands. Wherever they play you will be drawn to the infectious spirit of the songs and the swingin' rawness of the music on offer. Songs like The Great Grizzly Bear Scare and Rattler In The Outhouse speak of more primitive times where fun could be had without electricity or social media for that matter.
The Wagon Tales 'EP' - Self-Release
This London based band play bluegrass and the five piece band's five songs featured here show a band that is both skillful and joyful. Being distinctive within bluegrass is often a problem with a lot of acts relying on oft-covered songs but all the material here are original songs written by three members of the band who share the vocals to give them the sense of a close knit unit that understand the music's history and where it can go and given their location that's a mite harder than if you're born in the shadow of the Appalachians. They can bring some humour to bear with titles like Dad, You Better Start Drinking and some deeper emotion to songs like the slow-paced Lie And Wait. Five songs give you a taste of what the band could bring to a full length album but this serves as a introduction to The Wagon Tales and the trails they could follow in the future as well as a calling card for live gigs.
Girlyman 'Supernova' - Fine Feathered Music
The band name may not be one to use in rough house honky-tonks but then they're not a band playing that sort of music. No what Girlyman play is a more gentle folk-pop with subtle playing and upfront vocal harmonies. The album is written, played and produced by Girlyman with each song's writer taking the lead vocal. The are multi-instrumentalists who play a wide variety of instruments that include bouzouki, pedal steel, accordion, banjo, djembe and mandolin on top of the bass, drums, guitar, keyboards and those instruments they don't play they bring in some guests to help them out. Because of the different writer/vocalists there are different flavours to savour yet there is a consistency to the overall sound of Girlyman a mixture and balance of the male/female, folk/pop/indie rock, the good and the bad of making it through life's uncertainties. As this is the bands fifth studio album they have perfected their three-part vocal harmonies that are crucial to their sound and the bed rock of their melodic, uplifting songs. Like many bands Girlyman have a sound that could find a wider audience if they can find a way to get in front of the audience via live performance and through their recorded output which on the evidence of Supernova will soothe the heart of many who like their music a little more arranged and thoughtful.
Reviews by Stephen Rapid
Stacy Earle and Mark Stuart 'Dedication' - Gearle
This latest album is a comfortable statement of the duo's current musical landscape. Comfortable in that they have developed that kind of ease within their music, each fitting into the others song space, and comfortable to those who are acquainted with their previous solo and duo records. The have co-produced the album with Michael Webb and the 12 songs, including a shorter radio version of the 6 minuets plus Little Rock, are varied and look at life from the different perspectives of a partnership. Earle's first two songs Here Comes The Pain and Here Comes The Rain run together and make the point that bad things happen but life goes on and acceptance of these vicissitudes is a part dealing with what it throws at us. The Flag, another of Earle's inward looking songs, has a simple acoustic guitar backing enhanced by Webb's accordion and ambient wind sounds and an almost spoken vocal that tells us about her life and worries as a mother herself that tell her offspring that "you haven't been anywhere that I haven't been". It is a touching and warm song with a bitter sweet ending. If You Change Your Mind another Earle songs (she has the larger number of the songs here) has more of their close harmonies that often define the sound of this folkish-rootsy album which again reaffirms the strength of relationships. Little Rock has an uptempo beat and Stuart's travelogue highlights his guitar skills, playing acoustic, slide and twanging electric on the track. Earle adds her harmonies to Stuart's seasoned voice. His Broken Heart For You is a self-explanatory tale of regret that is led by Earle's piano motif. Their jointly written song I've Been Wrong, I've Been Right sums up the underlying tension and understanding of any long-time relationship and musically it flows soulfully. A Great Day To Fly is a ukulele, acoustic guitar instrumental track that closes an album that has much to recommend it to dedicated fans and curious onlookers.
The JD Hobson Band 'Where The Sun Don't Shine' - Self-Release
The addition of word band designates JD Hobson's move from a solo artist to playing with a full band and the result takes him to a new level as his band are integrated fully into the delivery of these songs. The majority of which are Hobson's with a number of covers drawn from the blues catalogue, although this is not strictly a blues album per se, though it is versed in that part of the Americana mix, it is far more a roots rock affair that draws from 90's Americana bands as well as taking a direct line from the rockier aspects of Bob Dylan's career. The covers include the traditional Blues In The Bottle, Willie Dixon's Spoonful and Mississippi John Hurt's Nobody's Dirty Business as well as Paul Burch's evocative story song Carter Cain. These are songs that deal with the downside of life in an upbeat way. Hobson's own songs tread a similar path with titles like Sick In My Soul, Where The Sun Don't Shine and The Darkest Hour Has Passed ... "at the bottom of this well, I watch grey light ghost parade" that example line shows that Hobson has a way with words as well as a strong enough voice to give meaning to them. The band is a bass, drums, electric guitar and keyboards unit that is well capable of delivering the slow paced bluesyness Belly Of The Beast and Walkin' Out The Door Crying Blues to more uptempo workouts like Desert Road and the aforementioned Carter Cain. This is an assured and solid album that should have a wide appeal and shows the development of this artist that suggests that the Seattle based JD Hobson Band will have fans when they play there and with audiences further afield.
Sean Taylor "Love Against Death' - SGO
Another Austin alliance with Sean Taylor working with producer and player Mark Hallman on this latest album from an obviously accomplished player, singer and song-writer. The album is a close collaboration between Hallman and Taylor who between them lay down the essentials of each song with bass, drums, guitar, piano and harmonica. Taylor has a intimate breathy vocal style that draws the listener into his musical world. Taylor has spiced his own songs with interesting arrangements of Merle Travis' Sixteen Tons and Patrick Kavanagh's words for Raglan Road, and his version should attraction some attention from listeners in these parts who know this song well but not this particular performance. But his own songs are equally attractive with the ode to Neil Cassady having some likable pedal steel atmospherics from Kim Deschamps. Ballad Of A Happy Man underlines it's title and the French language opening line on the chorus with some subtle but life-affirming accordion and violin. Taylor is a enticing guitar player who make this songs all the more intimate through his playing. He also sings of the darker ends of the street with Coal Not Dole an effective denouncement of the Thatcher eras suppression of the miners, it has some inventive voice and guitar interaction at its heart. He has previously recorded here in Dublin but has obviously found the creative air in Austin beneficial to the making of music. That Sean Taylor is a talented artist is without question and he appears to be one more concerned with his art that with fleeting fame and it's trappings, but equally the more people that get to hear his music the more both parties will get from it, I think we will always take love against death.
Reviews by Stephen Rapid
Rachael Harrington & The Knock Outs 'Self-Titled' CRS
After her three rightly lauded albums The Bootlegger's Daughter, City Of Refuge and Celilo Falls Rachael Harrington is back with a band The Knock Outs in two and has made a sidestep with this honky-tonk album. It has it's beginnings in a Patsy Cline tribute gig and developed into this striking collection of songs written by Harrington alone or as a couple of co-writes. Like the songs My Darling Clementine's recent album these original songs would easily fit into the repertoire of feisty female artists like Loretta Lynn. The songs have roots in the Bakersfield sound, west coast country, rock 'n' roll and early Music City honky-tonk. The Knock Outs are Rebecca Young on bass, Alisa Milner on fifddle, guitarist Moe Provencher and drummer Aime Tubbs. They are joined by, amongst others, Tim Carroll on guitar and the necessary touches of Tommy Hannum's pedal steel. Mark Erelli adds his voice to the duet I'll Show You Mine while the Knock Outs add backing vocals throughout. Harrington delivers some powerhouse lead vocals that show character and emotion, never over sung her delivery is spot on making this a must have for lovers of that classic country sound, a sound that is fresh, alive and beating. One that could scare Country Radio right out of it's trainers. There's humour in songs like Hippie In My House, pain in Wedding Ring Vacation and relationship resuscitation in Makin' Our House A Honkytonk. All human life is there ... go on knock yourself out.
The Cactus Blossoms 'Self-Titled' Self-Released
Just when you think that country music has slipped into the crossover pop vortex some music comes along to restore your faith in some real hardcore traditionally influenced examples of the form. Those who miss the early days of BR5-49 when Chuck Mead and Gary Bennett shared the lead vocals on a set of "true stories" will be well pleased with the Cactus Blossoms. The two main men are Jack Torrey and Page Burkam who have their sibling harmonies down to a T and individually sound like they were running around the honky-tonks with their heroes. This short 10 track CD is lean and effective with the original songs, largely by Jack Torrey, sitting easily beside classic songs from the early 50s era. Two feature here, the traditional Lost John Dean and Alton Delmore's Blue Railroad Train which show the versatility of the vocalists and the supporting players - who are Mike Razz Russell on fiddle, Randy Broughten on upright steel and bassist Liz Draper. This trio add much to the overall sound of this tight Minnesota-based combo and balances youthful exuberance and experience This is as fine as a debut album as you could wish for and highlights the enduring nature of country and, yes, western music.
Otis Gibbs 'Harder Than Hammered Hell' Wanamaker
Having a voice that has been given its hard edges by life's experiences makes Otis Gibbs a purveyor of something honest and tough. Gibbs produced this album which was engineered by Thomm Jutz who also plays guitar and adds vocals as does Gibbs' partner (and artist in her own right) Amy Lashley. They're joined by Paul Griffith on drums and Mark Fain on bass. This unit adds much to the songs and give them some muscle and mobility. Gibbs' song deal with life's drifters, outsiders, underdogs and big fish. The latter is the subject of the light-hearted tall tale of a Flathead Catfish. Gibbs wrote all the songs here but co-wrote Big Whiskers with Adam Carroll. Don't Worry Kid sympathizes with those growing up in a society who's misplaced values don't really deal with those who feel out of step with its morality. Christ Number Three has a Springsteen/ Mellencamp feel of understanding the street. The Land Of Maybe, from which the title comes tells of the difficulties of walkin' the line, of dealing with what comes at you with as much fortitude and dignity as one can with giving in to the often relentless pressure of living close to the bread line. Detroit Steel is a song that would fit Bob Seeger and shows that though Otis Gibbs is perceived as a folk singer this album rocks it roots. Gibbs is a man who continues the tradition of the concerned troubadour with a grace and grit that makes his music welcome on many levels.
Reviews by Stephen Rapid
Michael and The Lonesome Playboys 'Last Of The Honky Tonks' - Self-Release
This is Michael Ubaldini who has made some very well received albums under his own name that earned him the moniker of Rock 'n' Roll Poet. This time out he has highlighted his love of old school country music. The Lonesome Playboys are his band and they are well up to the task of make these songs real and include top-notch pedal steel player Gary Brandin. The song hit home from the off with The Last Honky Tonk detailing the demise of that venerable venue and the music that used to be played there. Ubaldini's songs get to the heart of a life on the road (Highway Ghost), or life's weights (When A Freight Train Rolls Right Over You) the latter with a country blues stripped-down resonator guitar setting. Ulbaldini's voice is lived-in and carries that sense of believability that is part and parcel with this music. There are a couple old school songs like Married By The Gospel/Divorced By The Law and My Liver's Bad-My Life's A Mess (And I Blame You Sweetheart) that some may feel show that Ubaldini is sending up the genre rather than being sincere about it. I think he's doing both. He's taking some of the more outlandish titles of the past, often recorded by respected names, and adding to that particular tounge-in-cheek element of country music. But elsewhere the songs have a darker tone as with Low Down Poverty Blues and True Love Denial Blues, both have a country blues thread. But taken in the spirit it was intended there is much here that hits home and make this an enjoyable back road for Ubaldini and for his fans and for fans of edgy country music in general.
State Of The Union 'Self-Titled' - Reveal
This acoustic duo deliver a simple, effective album which is the sound of two men from two continents with two guitars and two voices. Two friends who have made a name for the solo albums they have released, They are Boo Hewerdine and Brook Williams and they address joint influences on these songs, mostly written together also individually. The one cover which gets immediate attention is their cover of the Pet Shop Boys Rent which goes to show that these two men could cover practically any song and make it work. It is a thoughtful, gentle album that is full of human spirit that shines in their collaborative chemistry. There are elements of humour and adventure in these songs. They are also talented guitar players and their voices and playing styles mesh to make them sound like they have been doing this together for a long time. They have that kind of intimacy and Mark Freegard's production highlights that. The eleven songs here run smoothly together setting a mood which runs through the entire album and making it a testament to the talents of two craftsmen.
Jennifer Drummey 'From Then Till Now Till When' - Self-Release
With a set of songs that deal with the eternalness of relationships Jennifer Drummey has put together an album of her own songs, with a couple of covers, that utilize a tightly-focused band of seasoned players who add rhythm, guitar, pedal steel and dobro textures to paint these songs with a water-coloured folkish Americana. Drummey has a sweet-toned voice that is clear, concise and controlled. She co-produced the album with Ray Calfo and the sound allows her voice it's personal space and gives the musicians their place within the songs. These include Barren Land, a wistful I'll Follow You,the gentleness of Larger Arms and the directness of the hopeful Someday. Drummey's cover of Joan Armstrong's Help Yourself fits well within her range and while Drummey's voice is softer than Armstrong deeper distinctive tone she does the song justice. The album closes with Mae Moore's Bohemia which takes a different approach than the previous songs with its different delivery, partly spoke, partly sung and with some effective atmospheric guitar it closes the album on a high-note and suggest that Drummey can develop her sound the next time out. Interested parties should head for her site where you can hear these songs in the now.
Reviews by Stephen Rapid
Marvin Etzioni 'Marvin Country!' Nine Mile
Etzioni has been a long time fixture of the California roots, rock and country scene having been a member of Lone Justice before following a solo career as go to sideman, producer and solo artist. This collection of songs goes back a long way as two of the players featured have passed away. The album is dedicated to them, Duane Jarvis and Donald "Clock" Lindley as well as to his grandfather Harry Teitelbaum, who introduced him to country music. This double album explores many aspects of that genre as well as, folk, rock and music without barriers. Marvin Country is a revealing place to explore and it's music sounds good to these ears, no matter when it was recorded. It is free of the gloss and excessive polish that many a album comes with these days. This is heartfelt music making that connects. Whether its the gospel textures of the Dixie Hummingbirds on You Are The Light, the country duet You Possess Me with Maria McKee, a track that uses not one but two pedal steel players! Lay It On The Table has the distinctive voice of Lucinda Williams. But lest you feel that he is relying on these guests he moves you as much on A Man Without A Country that is just Etzioni's voice and his guitar. Then there's rockers like Living Like A Hobo and The Grapes of Wrath which feature respectively vocals from Buddy Miller and John Doe. There is so much to enjoy over these two discs that if you don't like one direction the next track will send you on another but Etzioni's honesty and integrity hold the album together. That's not to mention his fine voice and instrumental skills that make this such an unadorned and vital collection of songs, all written or co-written by Etzioni. One song, Ain't No Work In Mississippi appears twice, once a stomping stripped down version with Steve Earle, the second under the guise of Buddy Holy is equally sparse but effective. Richard Thompson joins Etzioni on their co-write It Don't Cost Much and the two voices contrast and blend so well. Where's Your Analog Spirit uses a synth and propulsive beats. Gram Revisited has a voice sample of Gram Parsons while What's Patsy Cline Doing These Days? evokes another lost spirit. Marvin Country is a calling card for an exceptional musician, who has stayed true to his personal roots and vision and to all of those who join him here in celebrating that. Don't miss it.