Cécile Doo-Kingué - Anybody Listening Part 2 : Dialogues

2016 – Funky Joint

By Phillip Smith; Mar 13, 2016

Montreal guitarist and singer-songwriter Cécile Doo-Kingué having hooked me with last year’s Anybody Listening Part 1 : Monologues, has totally reeled me in with her latest release, Anybody Listening Part 2 : Dialogues.  Keeping her music on the edge of political and social awareness, Doo-Kingué progresses from the raw and acoustic direction of Monologues by adding more production and electricity, and it sounds terrific.  Joining the six new tracks on this twelve track album, are five re-recorded versions of her most outstanding tracks from Monologues : “Anybody Listening”, “Little Bit”, “Six Letters”, “Animal Kingdom”, and “Bloodstained Vodka”.  These are tracks I was really drawn to in their original acoustic versions, but I love these new recordings even more.

Besides being such a prolific songwriter, Doo-Kingué is quite the guitar master as well. It’s so fun to hear her let loose at the end of “Sunshine Lady”, which by the way features the lovely vocals of Milika Tirolien.  I dig the swampy slide which kick starts the upbeat bluesy gem “Riot & Revolution”. This song gets the blood pumping through the veins and the fists pumping in the air.  “Sweet Talkin’ Devil” is quite a sweet surprise too. Doo-Kingué slays this magnificent southern-style rocker about temptation. For a fearless closer, Doo-Kingué tears it up on her killer cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Manic Depression”. 

I have no idea what direction Doo-Kingué will take us in on Anybody Listening Part 3, but I’m already on-board, and looking forward to it. 

For more info on Cécile Doo-Kingué, visit her website http://www.cdkmusik.com/

Brothers Brown - Dusty Road

2016 – Funky Joint

By Phillip Smith; Mar 5, 2016

Listening to the debut album, Dusty Road, from Brothers Brown, puts a big smile on my face and makes me long for summertime, when outdoor concerts are in season.  Thankfully that time of year is just around the corner.  This bluesy, jam-friendly band is fronted by two gentlemen named Paul Brown: one, a double Grammy-winning producer/guitarist/singer/songwriter from Los Angeles, the other, a Grammy-nominated producer/keyboardist/songwriter from Nashville.  The other two members, bassist David Santos, and drummer Pete Young make for an outstanding rhythm section.  This is a really tight group of musicians.

When I first heard the song “Cup of Tea”, I couldn’t help but notice the Allman Brothers and Widespread Panic influence.  It’s pure southern boogie with tasty electric guitar licks and a rich organ accompaniment.  The driving beat and funky rhythm of “Hurricane” is such a rejoicing sound, it should have a label that reads, “Warning! Listening to this song could lead to the loss of shoes and uncontrollable urges to dance”.  Little Feat guitarist Paul Barrere guests on this track to lay down some delicious slide.  They score big on “The River” too.  This powerful song about revisiting the past is comfort music for the soul.  I love the slow soulful groove of “Love Sake”. It’s a perfect song for chilling, relaxing and swaying.

Poignant songwriting, stellar performances, and a whole lot of heart and soul is what makes Dusty Road such a pleasurable listen.  I’ll surely be keeping my eyes out for Brothers Brown in concert now.     

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