Album Review: Memories And Moments by Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott

On their new CD, Memories And Monents, Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott are taking Country music where it’s always been before. With two voices, two stringed instruments, and nothing else, these two songmasters distill the essence of Country music. Visualize a corner store in a small Appalachian town on a Friday night in a time before TV. Picture a crowd of townspeople gathered around two bearded troubadours on the porch of the store as they begin to play. Now imagine the songs of love and loss, hopes and dreams, quilts and plows, coal mines and churches being played back to the people whose lives inspired them. That is what Memories And Moments sounds like.

Although O’Brien and Scott alternated songwriting duties, the songs and voices flow together as if from a common experience. With heavy bluegrass influences, the lyrics and music take you back to a simpler, but perhaps more profound time. On the lead track, “Time To Talk To Joseph”, they sing, “There’s too many trails to follow, and it seems the only way is to dive into the darkness that leaves me in the day. But don’t you worry ‘bout me darlin’ I’m coming back again. My spirit will be stronger from a power deep within.” Clearly they’re seeking a level of feeling and understanding that runs deeper than today’s reality TV culture. Like their music, their lyrics distill simple, yet profound truths. In “It All Comes Down To Love,” they note that “the thing about a broken heart - the remedy’s the same as the breakin’.  Tell us all what we already know: It all comes down to love.” Simple but true.

And so the album plays on, each song conjuring up another image from our collective past. Like a pair of Bob Dylans in coveralls, they evoke a mood that transcends the notes and words on the page. As they sing in “Fiddler Jones,” “The earth gives us music. It’s there in your heart. If you’re lucky you feel it coming in from the start. You hear it, it hears you. You trust and obey. Wherever it leads you, you won’t go astray.” And in this quest to revisit the roots of Country music, Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott definitely do not go astray.

Album Review: Possumdiva by Heather Luttrell

There are many divas in the world of pop music, maybe even too many. But there is only one Possumdiva, and that’s Heather Luttrell. While the divas smile for the camera and wait for someone else to write their next hit song, Heather Luttrell is busy writing her own lyrics, arranging the music, playing guitar and bringing it all to life with a killer southern fried voice (and did I mention she also designs the album covers!) All of Heather’s talents are on full display on her latest album, Possumdiva. Backed by her sparse, but talented Possum Den band, Heather creates a sonic American Southern Gothic. Dancing a little on the dark side, Heather is not afraid to do things her way; but unlike other “outlaw” acts, she’s not afraid to admit that she might be wrong in doing it. Maybe that’s why she bills her music as “Outlaw Americana for the Thinking Drunk.”

She brings her drinking and thinking to the forefront on the album’s first song, “Road Home to Hell.”  Like the old Drivin’ N Cryin’ song, “I’m Going Straight to Hell,” Heather gives up on trying to please her mama and decides to live life on her terms no matter what the outcome. She sings, “you can lead this horse to water, it don’t mean it’s still not wild,” That “don’t give a damn” attitude plays throughout the entire album, but her voice and lyrics are so compelling you just can’t stop listening, even if it might be you that she’s telling off. She swaggers unrepentantly through songs like “Perfect Day,” (“Then the sidewalk punched my face when I got back to my place. And somehow my drinking still ainʼt done.”) “More Fun To Sin,” and “He’ll Do Till He Quits Doin.”

Her voice brims with confidence showing influences from Bonnie Raitt, Patty Griffin, Marcia Ball and even a touch of Aretha Franklin, whom she does justice to with her cover of Dr. Feelgood. There are also a few moments of tenderness here. “Broken Covnersation” and “What is Wanting” are both touching love songs. But with Heather being Heather, these love songs do not have happy endings. Perhaps the most intense moment of the album is the song “Redemption.” Like a gospel song for the damned, “Redemption” tells a burning bed type story of a woman pushed too far; and now “Hell’s coming home in a gingham dress.” Unwilling to play dead, this Possum Diva stands and fights by her own rules. I could go on all day about this album, but as Heather rightly sings on the album’s last song, “Well Done Is Better Than Well Said,” so go listen for yourself and you’ll see how well done this album really is!

Album Review: Old Fashion Gal by The Carper Family

Believe it or not, there was a time when Country artists didn't feel the need to open their live shows with a Guns 'n Roses cover. They didn't feel the need to try to be a rock star or a movie star or a reality TV star. They were comfortable to just be themselves and to let their music do the talking. The Carper Family is a nice reminder that there are still a few Country artists who care more about the music than the image.

Their first album, 2011's Back When received tons of critical praise and I'm happy to say they pick up right where they left off with this year's Old Fashion Gal. With beautiful three part harmonies and an abundance of fiddle and mandolin, The Carper Family continues to deliver vibrant Country music that sounds authentic, but not dated. "Box Car Blues" is a fun footstomper that rates with the best of the Dixie Chicks in their prime. "Bad Attitude" is a sassy Texas swing that packs as much attitude as any of today's "outlaws." With tongue in cheek, they sing, "When I pack a bag, I've gotta pack two: one for me and one for my bad attitude."

Of course there's also great stories of love, loss and lament like "Precious Jewel," "Foolish Ramblin' Man," "Dollar Bill," and "I've Tried;" all of which combine Emmylou Harris - depth lyrics with Pistol Annies harmonies. In "Dollar Bill" for example they lament, "I'm outside on the road so far from home wishin I could be there again. But your love disappeared, strangled by fear and a broken heart you couldn't mend. The Carpers even add a few slow burning jazz songs in "Gotta Have My Baby Back," and "Ooh Baby."

But for me the theme of the album (and perhaps the era) crystallizes in the song, "City Folks." Singing, "Honeysuckle smells just like sweet perfume, hound dogs lying over by the door, watermelon rind mama puts up in a jar - and city folks call us poor." Taking joy in life's simple pleasures, The Carper Family reminds us that we don't need big city advertisers or executives to tell us what's important. Family, good friends and good music are about all any of us really need to be truly happy. And these old fashion gals deliver all three!

Album Review: Dos Divas by Lorrie Morgan & Pam Tillis

Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan (aka Grits & Glamour) have teamed up for a Thelma & Louise style musical road trip entitled Dos Divas. Although the album begins with the reflective "I Am Woman," which is a litany of the different personas a woman takes on as she faces life's challenges (and a song I felt might be better served at the end of the album as a sort of coda to the adventures described in the other 13 songs;) it soon cranks into high gear with the raucous drinking song, "I Know What You Did Last Night." Trading vocals as they trade accusations, Pam & Lorrie sing "I know what you did, I was there when you did it. No matter what you do you're never gonna live it down." In the end, they realize they can't really accuse each other without incriminating themselves. From there the Divas take their party South of the Border for a little Latina spice on the title track, "one was as hot as a jalapeno, one was as sweet as sweet sopapilla." Then it's a little Texas two step up the road to "I'm Tired," a song that recalls Country's Lone Star roots (complete with fiddle and steel guitar,) and one of the musical stand outs on the album.
They then take a moment to reflect on the modern Country ballad "Last Night's Makeup," with Lorrie singing, "If I could wash you off like last night's makeup, looking in the mirror wouldn't be so hard." While Lorrie looks back, Pam looks forward in the bluesy "Ain't Enough Roses." This is a fun, uptempo piano and harmonica driven song that lets someone know in no uncertain terms that they've messed up one time too many and they've been officially kicked to the curb no matter what peace offering they bring. But our heroines are able to move past their emotional road bumps as the next two songs capture a snapshot of love in harmony.  Lorrie's "Another Chance to" and Pam's "Even the Stars" are touching, romantic ballads perfect for slow dancing under the summer stars. From there, it's back to walking on the wild side as Lorrie sings "That's So Cool," a tale of a post-divorce reunion with an old high school flame - complete with a morning after Waffle House visit for old time's sake. From there Pam takes a trip to Cougar Town for "Old Enough to Be Your Lover." Pam roars into town with motor revving and hormones blazing, singing, "Boy you're barely a man, then again I'm hardly a girl." With a funky, driving beat and lots of clever word play, this is the most deliciously decadent song on the album.
After a cold shower, the girls come back with the more somber "Next Time It Rains" by Lorrie and "I Envy the Sun" by Pam. Both are lyrically moving songs about yearning for what you once had. But as the CD winds down, the Divas crank it back up as if they're driving down the home stretch, eager to reach their destination. "Bless Their Hearts" is a soulful social commentary on those who think they can "say anything they want as long as they say it nice." After it's all said and done Lorrie and Pam take a look back on their musical (and lifetime) journey with the song, "What Was I Thinkin'." Realizing that it's easier to laugh at your mistakes in 3/4 time, they recall the romantic and fashion missteps of their past against a Texas road house backbeat. Luckily for us, whatever mistakes these two may have made were not made in the creation of this fine album. With witty lyrics and beautiful vocals, Pam and Lorrie prove they're still Divas.

Album (sort of) Review: Low Life vol 1 &2 by Ryan Racine & Gas for Less

Dwight Yokam has a new disciple! Ryan Racine and Gas for Less carry the torch of the Bakersfield sound to a new generation of Country fans. Based (oddly enough) out of Detroit, Ryan Racine & Gas for Less deliver a beautiful blend of Country and Rockabilly that's never in fashion, yet never out of style. Featuring an abundance of jangling guitars with touches of fiddle, slide guitar, (and some beautiful Hammond organ on Sad Songs) Ryan and company follow the musical template laid down by Buck Owens, Merle Haggard and Dwight Yokam. And lyrically, Ryan spins new tales of heartache and loss that play counterpoint to the band's catchy riffs and rhythms. With lyrics like, "I'll be living the low life, I've got nothing to live up to when you're gone." (Low Life) "I've had more abuse than I can blame myself on" (The Last Time I'm Gone) and "Now I walk out knowing I'm ahead of the game. Darling even the best times ain't worth the pain" (Best Times); Ryan and friends might even be able to teach Dwight a few new ways to be cruel.
Although Low Life vol 1 & 2 are technically two separate EPs, they are available only in mp3 format and when played back to back merge seamlessly as one solid, cohesive album. From the opening jangle of Low Life to the final chord of Mama Tried, the eleven songs on these EPs plumb the lows and lowers of whiskey soaked dysfunctional love. But with music this catchy, even the lows feel pretty darn good, in fact the whole set is a gas!

Album Review: Ashes & Angels by Fifth on the Floor

For anyone who's ever wanted to make their own Outlaw Country album, check out Ashes & Angels by Fifth on the Floor. This is Outlaw Country 101. First they make sure to include a few drinking songs (the full tilt "Whiskey" and the bluesy "Wine.") Second, they add the obligatory smackdown to Nashville in "Burnin' Nashville Down." Third, they sprinkle in some rock and roll guitar (especially on "Wild Child" and "The Last Opry." Fourth, they enlist the help of a certified Country outlaw (Shooter Jennings produced this album.) Finally (and not coincidentally, fifth) they sing, write and play with Attitude!
Now that you know the 5 steps to making Outlaw Country, the only step left is to try to live up to the standard set on Ashes & Angels. From the opening drum and fiddle of "Whiskey" to the closing fuzz guitar of "One Big Holiday," Fifth on the Floor is good to the last drop. Their uptempo tunes ("Whiskey," "January in Louisiana," "Burnin' Nashville Down," and "Wild Child") smoke and swagger and make it impossible to not move your feet. Even when the tone it down (especially on "Wine" and the existential "What For") they still capture your attention with their thoughtful lyrics and earnest voices. For me, however, the standout song is "Angels in the Snow." It's their most straight up Country song, complete with steel guitar. It's a nice break from the cynicism and nihilism that by definition infuse the rest of this Outlaw Country album. It's a yearning look back and remembrance of a happier time. It's also an indictment of the limitations of the Outlaw lifestyle; as it points out that when it's all said and done and you look back on life's conquests and adventures, the only moments that truly matter are the ones touched by love.

The Good News from the Indie Bible

The folks over at The Indie Bible contacted us recently and asked if we would take some time to look at their resource guides for independent artists and share our thoughts. After thumbing through the four guides in their collection, all I can say is, Wow! I wish we would have known about this before we released our first album! The four guides (Indie Bible, Indie Bible Online, Venue Guide [divided into six geographical regions] and Media Guide) give valuable and detailed, genre specific contacts to help promote your band and music. The Indie Bible features sixteen sections from "Music Reviewers" to "Radio Stations That Play Independent Music" to "Online Music Vendors" and more. Each section is divided by genre so you can quickly locate the specific leads you need. Each listing features at least a current website address and most also include a current email address and contact.
The Indie Bible Online offers the same features with a searchable database and features automatic updates throughout the year. The Venue Guide is an incredible resource if your band is starting to branch out beyond your hometown. If you're booking gigs out of town or out of state, you can easily find bars, clubs, coffeehouses, theatres, etc. that book your style of music, making it easier to fund your road trip with more paying gigs. The Media Guide lists magazines, radio stations, professional and nonprofit organizations, etc. broken down by state (and Canada too.) In addition, the Indie Bible also features 66 topic specific articles to guide you through the process of approaching and submitting to their resources. The only shortcoming we can think of for this series is that they don't have any listings for awards and contests, but we'll share that feedback with them!
The Indie Bible promotes itself as a great monetary value for bands (they're currently offering their entire bundle of resources for $60,) but the thing we like best about this service is its value in TIME. To be honest, most of the contacts in these four resources can be found for free online or in area phone directories. However, the time it takes to weed through hundreds of sites to get one good lead is absurd. Once you find a good site, it can still take you ten to fifteen minutes just to find the contact information for it. To give a personal example, we spent weeks trying to find 20 solid leads for possible review sites for our album. In less than two minutes we were able to find 37 leads using the Indie Bible. If you'd rather spend your time making music than searching for ways to promote it, we wholeheartedly recommend Indie Bible.

Album Review: Big Love by Holly Renee Allen

Holly Renee Allen sings with a voice that’s older than her years. Lifetimes older. How else can you explain the emotion, texture, and soul that pour out of her petite frame? She used that incredible voice to garner tons of praise for her debut album Red Dirt Soul. She follows that success with her new album, Big Love. As the name implies, Holly focuses her attention on affairs of the heart. She explores the love of a woman for a man, the love of a mother for her child, the love of God for all God’s children, and even the love of a woman for her guitar. In a relaxed, “unplugged” session, Holly’s voice and lyrics take center stage on this album.
On the opener, “Back Home,” Holly sings a fond remembrance of her parents and the love that inspires good people to work themselves beyond the point of exhaustion just to build a better life for their children. She follows up with the album’s theme song, “Big Love.” Sharing intimate glimpses into the lives of two broken souls (as if she’s lived them both) Holly reminds us that even broken hearts can be mended if you surrender to BIG LOVE. Holly’s is the voice of experience that keeps telling us that there is a love that transcends romance. Singing, “Even on the verge of madness spinning out of control, when you get lost in life and run out of hope; you’re gonna find your healing in BIG LOVE.”
Holly explores the transcendent power of love on some of the albums other cuts like “Bigger Than Both of Us,” “Faith,” “Love is the Healer,” and the touching, “Pop Bottle Arney.” Showing her understanding of the depth and complexity of love, she tells the story of a mentally challenged child abandoned by his father. Teased by lesser hearts, Arney still finds his redemption in the power of his mother’s love: “Now the folks around here say he ain’t got no sense. I reckon everyone’s had a laugh at Arney’s expense. Just the other day at Gray’s grocery store, somebody asked Arney, ‘what’s the biggest word you know?’ Arney stammered and stuttered and broke out with a smile, and he said ‘LOVE stretches here on up to Heaven’s eyes’.”
Holly’s lyrical depth combined with her intimate, honest vocals resonate more like hymns than mere songs. Each song is a prayer and a meditation that washes over you like a musical baptism. These hymns to love remind me of the times in my own life when I was touched by BIG LOVE: when I felt the kindness of a stranger or when I was lifted from despair by the actions of a friend. And like those moments, BIG LOVE inspires me to be more loving in my own actions. I know that’s not a typical reaction to an album, but this is not a typical album. This album needs to be felt as much as listened to, and you’ll feel better for having listened.

 

 

Introducing Jesse Brewster

Meet Jesse Brewster. He has a cool new concept, called "March of Tracks," which he is using for the release of his new album. He is releasing one new song each month for twelve months leading up to his album debut. The best part is that he's sharing the songs for free for a limited time!
This month's single is World Closing In. It's a story of hopes and dreams crashing down ("If it's lonely at the top, there's no doubt it's lonelier at the bottom looking up.") But luckily for Jesse, he's found a love to help support him when his world comes closing in. Musically, Jesse drives the song on his acoustic guitar, but there are flashes of world rhythms and what I can only classify as "gypsy stings." The overall effect is a song that's comforting and exotic at the same time. Check it out and keep checking back as Jesse reveals his next songs!

Review: Standoff by Casey Donahew Band

Casey Donahew Band's new album, Standoff, is a musical stand-out. Like Reckless Kelly, and fellow Texans Mickey & The Motorcars and Pat Green, Casey Donahew is not afraid to punctuate his down home storytelling with a little loud and proud electric guitar. After all, you don't put "10 Years of Ass Kickin' Country Music" on your official band t-shirts unless you're willing to back it up in your music. The set begins with thunderous, crunchy guitar licks on "Lovin Out of Control." Later, "Small Town Love" picks up where the band's critically acclaimed Double Wide Dream left off, both musically and lyrically. Reminding those who dream of big city lights that, ''What you want ain't always what you need." Casey points out the many joys of small town living. On "Whiskey Baby" Casey compares his love to another kind of Southern comfort. Singing, "My heart is just like a shot glass - empty and alone; only as good as the spirit in it, uselss on its own" Casey distills his love for his woman into 3 and half minutes of 100 proof rockin' Country. He keeps the tempo up on "Loser" and "Go to Hell." These two songs rock out with attitude and humor. In "Loser" Casey sings, "It's better to lose on love than love a loser like me." Apparently someone didn't get the message, because in "Go to Hell" he tells the story of the bitterest of breakups. Where most Country singers drown their breakups in alcohol, Casey drowns his in alcohol and then sets it on fire! While drinking his ex of his mind he sings, "When I wake up in the mornin', I'm sure I'll be in jail. And I'll be using my one phone call to remind you to go to hell."
But not everything on the album is amps and attitude. "Not Ready To Say Goodnight" is a sweet ronantic song about not wanting a date to end. "Homecoming Queen" is a look into the faded dreams and beauty of a former high school beauty queen. In trying to figure out what could've caused her fall from grace Casey sings, "When I see her now I just wonder why. I guess when things come easy you don't have to try." Casey digs even deeper into social issues on "Put The Bottle Down," which is an unflinching portrait of the ravages of alcoholism: "Too young to know this pain, but there's nowhere to hide. I probably could have run, but I stayed by my Momma's side." Casey sings of the scars and continued chain of pain caused by drinking "the devil's blood."
Behind Casey's great voice and lyrics, the band impresses throughout. With tight guitar and fiddle work and a driving rhythm section, the band, like the album itself, hits all the right notes.