Sunday, July 10, 2016
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Wooden Nickel Lottery - Down the Line
2016 – Violet Isle
Records
By Phillip Smith; July 9, 2016
There’s something kind of special
about Wooden Nickel Lottery’s latest
album, Down the Line. The songs take me back to the late Seventies, when
rock music relied on well-written songs, and radio stations still played a mix
of genres. That’s exactly what these Eastern
Iowa musicians have to offer, as they skillfully combine splashes of rock,
blues, country, funk and soul to create their own special blend of homegrown
tunes. The band is composed of lead vocalist/guitarist
Rick Gallo, guitarist/tunesmith Rich Toomsen, bassist Jessica Toomsen, and drummer Delayne Stallman.
Gallo soulfully
belts out “Can’t Be Wrong” with a power and smoothness which reminds me of Foreigner’s Lou Gramm. I dig the funky
bassline Jess lays down on “No
Second Chances”. It puts a smile on my
face with every listen. It’s easy to get
lost in the bluesy melody on “Yesterday’s Rain”. It’s nice and slow, with an Allman Brothers vibe. Hearing this one played live with an extended
jam would be a treat for sure. WNL kicks out the jams in hoedown
fashion for a downright bodacious and intense instrumental, “Throw It Down”. They keep the fire burning with the rocker “The
Open Road”, staying on course with a driving beat from Stallman as Rich sweetly
rips it up on guitar.
For a cool-as-hell finale, the
album closes out with a swampy homage to the working man in the track “Nickels
and Dimes”. Wooden Nickel Lottery scores big with Down the Line. It is such an
enjoyable album, I anxiously await their next.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Steve Hill- Solo Recordings Volume 3
2016 – No Label Records
By Phillip Smith; July 6, 2016
It’s no surprise Canadian musician
Steve Hill has pulled down the 2015 JUNO Award for Blues Album of the Year, as well as Maple Blues Awards in 2014 and 2015 for Electric Act of the Year.
This man has it all going on with one of the best one-man band acts I’ve
heard. Hill attacks the blues with true grit as he pulls it all together
accomplishing a magnificent feat in every one of his performances. Solo
Recordings Volume 3 follows up his JUNO
nominated Solo Recordings Volume 1 and JUNO winning Solo Recordings
Volume 2. With Volume 3, Hill dishes up
a dozen magnificent songs which resonate deeper with each and every listen.
“Damned” breaks loose with a
wall of electric guitar fury alongside a driving beat. One song in and already it’s hard to imagine
this is one lone man with an arsenal of instruments. Hill
approaches “Still A Fool & A Rollin Stone” with intense focus, dishing out a
performance which sounds like it came from someone who has been playing fifty
years. He shines on guitar as well as
vocals, making this a no-holds-barred favorite. In “Troubled Times”, Hill shows off his versatility and reminds us that not everything
is pleasant. The song is beautifully
played. When Hill tackles one of my favorite blues tunes, “Rollin’ & Tumblin
/ Stop Breaking Down”, I go to my happy place as soon as I hear the slide. The man can sure play the blues. That is a fact.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Albert Castiglia - Big Dog
2016 – Ruf Records
By Phillip Smith; June 25, 2016
I’ve always enjoyed hearing Albert Castiglia play the Blues, but there is something about his latest album, Big Dog, that grabs ahold of me and just latches on. Castiglia surrounds himself with extremely talented musicians: bassist Scot Sutherland, drummer Rob Lee, and Lewis Stephens on keys & piano. For the icing on the cake, Mike Zito also performs on guitar and produced the album as well.
Castiglia
enters the album guns-a-blazing, holding back nothing, lobbing immense and
intense guitar licks as if grenades on a battlefield, in the monster opening
track “Let the Big Dog Eat”. Castiglia advises promising musicians
that hard work is the key to success in the song, “Get Your Ass in the Van”. He lays down lots of sweet killer slide guitar
on this original track, while satirically making his point, singing “This ain’t
no American Idol. There ain’t no more deals
being made at the cross-roads.”. Castiglia
then goes deep on his four-star cover of Luther
Allison’s “Drowning at the Bottom”. I
can feel the blues oozing from his pores as he beautifully plays this soulful
tear-jerker. This is my absolute favorite.
Stephens’s organ performance adds
a cool Allman Brothers vibe on “Let’s
Make Love in the Morning”. This soulful,
feel-good song puts a smile on my face with every listen.
Big Dog is so
hot and electric; it is pretty much an instant classic.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Voice of Cedar Lake live at Irish District Music and Arts Festival 6/18/16
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
By Phillip Smith; June 19,
2016
Blue skies and warm weather
set the perfect stage for a day of music and relaxation at the seventh annual
Irish District Music and Arts Festival, which took place on June 18th. The Voice
of Cedar Lake, composed of guitarist Craig
Erickson, vocalist Alicia Strong,
bassist John Hall, keyboardist Tom “T-Bone” Giblin, and drummer Jon
Wilson took the stage first, opening up for the great Eric Gales.
Erickson
kicked things off with one of my favorite songs from his Sky Train Galaxy album, “Mojo in Memphis”. Soon afterwards the band broke out the funk
and tore into a groovy performance of Rufus
and Chaka Kahn’s “Tell Me Something Good”.
Strong’s vocals were powerful
and perfect. Strong belted out more sweet and soulful vocals as the band doled
out a rousing cover of Buddy Mile’s “Them
Changes”. I loved the bluesy spin they
put on the Bob Marley classic “No
Woman No Cry”, as well as the clever mash-up with the Five Stairsteps’ 1970 top-ten hit “O-o-h Child”. Delbert
McClinton’s “Standing on Shaky Ground” was a real treat, highlighted by an
outstanding performance by Hall on
his seven string bass, and Giblin on
organ. Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” immediately followed, keeping the
groove afloat and the audience on cloud nine.
Watching these musicians in
action makes me proud to live in a community which not only has a wealth of
great talent, but through appreciation of live music, is able to retain these
talented artists we get so much enjoyment from.
All Photos by Phillip Smith
Craig Erickson |
Craig Erickson / John Hall |
John Hall |
Craig Erickson |
John Hall / Tom 'T-Bone' Giblin |
Alicia Strong |
Alicia Strong |
Jon Wilson |
Voice of Cedar Lake |
Alicia Strong |
Craig Erickson |
Craig Erickson / Alicia Strong |
John Hall |
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Dylan Wickens & The Grand Naturals - Hi Lo-Fi
2015 – Dylan Wickens
& The Grand Naturals
By Phillip Smith; June 18, 2016
Hi Lo-Fi, the wonderfully bluesy sophomore release from Dylan Wickens and The Grand Naturals is a delightful listen. This rockin’ trio from Ontario consists of guitarist Wickens, drummer Al Webster(Jeff Healey, Colin James), and bassist Dennis Pinhorn(Downchild).
There’s a cool little SRV vibe going on “Love & Lust”. It’s fun, funky and infectious. “Run Sister” gets down and dirty, with intense
grooves fueled by fuzzy guitar riffs, and heaping dose of hot harp from Tortoise Blue. I love the retro blues sound of “Calamity
Jane”. The organ accompaniment from Blue adds a nice touch too. By the time “Fall Apart” comes around, I’m
jamming out in full force. This psychedelic
treat is a powerhouse. Another favorite,
“Rock Bottom” is slathered in heavy electric blues with a strong Hendrix influence. It is almost trance-inducing.
Wickens also delivers a big mess of bodacious
slide in the cover of “In My Time of Dying”. It is grand.
This is an album I could
listen to all day long. Hi Lo-Fi is a sure-fire winner.
for more info about Dylan Wickens & the Grand Naturals, visit their website... http://www.dylanwickens.ca/
for more info about Dylan Wickens & the Grand Naturals, visit their website... http://www.dylanwickens.ca/
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Bill Durst - Good Good Lovin
2015 – Durstwerks
By Phillip Smith; June 11, 2016
Good Good Lovin, the latest from Canadian bluesman Bill Durst (Thundermug), is one hell of a treat. With bassist Joe DeAngelis and drummer Corey Thompson at his side, Durst is serving up some of the tastiest Texas-style guitar blues and boogie I’ve heard. The album features nine original kick-ass tracks co-written by Durst and DeAngelis, of which most sport a strong ZZ Top vibe.
The music hits the ground
running with title track “Good Good Lovin”.
Durst dishes out fuzzy riffs and
groovy licks as this infectious song races along, hammering the listener’s
adrenal glands into submission. “Got
Love” keeps the energy levels high with call-backs to early Led Zeppelin. Durst’s
gravelly vocals sound so cool as he’s ripping it up on guitar in the
outstanding power shuffle “King Snake Prowl”. His slide guitar on “Heaven Heaven” sounds mighty
sweet too.
I could listen to Durst play
guitar all day long and not tire. Good
Good Lovin is an instant favorite which needs no time to warm up to. Fans of ZZ
Top should strongly consider picking a copy of this album up.
For more info on Bill Durst, visit his website http://www.billdurst.com/
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Peter Kelly - Don’t Let Me Be Alone
2015 – Peter Kelly Music
By Phillip Smith; June 4, 2016
Rich poppy melodies and dark poignant lyrics are the focus of Peter Kelly’s album Don’t Let Me Be Alone. The ten original songs from this New York singer/songwriter are smart and all beautifully performed by Kelly himself. “Live The Dream” sweetly ushers the listener in with lush vocals and swirling rhythms. Following is the quirky anthem for codependents ”Don’t Let Me Be Alone”, in which Kelly keeps things flowing with contagious hooks. Irony is king in “Suicidal”. This upbeat ditty about cloaking suicidal thoughts with fake smiles is infectious and clever. It is one of my favorites. Kelly blends rap and pop, topped off with melodic vocals, for “Tailwind (It’s a Beautiful Day)”, a song I love to start the day with.
Don’t Let Me Be Alone is a terrific listen from beginning to end, and comes
highly recommended.
Reverend Freakchild - Illogical Optimism
2016 – Treated and
Released Records
By Phillip Smith; June 4, 2016
For those looking for a new spiritual leader, I’d like to recommend the good Reverend Freakchild. His latest album, Illogical Optimism is three discs of musical fun. The first disc is Odds, Ends and Other Amazingness. It features fifteen blues and boogie-laced tracks that make me grin from ear to ear. The second disc, Everything is New, contains a dozen stand-out remixes of Freakchild’s own “Everything is New”. Lastly, the third disc is called Kairos, and contains acoustic gospel blues songs from a former Florida preacher who goes by the name of Ramblin’ Jennings.
The Rev interestingly gives John Lennon’s “Imagine” the Lou Reed treatment. This is one cool track indeed. The good times roll as he takes on the Meters’ bayou-boogie classic ”Hey Pocky
A-Way”. I love Freakchild’s rendition of Blind
Lemon Jefferson’s look at mortality, “See That My Grave is Kept Clean”. This one stellar blues song. Freakchild brings the first disc to a
close with a splash of weirdness and creativity in the gonzo inspired “Plastic
Jesus Working On a Building”, which uses the traditional songs “Plastic Jesus”
and “Working On a Building” as bookends to contain a myriad of random sounds
and song-bits.
On disc number two, in which
all the tracks are variants of the same song, Freakchild is careful to give each track a unique and distinct sound. Drummer
Chris Parker lays down a trippy beat
for Freakchild to break the funk out
ala George Clinton style in my
favorite track, “Once Upon a Time Called Right Now”. I also really like the hillbilly version “Alla
Gotta Na’” too. Co-producer Sal Paradise lends his breath and
harmonica as the Rev breaks out the banjo.
For the multi-linguist, Freakchild
also includes both French and German versions.
The third and final disc features
eight tracks from a different reverend.
Armed with just a guitar and harmonica, Ramblin’ Jennings shares the gospel by playing the blues, and he
does it with a lot of heart, soul, and authenticity. Stand-out songs include”Safe in the Storm”, “I
Saw A Wheel”, and “Silver Sandals”.
Give the Reverend Freakchild a listen. You will not be disappointed.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Sam Morrow - There Is No Map
2016 – Forty Below
Records
By Phillip Smith; May 28, 2016
Sam Morrow’s debut album Ephemeral was one of my favorites of 2014, therefore, I was most curious to hear the new songs on his latest release There Is No Map. As expected, the new album revealed to be another masterpiece. With poetic beauty and brutal honesty, Morrow explores the not-so-glamorous gonzo journeys his modern-day outlaw life has taken.
The soulful boogie-laced tale
of destitution and addiction in “Barely Holding On” is a sure-fire hit. Like a freight train, the songs keep fearlessly
rolling. I get goose bumps when I hear “The
Deaf Conductor”, written by the album’s producer Eric Corne. Accompanied by
the lush and beautifully textured sounds of a B3, this one has an instant
familiarity to it. I feel as if I’ve
heard this song a hundred times before. Then
there’s the swirling, melancholy, country-flavored dirge “Green”, in which Morrow, like a burdened Buddha sings “The
same old bullshit don’t make the grass green.”
This one is flawlessly and soulfully performed. The eerie and ominous vibe woven into the
wonderfully dark “Devil’s in the Details” are quick to grab my attention as
well. The song is short, but sweet.
With two strong albums like
these under Morrow’s belt, I already await the next.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Charlie Faye & The Fayettes
2016 –
By Phillip Smith; May 21, 2016
It’s about time someone took
the bull by the horns to brush the dust off the classic girl group sound so embraced
and adored in the Sixties. Bringing that
luscious sound to life again is Austin singer/songwriter Charlie Faye, who masterfully captures that carefree sound with eleven
brand new original tracks. Her backup
singers, the Fayettes, BettySoo and Akina Adderley both have established and
well-respected solo careers outside this charming trio.
Charlie Faye and the Fayettes start their debut album off with “Green Light”, a soulful
and poppy feel-good treat about blossoming relationships. “Sweet Little Messages”
walks the path between Motown and Memphis, dishing out beautiful harmonies
peppered with Steve Cropper-like
guitar licks. There’s also a huge Stax sound on “Eastside” a lively
dance-inducing track which draws attention to neighborhood gentrification. This groovy track is definitely my favorite.
I love the combined sound of spaghetti-western
surf guitar topped with the trippy psychedelic synth present on “Loving Names”. It’s so hard to believe this is all brand new
music. When Faye sings “Coming Round the Bend” with her swirling and sugary sweet
vocals, it sounds so good. The song
makes me feel nostalgic for the Phil
Spector-produced Ronettes.
It’s refreshing to hear a
brand new take on a sound that’s been out of the spotlight for nearly forty
years. I would definitely like to see music
of this style make a comeback. It has
been put away for far too long.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)