#576 > Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Brace Yourself (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

2022 – Vizztone Records

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 17, 2022

Original source:  phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

I’ve only seen Too Slim and the Taildraggers perform one time.  That was August of 2018 at Harley Corin’s in Bettendorf, Iowa.  The memory of that show still hangs on tight.  The band has a take-no-prisoners approach as it slams open the gate for a fantastic rocking show.   Brace Yourself, the latest album from Too Slim, captures that potent live energy from a performance at Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee, Washington.  With Tim “Too Slim” Langford front-and-center on lead vocals and guitar, The Taildraggers are bassist Zach Kasik, and drummer Jeff “Shakey” Fowlkes.

They get the show started with the hard-driving rocker Mississippi Moon from their 2003 album Tales of Sin and Redemption.  The pulsing rhythm from Fowlkes and Kasik clear the way for Too Slim’s ferocious guitar, and slightly-gravelly vocals.  This homage to Robert Johnson’s “Cross Road Blues” lands a familiar punch like that from one of my favorite bands The Cult.  From the 2009 album Free Your Mind, the power-trios breaks out the fabulously-sinister and infectious “Devil in a Double Wide”.  Too Slims guitar licks are downright amazing as he absolutely rips it up.  From that same, album, they also unpack title-track “Free Your Mind”.  This Jimi Hendrix – meets – Black Oak Arkansas southern-rocker is slow-steeped in moonshine, and topped with a jaw dropping performance.  Too Slim releases his inner Neil Young on “Givers and Takers” from The Fortune Teller album, and it sounds magnificent.  I’m quite drawn to the three-fer of songs from the Blood Moon album as well.  “The Body”, a beautifully-dark song of death and the hereafter leads the pack.  Next up is title-track “Blood Moon” which Too Slim loads up with a tractor trailer full of scorching blues.  And lastly, there is “Twisted Rails” which features more Hendrix-fueled, hard-driving, sixties-era, psychedelic blues-rock.  It’s a sheer delight.

 Too Slim and the Taildraggers fill this twelve-track live recording with a dozen of his best originals, and nail every performance to the wall.  Brace Yourself is a damn good, must-hear album. 

---

                    

 

    

For more information about Too Slim and the Taildraggers, visit this website:

https://www.tooslim.net/

 

 

Here’s some links for past PhillyCheeze reviews of other Too Slim and the Taildraggers albums:

 

Remedy

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2020/06/448-too-slim-and-taildraggers-remedy.html

 

High Desert Heat

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2018/05/334-too-slim-and-taildraggers-high.html

 

Blood Moon

https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/02/too-slim-and-taildraggers-blood-moon.html

 

 

#448 : Too Slim and the Taildraggers - The Remedy

2020 – Vizztone

 By Phillip Smith; June 06, 2020

Tim Langford (aka Too Slim) has hit the studio once again with fellow Taildraggers Zach Kasik (bass, banjo, guitar, vocals) and Jeff “Shakey” Fowlkes (drums, percussion, vocals), returning with yet another outstanding album.  The Remedy is comprised of eleven songs.  Ten of those are originals with the writing evenly split between Langford and Kasik.  Recorded, engineered, and mixed by Kasik at his Wild Feather Recording studio in Nashville, the album features special guests Sheldon “Bent Reed” Ziro, Jason Ricci, and Richard “Rosy” Rosenblatt. 

Too Slim tells the story of a volatile relationship in “Last Last Chance”, lacing the song with country-fried boogie and irresistible guitar licks.  Kasik takes the mic and steps into the spotlight on “She’s Got the Remedy”.  This killer song washes ashore with a steady hypnotic riff and a Pearl Jam vibe.  “Keep the Party Rolling” is plumb fantastic.  Langford rips it up on this phenomenal Texas-style blues anthem as Ziro belts smoldering blasts of harp.  Shakey holds nothing back as he hammers out a heavy tantalizing beat.  It sounds great.  Their cover of Elmore James’ “Sunnyland Train” is a delight to hear indeed.  Too Slim’s slide guitar is outstanding as usual.  In western gunslinger fashion, Kasik breaks out the banjo and spins a wonderfully ominous tale with “Sure Shot”.  It’s always a treat to hear Jason Ricci perform.  The harp licks he throws down on the “Platinum Junkie” hit with hat-dropping precision.  I love how this Kasik-penned song coolly walks the line between blues and funk.  In a provocative John Fogerty-style, Too Slim takes an up-close, hard look at the current political situation in “Think About That”.  Rosenblatt brings his harp for a guest appearance on this deliciously swampy song.   

Too Slim and the Taildraggers remain one of my favorite bands as they continue to stay on point.  This new batch of songs in The Remedy is fresh, poignant, and fearlessly packed with that punch which Too Slim delivers oh so well.    

 ---

For more information about the artist, visit this website: tooslim.net

#382 : Coyote Kings - Rocket

2019 – Underworld Records

By Phillip Smith; March 23, 2019

Coyote Kings, that fiery blues band from Wala Wala, Washington which I’ve been reviewing since 2011, is back once again with yet another rockin’ album of blues.  The album is called Rocket, and it happens to be the Coyote Kings first on Tim Langford’s (Too Slim & the Taildraggers) music label Underword Records.  This is also their first album featuring their new singer, Tiphony Dames who recorded her debut self-titled album with the band in 2017.  Led by guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Robin Barrett, Coyote Kings is also comprised of bassist Kit Kuhlmann and drummer Gordon Townsend.

“Drive Me”, with its bluesy beatnik vibe scores huge, blending searing guitar licks from Barrett and Diego Romero with a fierce accompaniment from Nate Miller on sax.  Dame’s vocals are smooth as silk, and sound great.  Things get heavy with “Break Free” as Barrett throws down a riff that’s infectious and yet psychedelically ominous.  Miller shreds the sax again, as Barrett unleashes the funk in “All Tangled Up”.  The mood softens when Dame sings “Baby’s Gone”, a heartbreaking lament of lost love.  Her vocals really shine here.  The album comes to a close with a beautiful five-minute instrumental called “Song For Shaman”, featuring guest bassist Kelin Kreider. The track is absolutely stunning.

Rocket, the sixth album from the Coyote Kings is a positive step in a new direction for the band, and I look forward to hearing more from them with Tiphony. 

---

For more information about the artist, visit this website.. coyotekings.com  

#334 : Too Slim and the Taildraggers - High Desert Heat

2018 – Vizztone

Release Date :  April 27, 2018

By Phillip Smith; May 26, 2018

High Desert Heat, the latest release from Too Slim and the Taildraggers soars off the launchpad with a blazing psychedelic cover of the Chambers Brothers’ classic “Time Has Come Today”.  It’s magnificent to say the least.  Too Slim then proceeds to tear through nine ripping guitar-infused tracks of original blues-rock.  With Tim Langford aka “Too Slim” on guitar and lead vocals, the Taildraggers consists of Jeff “Shakey” Fowlkes on drums, Zach Kasik on bass guitar and special guest Sheldon “Bent Reed” Ziro on harmonica. 

With Ziro supplying a hearty accompaniment on harp, Langford dispenses a big tasty dose of blues guitar on “Trouble”.  I love the groove Fowlkes and Kasik keep afloat.  They never leave the pocket.  Too Slim sings about hitting bottom in “Broken White Line”, a badass song with an opening riff sweetly reminiscent of Steppenwolf’s “Pusherman”.  It captures my attention immediately.   Communication breakdown is what “Stories to Tell” is all about.  This infectious rocker lures me in with its funky, searing riff, and keeps me hooked with Langford’s delightful guitar licks.  Too Slim and the Taildraggers close the album out with the title track “High Desert Heat”, a spaghetti western style instrumental with ominous overtones and exquisite slide guitar.   

Too Slim absolutely nails it with High Desert Heat.  It’s a fantastic album.

      

    ---

Click below to read the PhillyCheeze review of : Too Slim and the Taildraggers – Blood Moon  https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/2017/02/too-slim-and-taildraggers-blood-moon.html     

Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Blood Moon

2016 – Underworld Records  

By Phillip Smith; Feb 4, 2017

With nearly thirty years under his belt performing and cutting records, Nashville-based Tim “Too Slim” Langford’s genius for dark rocking blues songs is undeniably strong as ever.  Backing Langford is his rhythm section, the Taildraggers, drummer Jeff “Shakey” Fowlkes and bassist Robert Kearns.

Blood Moon explodes out of the gate with “Evil Mind”, a guitar-heavy southern-rocker topped off with a hefty dose of adrenalin.  Langford’s contagious guitar riffs and smoky vocals keep me captivated for the mysterious and witchy “Gypsy”.  This terrifically dark love song is one of my favorites. He then sets a beautiful and cosmic mood in “My Body”, a song about death and the hereafter.

If one didn’t already know, it would very easy to think “Get Your Goin’ Out On” was a Rolling Stones deep cut with its blazing honky-tonk vibe.  For title track, “Blood Moon” Langford goes all out with hearty helping of searing blues guitar. It sounds great. 

Too Slim and the Taildraggers’ Blood Moon is an engaging album of raw unbridled southern blues-rock with a unique sound I’ve become quite fond of.  It’s one of those recordings I can listen to over and over again.