Thorbjørn
Risager was an unfamiliar name to me prior to hearing his spectacular
new album, Too Many Roads, recorded
with his band, the Black Tornado.But
I can tell you this much, I will remember his name from now on.This eighth release from Risager, is a
sheer delight and is sure to be a reckoning force on the blues scene this year.In a nutshell, it’s twelve well-crafted songs
delivered via a tight group of musicians operating together like a well-oiled
machine.
Risager
grabs the listener and pulls them in on the first few bars of the lead song, ‘If
You Wanna Leave”, with gritty guitar riffs, reminiscent of GeorgeThorogood
, Eric Clapton-like vocals and soulful hornaccompaniment.
Title track, “Too Many Roads”, follow.I
feel like I’ve been dropped on the corner of the Crossroads in Mississippi when
I hear this song about making the right choices.The way it oozes that endearing swampy sound…
it doesn’t get much better than this.
I love the way Risager’s strong gravelly vocals
rides atop the killer guitar riffs in “High Rollers”, all with the attitude and
energy of the Rolling Stones.This
track, about taking a chance in the game of love, makes me wants to break out the
air guitar and play along.
The beautifully remade “China Gate”, from the 1957
film, takes the listener to a quieter and more solitude spade.Pouring emotion into every note sung and
played, Risager and the Black Tornado make this exceptional song stand-out.
With a touring schedule that consists of 80 – 100 shows
a year, all that’s left to do is cross our fingers and wait for a U.S. leg of
the tour.
2014 - Luke Tuchscherer
& The Little Red Recording Company
By Phillip Smith;
June 7, 2014
Alt-rock
drummer Luke Tuchscherer of the Whybirds, has ventured out with a
little help from his friends, to record a dozen wonderfully written and
beautifully performed treasures on his debut album, You Get So Alone at Times That it Just Makes Sense.Its title so aptly named after a book of
poetry by Charles Bukowski, the album
consists of extraordinary songs about ordinary people with ordinary thoughts
and problems, performed in an alt-country, rootsy story-teller fashion.
Tom Peters keeps a steady bass drum
beat running in the background, while Chris
Corney tackles dobro and banjo, accompanying Tuchscherer who plays acoustic guitar on opening track “(Lord
Knows) I’m a Bad Man” about infidelity and maneuvering around the guilt-filled
baggage tagging along. I love the thick swampy sound the dobro and banjo bring
to the song.This one is definitely one
of my favorites.
Tuchscherer shows off his song-writing
chops on “One of Us” as fellow Whybird,
Dave Banks joins in with both mandolin
and banjo. Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”, comes to mind when I hear
this poppy bluegrass tune that tells the despairing tale of an innocent youth
from a broken home and the twists and turns which will lead him to a gangster’s
life of crime.
I
love the ironic way Tuchscherer can set
lyrics seemingly delivered by a henpecked, sad sack drunk directed at his nagging
fishwife, to such a pretty melody. This
song of self-awareness, pent up feelings and unconditional love, “I Don’t Need
You to Tell Me” features Edwin Ireland
on cello and Zoë Robertson on both
violin and viola.
Tuchscherer walks a fine line between alt
country and coffee-house rock. I hear a
lot of influence from The Traveling
Wilburys, as Tuchscherer sports the
songwriting skills of Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, and possesses a voice that is
somewhat of a cross between Roy Orbinson
and Jeff Lynne. With credentials
like that, you can’t go wrong.
Listening
to Rich Mahan’s ten track album, Blame Bobby Bare, is like hitching a
ride on a time machine headed back to the ending of an era when country music was
still raw and listened to on 8-track tapes.Not only was the album inspired by the music of Country music legend Bobby Bare, it was recorded in
Nashville using vintage analog gear.This, along with Mahan’s
brilliantly written verses make this a killer retro-country album.
Jimmy Buffet would be right at home performing
Tex-Mex friendly, “Tequilla Y Mota”, an ode to the weekend bender. I love the
sound of Steve Herman’s mariachi
trumpet coupled with Robby Turner’s pedal
steel and Arlan Oscar’s accordion.
That musical combination ties the song up into one big, tasty tamale. A strong Bruce Springsteen vibe is with Mahan as
he moves the party to another state in ‘Overserved in Alabam’.
Mahan has a great sense of humor,
and it shines through on his song of karmic backlash, “The Hills of South
Dakota”. He finds out the hard way, drinking
scotch and philandering with a bartender may just land him with a problem below
the belt and trouble with his wife.Another song of good times gone bad, “Mama Found My Bong”, is a coming
of age country ditty.The wah-wah
provided by JD Simo puts a big ol’
smile on my face.Mahan’s “Rehab’s For Quitters” is bound to be a country classic,
with quirky lyrics that seem to have fallen off bumper stickers at a truck
stop.If I didn’t know, I would have
sworn this song was written by John
Prine or David Allen Coe.
Rich Mahan is the real deal, and Blame Bobby Bare is a hell of a good
listen.I highly recommend this album to
fans of classic and outlaw country.
He’s over seventy years old
now, and still nothing quite gets in the way of Levon Helm‘s tenacious desire
to make music.Arguably one of the two
most notable people to ever call such a little place like Turkey Scratch,
Arkansas, home.The other being the
legendary Robert Lockwood, Jr.Ramble
at the Ryman, the newest release from Helm, is a live album.Capturing the essence of the old time
medicine shows, he shares the stage with big name talent like Sheryl Crow, John
Hiatt, Buddy Miller, and Billy Bob Thornton to name a few.With Helm handling vocals, drums, and the
mandolin, Larry Campbell on guitar, and (Little) Sammy Davis on harmonica, it’s
quite an impressive arcade of musicians.
Six of the fifteen tracks are
oldies but goodies written by one of Helm’s original band mates from The Band,
Robbie Robertson.Kicking off the show,
is a lively version of “Ophelia“.It’s
such a great song, and sets the mood for a swingin’ good time.Wrapping up the album, we get to hear a
fabulous rendition of “The Weight“, recorded with special guest vocalist, John
Hiatt.And in between, fabulous
performances of“Evangeline“, recorded
with Sheryl Crow, “Rag Mama Rag“, and “The Shape I’m In“.
Harmonica aficionados should
really enjoy the back to back tracks, “Fannie Mae” and “Baby Scratch My Back”.
Davis owns the stage with his riveting harp playing.It’s just great to listen to.Other great listens include the chilling
ballad, “A Train Robbery”.Helm sings
his heart out on this one.Rounding out
the rest of the album, is a very nice cover of Chuck Berry’s “Back to Memphis”.
This event is also available
on DVD, which I plan to picking up sometime soon, because I love the CD so
much.
Rating =5/5
http://www.levonhelm.com/
* Authors note: Originally appeared on BluesRevue.Com's BluesWax online magazine. Posting again, in honor of what would have been Levon's 74th birthday.
Summer
is almost upon us, and it is time to break out the jams.One couldn’t ask for better timing than the tenth
and newest offering, Song in My Head,
from the String Cheese Incident. The whole gang, with Michael Kang and Billy
Nershi at the helm has returned to the studio for the sixth time, after waiting
nine long years to bring us ten tracks of ear candy produced by Talking Heads’ keyboardist Jerry Harrison, to nibble on. These
songs have been a part of their live shows, but have never been put to wax
until now.
One
can surely expect the unexpected, when listening to The String Cheese Incident and imbibing of their special brew,
which is infused with heaping helpings of bluegrass, and progressive rock along
with dashes of country, calypso, and blues. This is certainly the case with “Colorado
Bluebird Sky”.With a countrified bluegrass
beginning and ending, the bridge seemingly breaks free of those handcuffs, isolates
itself from the rest of the song to toss out some spacy guitar licks and get a
little trippy.
Feel
good song, “Let’s Go Outside”, is launched from a poppy and funky launch pad in
which the vocals are borderline rap, much like the Red Hot Chili Peppers are known for. This one is very catchy.And speaking of catchy, the self-prophesizing
song “Song in My Head”, with its old school SCI familiarity, is a very welcome addition to the album.
“Can’t
Wait Another Day”, one of my favorite tracks, and a perfect jam song, is Afro-groove
at the core.I love Keith Moseley’s bass line along with the interesting umbrella of percussion
built by Jason Hann and Michael Travis that guides the song
along its path.“Rosie”, another
favorite, is post-disco dance music served up trance style.It has a splash of Latin influence as well. Kyle
Hollingsworth tackles the keys full force reminding me of the funky R&B
Eighties band, Cameo.
As mentioned
earlier, one really doesn’t know what might be lurking around the corner as SCI
advances from song to song.That’s what
makes Song in My Head so fun and
interesting, and why a spot on my summer play list has been secured for it.
Flesh & Blood, the sixth studio album by
Australian roots band, John Butler Trio
is a sheer delight.Filled with rich melodies
and poignant lyrics, this eleven track album goes down smooth and refreshing
like iced lemonade in the summertime.Backing
Butler this time around is bassist Byron
Luiters and drummer Grant Gerathy.
Butler creates a trippy
environment for “Blame It On Me”, riding a wave of trance-inducing beats laced
with spacy effects. It’ s so
fascinating, I find myself melting into the song, while imagining how enjoyable
it would be to hear an extended version of it played live. The use of steel pans gives the
super-poppy “Only One” an infusion of Caribbean flavor.This is one of those songs that can easily
get stuck in one’s head.
“Spring
to Come”, the opening track, catches my attention with a rhythm reminiscent of Rusted Root, and a message of hope and encouragement
reminding us that ‘out of the darkness, only the light can come’.
Gerathy uses a very industrial
sounding percussion to begin “Livin’ in the City” with. After a few measures, the
song melts into a really funky rhythm accented with bluesy and psychedelic
guitar riffs.Like Anthony Keidis, Butler rolls
his vocals out quickly and very pronounced.I really like this one.“Devil
Woman” is another track I am infatuated with. Tribal beats set a foundation for
a wild old-time spiritual romp intended to exorcise a different kind of demon.
A
splendid album to listen to, Flesh and
Blood invokes an assortment of emotions and feelings.Some songs put me in my quiet space, as
others make me want to dance. I just can’t
seem to stop listening.
Although I didn’t venture out
twenty-five miles to the nearest record store on Record Store Day this year, I did manage to find the RSD release of Jake Bugg’s four-track EP Live
at Silver Platters disc on eBay.Bugg beautifully performs each of his songs
solo and acoustically, pulling one piece from his first and self-titled album,
and two from his Shrangri La album.This stripped-down performance offers yet
another glimpse into how deep his well of talent goes.
The first thing that pops
into my mind when “There’s a Beast and We All Feed It” plays, is uncanny
observation of just how much Bugg
reminds me of a young Bob Dylan
tearing through “Subterranean Homesick Blues”.If this is what he sounds like at twenty years old, I have a feeling we
are in store for an explosion of great music in the future from this troubadour.
“Storm Passes Away”, also from his Shangri La album, is about trying to
piece a relationship back together.This
one is very reminiscent of classic Hank
Williams, both in song styling and performance.
Bugg seems
to draw inspiration from Paul Simon
on “Lightning Bolt”, a magically fast-tempo song with quick rhyming lyrics
laced with hints of blues and classic country. It’s so amazing how rich this
song sounds, I quickly forget this is just one man and his guitar.
Live at Silver Platters , Seattle WA, January 20, 2014,
really has a lot going on for just
being a four track live EP.The only
drawback is that it leaves me wanting more.
By Phillip Smith; Written for FoundryMusic.com , July 6, 2009
Praises to the War Machine is the solo effort of Warrel Dane, lead singer
ofSeattle band, Nevermore.Collaborating with Soilwork’s guitarist Peter
Wichers, and drummer Dirk Verbeuren, Dane has constructed a new heavy metal
opus.Praises to the War Machine doesn’t
just tap its needle into the heavy metal vein of decades past, but plunges that
sucker right in there.I definitely pick
up shreds of Black Sabbath, Ozzy, and Dio to name a few.And that’s not a bad thing.
First out of the gate, the
guitar-heavy and melodic “When We Pray”drives home the point, which Dane sings ‘nothing ever changes when we
pray’.Other heavy tracks include, “Obey”
and “Equilibrium“.“Obey“, reminds me a
bit of Disturbed, and pounces upon the listener with vigorous guitar
riffs.
And lets not forget the
ballads.One in particular stands
out, “Your Chosen Misery”.This one seems a little out of place, when compared to the other tracks, as the vocals are contrastingly deep for the lion's share of this song.
The most interesting track
however, is a cover of Paul Simon’s “Patterns” from the 1965 album, The Paul
Simon Songbook.Danes version,
although tons heavier than the original, is still recognizable.Check out the original and then listen to
Dane’s version if you get a chance.And
definitely check this CD out.
I’ve recently stumbled upon Grooveyard Record’s re-release of the
late Texas blues guitarist/songwriter Bugs
Henderson’s Still Flyin’ CD.Although, the music is thirty-three years old
now, it’s new to me, and frankly put, it’s a damn good album. In addition to
the ten tracks on the original album, this reissue, also throws in an
additional four bonus tracks, the last of which, happens to be Audio Liner Notes. It's such a unique
idea, and makes for an interesting listen as we hear the stories behind the
music.Rounding out the rest of the band is bassist Bobby Chitwood and drummer Ron Thompson.
“Baby Ruth”, a bluesy
southern rock boogie, kicks the album off and draws me right in.This is a fun one to listen to, and sounds
like it was a fun one to record as well.Henderson plays to an
increasingly faster tempo, exhibiting some of his fabulous guitar-play.Keeping the momentum going for a song appropriately
named, “Heart Attack”, a rightfully impressive exhibition of fast-paced rockin’
blues, Henderson pulls out all the
stops as Thompson pounds the hell
out of his drums.
Henderson
proves he can slow it down a bit too, and still sound great.“Judi Likes the Blues” a song that sounds as
if it were cross-pollination between Willie
Nelson and the Allman Brothers, is
a mellow and softly played country blues track, featuring the late and great Tom Morrell dishing out some tasty
licks on his steel guitar.
I listen in awe to the killer
blues riffs, in “Not Guilty”, title track “Still Flyin’”, and instrumental, “Little
Brother”.The latter is dedicated to Bug’s
little brother, Kim who died in a car accident at the young age of Twenty-one. Psychedelically played on top of a slow, yet funky
rhythm, the emotion is felt with nearly every note.
Catching me somewhat by
surprise, this album quickly became a favorite to listen to.It’s an outstanding blend of guitar-centric Texas
Blues and boogie-laced Southern Rock.
Vocalist Stevie DuPree and
songwriter/guitarist Travis Stephenson are the driving force behind The Delta
Flyers, a genuine down-home blues style band.Sixteen Bars offers up ten top-notch original songs, covering the
trials and tribulations of the common man and those a little less fortunate.
When one is confronted
withthe term, ‘Sixteen Bars’, without
taking too long to think about it, the sixteen bar blues easily comes to
mind.However. “Sixteen Bars”, the name
of the title track is clearly a reference to the number of bars across a jail
cell door.Thistrack tells the crazy alcohol-fueled
hard-luck story of the events leading up to a long prison sentence.Played with lots oftwangy slide guitar and accompanied
harmonica, this track is haunting and intriguing.
A little bit of a history lesson awaits those
who listen to “Dockery Farm”, a dirge about the hard life as a poor
share-cropper at the famous Dockery Farm cotton plantation outside
Cleveland,Mississippi.According to B.B. King, this is where it all
started.Dockery Farm,regarded as a birthplace of the American
Blues, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
Speaking of historical
places, move over Bob Dylan, there‘s a new song about Highway 61.I‘m talking about “61 Highway Blues“.Again, there is likely to be some killin’
done too.As Dupree puts it, ‘That old
61 highway sure can be a mean ole road.’.Some great slide and some evenbetter story telling makes this a great song to start the album off
with.
The cut that really got my
attention on this album, was “Poison Took My Baby”.Though it’s only a bit over two and a half
minutes, this song takes a hard look at the damage drug and alcohol abuse wreak
on a relationship.As the song closes
with , ‘Damn that whisky.Damn that
needle’, there is no mistaking what the message here is all about.
I thoroughly enjoyed this
album.The Delta Flyers prove to be a
band to be reckoned with, and I anxiously await their next release..
London-basedsinger-songwriter Sean Taylor’s sixth and latest album, Chase the Night, is quite the masterpiece. This is some of the most
unique and fascinating new music I have heard in a while.Using blues and roots music to deliver intelligently
crafted lyrics that sound like lost verses of beat poetry that fell out of a Kerouac
book, Taylor has skillfully assembled an album which I find becomes more
interesting with each subsequent listen.Backing Taylor on all songs is Mark Hallman, tackling whatever
instrument is thrown his way and flawlessly, I might add.The album was recorded at Congress House
Studios in Austin, TX.
Taylor has this fantastic ability
to pour his emotions into his music.Take “Losing You” for example, a bluegrassy song about lost love and
self-blame. Even after admitting his
infidelities, the listener still is left with a soft spot in their heart for
him, as he sings, “I know I’m losing you, I don’t wanna believe it’s true.” I love the violin Warren Hood adds to the song as well as the electric slide guitar,
provided by Andre Moron. “So Fine”, with sultry vocals by Stephanie Daulong, reminds me a small
bit of Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig
in the Sky”. Interestingly unfolding the
similarities of sex and drugs, this song slowly and beautifully increases the
tempo, building up a musical tension that is released via a furiously chaotic
climax.
“Biddy
Mulligans”, about watching the world through the bottom of a shot glass, seems
to draw inspiration from the works of Charles
Bukowski.There is definitely a
little inspiration from Tom Waits
hanging out in this song as well, sans the gravelly voice. This is beautifully
played, with Taylor on both piano and guitar, Hood on violin, and Hallman
taking on the bass.
I absolutely
love “River”, with its trance-inducing rhythm, fuzzy guitar, and beat poetry
lyrics. Like a Jim Morrison who’s
more interested in being a Londoner, than being the Lizard-king, Taylor keeps
the verses freely flowing.
This
is the first album of Taylor’s I
have heard, and after just a few listens, it landed at the top of my favorites
for the year.Also, knowing he has five
other albums out there to listen to, while I wait for the next one to come out,
puts a smile on my face.Chase the Night is definitely a keeper.
Listening
to the new album, Take Me to the Delta
from Billy Pierce & Friends is
like taking a mini musical vacation to New Orleans.The songs are marinated in a Cajun-style
country blues sauce and served buffet-style, so as to make sure everyone gets a
little of what they have to offer.Along
with Pierce, who handles the vocals and slide guitar, is bassist Chris Miller and drummer Billy Meyers.Joining the band is a multitude of guest
musicians which include the likes of Sonny
Landreth, Charlie Wooton, Waylon Thibodeaux and the guys from Bonerama.
Title
track, “Take Me Back to the Delta” is a bluesy treat.With guests Landreth on slide, Wooton
on bass, and Thibodeaux fiddling
away, you can’t go wrong. This one is just plain fun.I really like the instrumental, “Song For
Sonny”.This is my favorite.It pretty much falls into the category of
trance blues.Guest drummer Johnny Digiovanni, keeps a steady
interesting beat running throughout the song as Pierce plays some bodacious slide guitar. I would love to hear a
full album of more songs like this one.Coming in at number two, is “Rooster”, a song about putting stuff behind
you and letting go.Jimmy Carpenter’s sax playing surely contributes to the cool
factor.While on the subject of cool factors,
check out Wooten’s funky bass track on
“Big Joe”.It goes really well with that
cool swampy slide Pierce lays down.
A
couple of notable covers to mention are Big
Bill Broonzy’s “Key to the Highway”, and Hank Williams Sr.’s “Jambalaya”.Like Heinz ketchup, the Broonzy
cover is ‘Slow Good’.Bonerama provides the horns and Johnny Neel tickles the ivories, giving
this a really nice authentic New Orleans sound.And we all know, no trip to The Big Easy is complete without a big bowl
of the aforementioned Jambalaya.This
bowl is spiced up with help from Thibodeaux,
Digiovanni, and Henry Ramato on accordion.
Take Me Back to the Delta has some really cool musical
components, and fans of both Blues and Zydeco music are encouraged to check
this album out.