This is the fourth release from Gregory Hoskins and Gary Craig who have been playing and recording together since 2001. This disc has a raw and sparse sound and boasts guest appearances from Colin Linden, Hawksley Workman and the Beggars Virtual Choir; fans who sang their parts into handheld communication devices and e-mailed their efforts. The crowd-sourced choir is just one of the album’s charms. Come Over Me evokes a Paul Simon vibe and Feel Like a King is an atmospheric acoustic blues workout. I Will Find a Way to Let You Down is a slow lament to a relationship with one partner not able to fulfil their end of the bargain.
Bumper Jacksons 'Sweet Mama, Sweet Daddy, Come In' - Self Release
Deeply rooted in their love for early swing, blues, and old time country, Bumper Jacksons reach back to a time when music was a spontaneous expression of street music in America.
With a Ragtime vibe and fine singing, in the best traditions of American troubadours, this ensemble of six musicians produce a sound that is full of attitude and infectious groove. Led by Jess Eliot Myhre (vocals, clarinet, washboard) and Chris Ousley (vocals, guitar, banjo, ukulele), the group paints America's story from New Orleans' brothels to the Appalachian hills. Pedal steel mixes with fiddles and trombone dances with clarinet, as we step back in time.
Their interpretation of the Tom Waits song Clap Hands is certainly arresting and channels a simple arrangement that is very different from the original. This is the third release from Bumper Jacksons, if you don’t count a few live radio sessions and the thirteen songs here are as diverse as they are interesting.
Ultan Conlon 'Songs of Love So Cruel' - DarkSideOut
This is the second release from Galway based musician Ultan Conlon. The songs are self-penned and recorded across Ireland and England, using a number of musicians, with Eoin McCann and Colin Elliott assisting on production. The sound is excellent across the various arrangements, with pleasant melodies that weave around stories of love and personal relationships; how to endure and survive the giddy ride of it all.
A Place of Sanctuary is a track that jumps out and Lonely Avenue also jumps out at the listener. The rest of the recording is played at a more laid back pace with nice guitar layering and pleasant vocals. Penultimate song The River Flows & the Woods Creep is particularly interesting with a fine vocal duet between Ultan and Sabrina Dinan.
Warren G Hardings 'Get a Life' - Self Release
The Warren G. Hardings are a high-energy string-band from Seattle, Washington. Heavily influenced by America’s roots, folk and bluegrass heritage, they belong to a generation of young musicians that continues to evolve and adapt these acoustic traditions for the 21st century. Across eleven songs they display plenty of talent and a positive vibe in the music.
The market for this genre is overcrowded to say the least, but this band are prepared to push the boundaries and stick their collective heads above the barricades in an effort to stand out. The similarities between Irish traditional music and bluegrass are very evident and the fiddle playing of Lee Callender is particularly strong. Banjo and Mandolin also blend seamlessly and the band vocals add to the sound . There is plenty to recommend here and you will be pleasantly surprised by a fine ensemble of musicians ready to play your blues away.
Síomha Brock 'Self-Titled' - Self Release
Recorded by Matt Purcell at the Queens Hotel in Ennis, Co. Clare, the three tunes delivered here carry a easy blues swing. This artist is new to me and Síomha produced and wrote all tracks with impressive style. From the light jazzy swing of Can’t Stop Loving You to the torch song quality of Don’t Give Up On Me, we are treated to a confident vocal performance aided by some fine guitar playing from Eoghan Judge, which adds colour to the arrangements.
Reviews by Paul McGee
Brandon Isaak 'Her on Earth'- Self Release Produced by famous brother Chris, this collection of acoustic blues from Brandon Isaak is a very engaging listen. There are thirteen original songs that display an impressive talent and plenty of attitude, style and swing are evident as Brandon skips across different musical genres from Ragtime, Delta Blues, Gospel, and Country. Based in Vancouver, Canada this artist is redefining the tradition of blues music in an eclectic style that merits much praise. A very fine musician and a confident performer, Brandon Isaak comes highly recommended.
California Feetwarmers - Self Release This eight-piece jazz band play a New Orleans swing sound and have a party feel that you just might find at your local corner bar. Joyous and full of energy, the thirteen tracks here are very much rooted in the 1920’s and 1930’s, with the impression of juke joints and prohibition times. Phil Alvin guests on a number of tracks, to add weight to their credentials as a good time band to be taken seriously. Like a soundtrack to an old Hollywood gangster movie, the music generates a colourful sound with a live feel to proceedings
Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys 'Here Between' - Self Release Hailing from Michigan, this is a band that swings in the best traditions of bluegrass/roots music. With two previous full releases to her name, Lindsay Lou brings an EP of four tracks to the table and her distinct vocal is a highlight, ably supported by the understated and bright playing of her band.
Jimi Cullen 'Life' - Self Release This Wexford based singer songwriter has been on the live circuit for ten years now, releasing three full recordings to date, plus two separate EP’s. The nine songs here are all well -arranged and the production is evenly paced across the different styles, from country, to blues and folk-tinged ballads. Great to see Irish artists developing their craft and the quality of playing on these songs is impressive. Jimi Cullen plays guitar with Rick Smith supporting on guitar, Mandolin, banjo and bass. The ensemble also includes Luke Cosgrove on violin, Karen Dunbar on piano and vocals, Paddy McLoughlin on drums and Sinead O’Byrne on backing vocals.
Tia McGraff 'Break These Chains' - Self Release With five previous releases to her name, Tia McGriff brings to this latest recording an experience that is very evident in her song-writing skills. Produced by co-writer and husband, Tommy Parham, the twelve songs here are all touched with a mature perspective. Tia has a beautiful voice that is full of emotion and sensitivity and compliments the arrangements and melodies of these songs perfectly. Stranger to Paradise and Safer Place highlight Tia’s vocal in a way that leaves the listener fully engaged and wanting more. The track, Between the Bed and the Door , is a highlight and reflects; “I just don’t know what we’ve got anymore; maybe I’m just a heartbeat between the bed and the door”. Consider me a new member of this artist’s fan club.
Kat Danser 'Baptized by the Mud' - Self Release Gospel is alive and well in this delta blues stomp. All twelve tracks bear witness to the lasting genre that has inspired so many artists over time past. Produced by the impressive Steve Dawson, the songs crackle with an energy that is one part celebratory and the other, full of tense and taut restraint. This would be a perfect soundtrack for any of the American drama series, like True Detective, where the atmosphere drips with suggestion and a deep foreboding and strange passion. Heady stuff indeed and much here to recommend. This is a fourth release for the artist dubbed Queen of the Swamp Blues and this Edmonton-based vocalist channels the spirit of roots, blues and gospel music pioneers to great effect.
Reviews by Stephen Rapid
The Coals ‘A Happy Animal’ - Self Release
An LA based band with their second release, an 8 track mini-album type of thing, that displays their overall sound to good effect. The play a blend of California country/folk/roots that has obvious antecedents. But the music stands or falls on the strength of the songs and they are good. Written, bar one co-write, by singer/guitarist Jason Mandell they are memorable, punchy and crafted. Mandell also produced the album and so, to a large degree, directs the band’s journey and makes it sound like a band rather than a singer and his backing band.
The album opens with a voice of a prophet of doom for Los Angeles before we find ourselves joint the singer in looking redemption of one sort or another. From then we take a different path for Dirt Road which has the joie de vivre of a hot New Orleans night. It’s not to long before were heading down south for the mariachi trumpet of Maria. A tale of an alluring object of desire. as respite songs like Hand To Hold and Let Me Down Easy take a quieter more acoustic approach that also highlight some easy harmonies among the band. The groove for Steal My Heart is set by Darice Bailey’s piano. Throughout her keyboard skills bring different textures to the band’s sound and vision. Baseline Blues bring hints of that titular branch of roots music into the mix which only serves to highlight the diversity that the band can bring to their music. Yet they give the whole set a cohesiveness due to their overall approach and the unifying strength of Mandell’s live-in voice and love-lost songs. On the strength of this release these Coals should burn bright.
The Delines 'Colfax' - Decor
Taking a temporary break from Richmond Fontaine (who have a new album in the pipeline) Willy Vlautin has taken the opportunity to write and record some songs written with Damnations vocalist Amy Boone in mind to sing. The end result is an album of sultry country soul that has a light night laid back feel that soon finds it’s way into your head and heart. Nothing here is overplayed, rather all the songs are delivered with the confidence that comes from mutual respect. The players individual, undeniable talents are merged for a equally shared group experience.
The songs by Vlautin are his usual studies of human nature, when those humans are faced, more often than not, with having to deal with the mundanity and spiritual malnutrition that life on the line tends to offer. Yet there’s always something in his songs that offers glimmers of hope and opportunity. Boone has a voice capable of delivering the empathy that is important for these songs to work as the should. Her delivery makes every word legible so that you are carried into the heart of the proponents lives. There is something of Jimmy Webb in these songs, in the way the deal with people and place, that are at the heart of good country songwriting. Tucker Jackson’s evocative pedal steel adds much to underscore that. But they also manage to transcend genre making them appeal to those to whom country music generally is an anathema.
The other members of The Delines include bassist Freddy Trujillo, keyboard player Jenny Conlee-Drizos and Richmond Fontaine drummer Sean Oldham all bring their A game and deliver much to the overall sound of the album. Whether this is a one-off or, it is to be hoped, the first of a series Colfax is an album to savour and enjoy. Co-produced by John Askew with Oldham and Vlautin it has a warmth and fluidity that sometimes gets lost in studio polish but here the patina is of something well-worn and lived in.
Ash Gray ‘Once I Got Burned’ - Luv Rock
A solid roots outing from Ash Grey who usually records with The Girls in a more psychedelic style and who has also released previous work as Ash Grey. For instance his 7 Rocks ep of some years back does just that in classic rock style. Here on these 12 original songs Grey has gathered a wide selection of players to accomplish this musical vision for this album. Players like John Hagen on cello and pedal steel guitarist Dave Biller are just two of number of players brought in to accompany him achieve this largely 60s/70s orientated outing.
The album opens with the title track, a song that starts with Grey’s vocal giving authority to the song of lesson’s being learned. It is followed by some equally strong like Two Lane Backdrop a twangy paean to vehicular escapism. Fiddler’s Son is more minimal and has some dexterous acoustic guitar picking. Whiskey Down is straight country with the singer being advised to let “whiskey down your sorrow”. The steel is also central to Sante Fe Sand another song that hits it’s mark. The insistent melody of 55 is also a winner and highlight Ash’s overall sense of melodic structure. All are delivered by Ash’s seasoned and versatile voice.
It is however the overall blend of different roots with hints of rockabilly, blues, country and melodic rock that makes this album work as well as it does. Grey obviously has a lot of music in him and it may be that some of his previous outings would not appeal to those taken by this album. What it does do is to confirm that Ash Grey is a musician capable of bringing his various musical visions to fruition in a way that listeners can equally be rewarded by.
The Barn Door Slammers ‘Self-Titled’ - Ruben
From the opening bars of the first song you know right were you are. You’re back in the western swing sounds of the 1940s. This seven piece play vintage instruments to recreate a sound that was happening in dance halls across Texas and beyond in post second world war America. They play in the Pacific Northwest but will be touring in the UK and Ireland next year and should be a joy to behold if you are in the least interested in hearing the music of that era recreated with energy and devotion.
The songs are a mix of classic, lesser know songs and originals. The songs that many will know who are acquainted with the music are the likes of Snatchin’ And Grabbin’, Roped And Tied, Jelly Roll Blues and Brain Cloudy Blues. If you liked the music of that era alongside current interpertations by Wayne Hancock and others like Davy Jay Sparrow or Johnny Dilks then you will, doubtless, be tapping you foot to this talented ensemble. Vocalist Bret Ervin Lien fits the bill with that slightly nasal delivery that perfectly suits the songs. Having said that there are several instrumentals here where Lien can sit down and take a breather.
Truth is that The Barn Door Slammers are the latest in a line of contemporary exponents whose love of performing and playing western swing and jazz-tinged honky tonk is apparent to all who see and hear them. There are immersed in an earlier era musically and as such don’t pretend to be doing anything new, rather they are extending the life of musical form that will always have its ardent fans and exponents. It is never going to be the next big thing but that is beside the point. It is a music that should be heard live in a dance floor environment as much as with the recorded versions. So go slam that barn door and get up and dance.
Reviews by Stephen Rapid
Ollie Vee 'Lonesome Girl' - Self-Release
Not the Ollive Vee of Buddy Holly’s Rockin Around With Ollie Vee fame but rather a trio (now a quartet) whose music is none-the-less grounded in the sound of 50s rock ’n’ roll and rockabilly. They got together in their native Ontario over a shared dislike for much of the music that was then current preferring instead to write and record songs in a way that leaves you in no doubt about their particular musical preferences. Indeed Paper Hearts rocks around like the aforementioned Holly and sounds like it could have come out of a famed Lubbock Studio sometime back in the 50’s.
Although there is no denying the inspirations and influences the band have a sound that doesn’t feel like it belongs in a dusty museum. Rather it has a sparkle that is effervescent and addictive if you are at all attuned to that particular channel on the music dial. They have a relaxed, sometimes smouldering delivery that has none of the frantic pace that is often associated with some contemporary rockabilly combos. They are about writing catchy tunes with choruses and recording them in an understated style that creeps up on you as you listen. You feel then that these songs have been around for much longer than they have.
Ollie Vee make and play niche music that occasionally comes into vogue (Chris Isaak - Wicked Games) but usually exists outside the mainstream. Unless that are fortunate enough to have a song featured in a film or TV show that briefly shines the spotlight on their sound. That should not deter you rom checking the band out and having a listen to songs of the calibre of those included on their debut album. Looking for A Fast Time with its chugga-chugga Tennessee Two rhythm, the Orbison-esque ache of Underneath The Sparks, the r’n’b of Hip Shaking Baby, the late night twang of New Boots or the Sun stroked bass of Shinin’ Bright. That might sound like a sound that’s quite derivative and it is to a degree, a degree that may deter some looking for something sounding more contemporary, but it still stand squarely on it’s own stylistic feet. Which suggests that this particular Lonesome Girl might make new friends rather easily.
Sam Outlaw 'EP' - Black Hills
Following on from his very fine Nobody Loves album Californian Sam Outlaw has released a five track EP which was produced by Elijah Thomson. It features Molly Jenson on harmony vocals alongside such players as Jeremy Long on pedal steel, piano and organ and guitarist Brad Lindsay on a bunch of new self written songs that continue the themes of lost love, loneliness and looking for love that encapsulates the message of the opening songs Cry For Me and Kind To Me as in “you could have been kind to me”. Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink (And Fall In Love) is a song where the steel guitar underlines the regret as he admonishes his friends for leaving him in an inebriated state in a bar to make a fool of himself in his search for something that might resemble love.
That heartbreak is apparent in Outlaw’s voice but it is one that also has hope for the future and that has a quality that gives it an additional memorability. Outlaw fits with a long standing tradition in Californian country music and makes him the latest in a long line of those who are adhering to the notion of bringing what has come before into a place that makes sense on many levels to an audience that is looking for some authenticity in their (country) music.
It is to be hoped that this talented performer will achieve greater recognition as his music progresses but he is, like some many, trying to make the most of limited resources while flying well under the radar. Time will tell whether this Outlaw will be on the wanted list outside of his home state. But catch up with his releases to date, I don’t think you will regret making his acquaintance.
The Dinosaur Truckers ‘Self-Titled’ - Off Label
I kinda like this band. They play an spirited mix of roots music that has a potent blend of upright bass, lap steel, banjo, mandolin and guitar. What this German band quartet have is a real feel for the music they make. It has energy and enthusiasm infused with skill and understanding. They deliver thirteen self-written songs sung in English that display a depth of immersion in everything from Motorhead to Merle, from Hanks 1, 11 and 111 and a whole lot more in between.
On the album they are joined in occasion by a drummer to strengthen the drive of the song but for the most part the have enough momentum on their own. Take a song like Shadow Fallin’ Down My Face the mix trumpet sounds with mandolin and lap steel over a solid double bass slap and guitar gives it an atmosphere that would easily fit in From Dusk Till Dawn. It is just one of many highlights on a constantly good album. There’s the uptempo rush of songs like Halfway Through and Hey People sitting alongs side the less frantic delivery of The Ends Are Just The Same and High, Low and Lonesome.
Singer Philip possesses a voice that is well capable of delivering the songs with conviction and they are also strong enough to compare and compete with their counterparts in the US or to those in the UK and Ireland. The other Truckers, know on their website only by their first names, are Till, Daniel and Tobi. All are also fully committed to keepin’ on truckin’ and playing with and to like-minded people. As their name suggests these are hard working musicians who travel the roads bringing a sound routed in the past into an ever beckoning future.
Victor Camozzi 'Cactus & Roses' - Volco
An aptly titled album as Camozzi’s songs consider the beauty and barbs of life and love. Texan Camozzi has released this third album of his songs which he recorded in LA. His producer Matt Downs is also responsible for all the instruments other than Gary Mallaber’s drums. The end result however is a very full sound that sits behind Camozzi’s rough-shod voice that is somewhere between late Kristofferson and early Robert Earl Keane. Not an instrument of perfection but one of some personality. It is the voice of someone with some experience of the vicissitudes of life.
The tempo and tone is similar throughout the albums ten original songs. Something that may not makes for instant standouts or easy listening. Add to that themes are fairly downbeat and some may head for the hills. Others will enjoy its pervasive mood that includes the title song which considers “the beautiful way we hurt each other”. Children are the subject in songs such as Like A Child and in the promise of the title that is Daddy Don’t Do Cocaine. These are big brooding ballads that are centred around the voice which is accompanied on the title track by of the sweeter contribution from Helen Henderson and by Downs and Danny Wilde elsewhere.
Not an album that will be attractive to all but to those acquainted with his previous albums or who warm to honesty of his writing then Victor Camozzi may well be an singer/songwriter to add to the list of those less known Texans (such as Calvin Russell) who haven’t quite reached the status of some of their more recognised musical alumni but who are making records that have merit in their own right.
Reviews by Stephen Rapid
Hannah Aldridge 'Razor Wire' - Trodden Black
On the inner sleeve of this album is a picture that shows Aldridge leaning against a wall that has “For The Love Of Music” painted on it and that seems to sum up Aldridge. The daughter of a successful songwriter she has fashioned a set of ten spiky songs, nine of which she wrote or co-wrote. The one exception is a cover of Jason Isbell’s Try. This is her debut album and it is powerfully fully formed and formidable. It was produced, recorded and mixed by Chris Mara in the main. On Try she was backed by Isbell’s band, the 400 Unit. Elsewhere she has gathered together a set of players totally sympathetic to these memorable songs.
She is steeped in the heritage of Muscle Shoals as well as Nashville and this produces a mix she describes as “dark Americana”, a fitting title. The band delivers a musical bedrock that can be as subtle as the evocative title track or the piano led depths of Parchman as well as the attack and decay of Try or the opening defiant You Ain’t Worth The Fight, or even the more upfront delivery of Old Ghost which has swirling B3 and edgy guitar that warns a partner “don’t let me find you sleep with that old ghost again”. Strand of Pearls features our old friend the musical saw to good ethereal effect. Lonesome, a song she wrote when she started out making music, found some success when it was featured in the TV series Hart Of Dixie. It helped get her a publishing deal and encouraged her writing. It is the last track on the album (bar an uncredited acoustic version of the title track that closes the album proper) and it has a mood befitting its title.
Overall the music allows the impact of the lyrics and Aldridge’s delivery of them to attain full resonance. This creates a balanced and satisfying album that marks the debut of a new and insightful artist and one who will grow with experience. Mark her as a name to watch out for with subsequent releases.
Gina Villalobos 'Sola' - Pony Farm
Villalobos is always an interesting singer/songwriter who has released four previous albums. This 7 track mini-album follows a four year break during which she felt herself lacking the energy, creativity and motivation to make new music. Thankfully, at the end of this period she found her mojo again. Taking charge of production, Villalobos gathers together an accomplished and experienced band that includes Eric Heywood on pedal steel, an instrument used here to underline the poignancy of many of the songs.
Sola means alone, but here it is a state of mind rather than a musical direction as the five players bring much to the songs. There is a depth of latent anguish that give many of these songs their wounded edge. The music matches that sense of quiet desperation and ideally suits their sentiments. Songs like Come Undone (Interstate Ache), Everything I Want and Tears Gone By lyrically deal with hurt, but do so with an aching beauty. Villalobos has been compared with Lucinda Williams and both are unwilling to make compromises in their music and both have created their music from a country rock vein filtered through individual viewpoint.
Villalobos has the courage to face up to her vulnerability in these songs and while the result can not be classified as an easy listen, it is one that is a both rewarding and a recuperative experience. The songs impel one to realise that life may not be easy, but there are many out there who are facing up to what life has placed in their path. Gina Villalobos has opened her heart and this music reveals the possibilities that are out there and does so over seven memorable performances from band and singer
Brownwynne Brent 'Stardust' - Self Release
The cover may suggest a Donovan-esque folky, but from the opening bars Brent offers a multi-layered music in a unique voice. Her producer Johnny Sangster has the experience to steer the album through musically creative settings that feature some excellent nimble players in the likes of Calexico’s John Convertino on drums and percussion with bassist Keith Lowe, Jon Rauhouse on banjo, steel and Dobro as well as Sangster himself on a variety of guitars. They are joined, on occasion, by keyboard, strings and trumpet, all of which makes this a rewarding album.
It is Brent’s songs and voice however that is the focus here. Lyrically accomplished, these songs veer towards the poetic. “You’re just a prisoner watching shadows dance, dancing to your grave.” (Devil Again) or “I keep my heart deep inside, it left a scar I cannot hide, but I will live to love again”. Just two songs that reflect a melancholy and mournfulness that is there like a veil around many of these songs. However as the latter lyric indicates there’s a hopefulness here that, in this musical setting, is uplifting.
The songs though tell there own tale. Heartbreaker, Bulletproof, Dark Highway, Already Gone and When You Said Goodbye all speak to a inherent sadness of the frailty of the human condition. The ability to express these sentiments in song goes back to the dawn of time and may in a different setting be considered “blues”. However while there are strong elements of the South inherent in her music, it has a has the feel of dark orchestral country that harks back to the work of Lee Hazelwood at times. But it is Brownwynne Brent who is the focus and fulcrum. She has an aged voice that belies her look. It has a fragility and is evocative but at the same time has a steely resolve that marks this album as something special and sprinkled with stardust.