Album Review: OH/KY by Jeremy Pinnell

From the first steel guitar strands of OH/KY by JeremyPinnell, you know you’re in for a little slice of classic Country heaven. On the opening track, “The Way Country Sounds”, Jeremy sings, “It sounds like this, it sounds like that, it sounds like heaven when you feel low down. You live the life I live, you would know the way Country sounds.” Or you could just listen to his album.

With a yearning baritone voice with just a hint of rasp, Jeremy pays tribute to classic Country themes like rodeos, loose women and the outlaw life, as evidenced by his songs, “Rodeo,” “Loose Women,” and “Outlaw Life.” His emotionally compelling voice really shines on his lost love ballads, “Sleep Song”, “Them Days and Nights”, “Cold, Cold Wind”, and “Angel of Mine.”

Keeping his songs in the mid to ballad tempo, Jeremy’s vocals and lyrics take center stage. Backed by the moaning, steel guitar driven rhythms of his band, The 55s, Jeremy Pinnell takes you back to a place and time where the bars had wood paneling and sawdust covered floors and your choices were beer or whiskey - only. Yes, it was a simpler time. But there is clarity and power in simplicity, and both are evident here. Hank Williams would be proud.

Album Review: Hillbillies And Holy Rollers by Rockin' Jason D. Williams

Rockabilly is the illegitimate child of Country and Rock and Roll. So it’s only fitting that Rockin’ Jason D. Williams (the illegitimate child of Rockabilly legend Jerry Lee Lewis) should be the one to carry the Rockabilly banner into the 21^st century. Covering Million Dollar Quartet members Elvis and Johnny Cash as well as Johnny Horton and Hank Williams, (among others) “Hillbillies And Holy Rollers" is Williams’ tribute to his musical (and biological) influences. But rather than give a documentary-like faithfulness to the originals, Williams reworks and reinvents the songs to make them uniquely his own.

Opening the album and title track with, “Well, the sun rises early in Memphis…” Williams acknowledges both the city and the studio where it all began. Fittingly, he records this album in the fabled Sun Studios as well. Inheriting his father’s manic piano style, Williams opens the album with some killer piano licks of his own. Singing, “The more things change the more they feel the same. The way we did it in ’55 is how it’s done today,” he proves that when something works, there’s no need to fix it.

The second song, “This Is Rock and Roll,” is even more indebted to his dad, opening with the piano intro from “Whole Lotta’ Shakin’.” With a great driving piano and base line, punctuated by some Chuck Berry style licks on guitar, the chorus shouts, “What is rock and roll?” to which Williams responds, “This is rock and roll.” Although the question was already answered by the driving rhythm.

Williams continues his assault on the ol’ 88s through the rest of the album (the remainder of which are covers.) He breathes new life into Johnny Cash’s “Folsum Prison” (Blues) by changing the syncopation, speeding up the tempo and adding some boogie woogie piano riffs. If you just heard the music without the lyrics, you’d never even know it was the same song.

After slowing down a bit for his heartfelt duet with Sarah Gayle Meech on Hank William’s “You Win Again,” Williams kicks up his heels again on Joe Ely’s “Fingernails;” even outpacing Ely’s frenetic original.

Williams lights up some lesser known nuggets on Johnny Horton’s “Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor” and the Elvis soundtrack song, “Mean Woman Blues.”  If you didn’t know better, you’d swear you were listening to a younger Jerry Lee Lewis blistering through these two rockers.

Williams also dabbles in some jazz themes with “Sweet Georgia Brown” and “House Of Blue Lights.” But since the album is called Hillbillies And Holy Rollers, Williams ends with two old time gospel numbers, “Old Time Religion” and “I’ll Fly Away,” But someone forgot to tell his piano, because it still rocks out even as he sings of “God’s celestial shore.”

If you’re going to cover the best, you’d better bring your “A” game. And that’s what Rockin’ Jason D. Williams brings to this collection. He captures the true spirit of rockabilly’s early days: fast, loose and teetering on the edge of control. Like I said before, when something works, there’s no need to fix it!

Album Review: Most Messed Up by Old 97's

Old 97s put the “Alt” in Alt-Country. Since 1993, Old 97’s have been defining the genre. With nine albums to their credit, they’ve influenced everyone who’s come out of the Austin music scene since. With their tenth album, “Most Messed Up,” they’re sure to recruit even more followers.

In case you didn’t know any of that, they remind you with their opening track, “Longer Than You’ve Been Alive.” While dozens of Nashville stars have come and gone over the past twenty years, Old 97’s brag, “We’ve been doing this longer than you’ve been alive” and even after all those years they add, “I’m only human, but I’m super sometimes”

This album is another one of those “sometimes.” Bringing their signature lo-fi, high energy, “Violent Femmes meets Waylon Jennings” sound, Old 97’s redefines Country the way a sledgehammer redefines drywall.

“Give It Time” cranks things up a gear or two with a scorching guitar intro. Singing, “When I saw you for the first time, I thought I might be sick. That combination of joy and compulsion, and you were the reason for it” you suspect that this might be an uplifting song about needing to give time for relationships to flourish. But in typical Old 97s fashion, it turns cynical as the chorus end with, “Give it time. It will break you.”

“Let’s Get Drunk & Get It On,” opens with some great crunchy guitar work. As you might imagine from the title, it’s their harder-edged take on Jimmy Buffet’s song of a similar name. “This Is The Ballad,” follows. And in case you thought this might be a love song, Old 97’s dispel that notion with the first line: “This is the ballad of drinking rye whiskey and sleeping til two on a warm afternoon.” “Wheels Off” shows off the early 80’s alt-rock guitar influence of bands like The Violent Femmes and Let’s Active (among others.)

The rest of the album showcases their unique musical alchemy. They take Rockabilly, Outlaw Country and Alt-Rock, then mix in a little Bakersfield sound, and top it all off with a healthy dose of punk attitude. (They even manage to throw in some surf rock on “Guadalahara.”) The resulting elixir is an irresistible cocktail (Molotov and otherwise) of classic Alt-Country. This album proves that Old 97s are still among the best at the genre they helped create. To miss this album would be “Most Messed Up!”

Album Review: The Traveler by Old Death Whisper

Sometimes I like to listen to breezy, feel good, party songs, The Traveler by Old Death Whisper is the exact opposite of that. The band has a dark, gritty, yet modern sound like Ralph Stanley singing lead for Zac Brown Band performing at a funeral. The first song, "Storm Rider" hits you with a grim, grinning ghosts chorus of "woaahh, ooah, ooah" before the verses even start. Then the album's lyrics begin with "You got me cussin' like a sailor..." Surely, this is not your typical Country album.
The Taveler, is a smokin' barrel, Outlaw Country, shock to the senses. The lead song "Storm Rider" sets the tone with it's haunting intro and lyrics. Singing, "Well my sails are full of anger, I've got some (gun) powder in my shoe, the band lets you know they've faced their share of raging storms - both without and within.  If you had any question about their attitude after the first song, "Wasteland" removes any shade of doubt. Singing, "I'll take you to the wasteland baby, I'll build you up just to tear you down," Old Death Whisper slings defiance and bad attitude. You get the feeling it's them against the world, and they like their odds. Luckily, they sling their attitude with a side of great, rhythmic music. Filled with uptempo minor chords and songs about guns, jails, and ghosts, The Traveler plays like the theme to a haunted hayride.
When the band does venture (slightly) away from themes of wastelands and stacked bones, they create some nice bluegrass/rockabilly sounds, especially on "Loaded," "Always A Stranger," "South County Blues," and "Pissed." Combining elements of Robert Earl Keen, Shooter Jennings, and Fifth On The Floor, the band plays some serious, hardcore Outlaw Country. With a name like Old Death Whisper, you wouldn't expect anything less.

Album Review: Goin' In Hot by Moot Davis

Moot Davis' new album is Goin' In Hot - literally. His Nashville studio burned to the ground just days after the final mixing was done. Luckily, engineer Joe McMahan was able to salvage the music from his melted and water logged computer. Lucky for us he did because this album smokes - literally!

The leadoff title song grabs you by the ear from the first notes. With a little more rock and roll influence than his first three albums, this song sounds a lot more like The Waco Brothers than Buck Owens - complete with a smokin' guitar solo in the middle. Moot keeps up the pace on "Food Stamps," with some nice steel guitar work to punctuate this rollicking, poor man blues. Moot gets further in touch with his rockin' side on "Midnight Train," "Ragman's Roll," and the Little Feat inspired, "Made For Blood."

But this album isn't all rock riffs and guitar solos. Nearly half the songs are more traditional Country Blues. Which is only fitting, because Moot recorded this collection in the aftermath of a broken long term relationship. In "Used to Call it Love," he sings, "Said she wanted a semiprecious stone set in a band of pure gold... But I soon found out that all she desired I could never come to acquire." Moot grapples with his loss in "Hurtin For Real," and "Wanna Go Back." And surprisingly, he even manages to combine his heartache with his rock and roll energy in "Love Hangover."

They say whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Moot Davis proves that by facing his two trials by fire and coming out stronger than ever. The result is an album that comes in hot and sizzles all the way through!

Album Review: Gone Places by Scott Hrabko

I hate to admit it but I'm a little late to the party with this album. Released in December of 2013, I'm just now catching up with it. But that's probably as it should be. In many ways Scott Hrabko is late for his own party as well. He's been making music and touring the great Midwest for over twenty years, but this is his first album. The time touring and honing his craft has paid off though, because Gone Places is a fantastic Americana "debut."

With a well seasoned baritone voice, these songs pour out of Scott like a vintage, robust, red wine. Starting with the laid back, barrel house sound of "Black Penny," Scott Hrabko tells stories of his travels across America and some of the "gone places" that have faded from the landscape but not from memory. Singing, "pursued by the blues and skeleton crews through the lowlands of my soul," Scott paints a lyrical picture of chasing dreams that never seem to come true.

On "Blue Period," Scott picks up the pace a bit with a Dwight Yokam inspired investigation into his wife's talking in her sleep. He sings, "When you talk in your sleep and keep me awake, the least you can do is enunciate. Your train of thought just passed my stop. Somewhere down the line, honey, you must get off."

"Baby You Know Me" is a straight Country Blues with the great lyric: "I used to be a king bee, a collector of nectar, everywhere I roamed... But somebody's wife is lonesome tonight. I'll make a beeline home." Blake Shelton needs to take notes from this guy.

The instrumental, "How's Your Toe," follows with great jazz inspired guitar work. Then Scott goes back to working his lyrical magic with another barrel house blues number, "Lost As  You." He sings, "I'm scrapping for a dollar and a quarter out on Dead Dog Boulevard. Two left shoes and eleven bar blues on that old gold tooth guitar. It's old man sweat and a cigarette in tears in Tennessee. Singing 'goddamn, I love women, especially when they don't love me."

Scott turns his wit on the naysayers around us in the chooglin' "The Ugly Ever After:" "They've been talkin' 'bout the end of the world since the beginning of time. But it's only real in the ugly ever after in you mind."

Scott's wit and insight shine through in every song on this collection. He brings a perspective that can only come from a lifetime of (sometimes painful) observation. His lyrical sketches are effortlessly 'matter-of-fact,' yet so poetic in their phrasing. Just to give one more example from "The Woman Upstairs:" "She was chaste as a racetrack rabbit. I was holy as a hobo's shoe. We were broke as the Ten Commandments. There was nothing much else to do." Can you imagine a more poetic way to say "we were poor?"

But luckily Scott's talent goes beyond his words. The music on the album is every bit as expressive as the lyrics. Ranging from Jazz to Blues to Rockabilly to Texas Swing, Gone Places virtually defines the subgenre of Americana that has come to be known as "Porch Music." You put this album on, grab a pitcher of your favorite beverage and sit back on you porch and let the world go by - and maybe even daydream about the gone places in your own memories.



  


  

 
 

 

  

 

Album Review: Remember This by Nudie

Remember This is the new album by Canada's Nudie. The name is an homage to Nashville's legendary outfitter Nudie Cohn (I will warn you in advance, any Google search for this album may result in embarrassment, consternation or titillation - depending on your world view. Please proceed with caution!) The music is also an homage to the Country musical greats who came before.

With a relaxed vocal style somewhere between Corb Lund and Marty Stuart, Nudie brings the twelve songs on this album to life with a "matter of fact" storytelling cadence. And his sharp wit shines fresh light on many familiar topics. In the lead track, "If a Heart Could Tell," for instance, Nudie ponders what relationships would be like if hearts could tell the truth from a lie and avert heartbreaks before they happened. But he realizes that "if we merely played it safe, we could tell it what to do. Then a heart would be a stone. There'd be no more me and you. Guess it's lucky for me that a heart can't tell." The sparse musical arrangement of this song rides on just an undulating guitar riff and a steady drum back beat. The song has a cool groove that plays like a syncopated heartbeat which permeates the rest of the album.

The next song, "Sex Kisses," opens up with some great jangling guitar work. (Once again I must caution you that talking about Nudie Sex Kisses could get you locked up in several states - but it might just be worth it!) Again, Nudie finds a creative way to say that his woman is upset that the relationship is more physical than emotional, but of course, sex kisses is a much cooler way to tell the story.

The title song, "Remember This," is a classic troubadour style ballad that really brings out his Marty Stuart influences. "My Sweet Ache" follows with a surprising "Gloria" (the Van Morrison/Them version) inspired riff that adds a nice musical texture, complete with some nice organ playing. On its heels, Nudie goes full Country roadhouse with "You Try To Be Right." Again, Nudie takes the common theme of cheating and turns it on its head, saying in essence, "You try to be right with your actions and I'll try to be wrong with my accusations."

Nudie's impeccable sense of rhythm and unique style of storytelling continue throughout the rest of the album. From the Bakersfield inspired "Walking the Streets" to the blistering "The Pain In You" and beyond, Nudie constantly delights and surprises the ear and the mind. "Remember This" is truly a memorable album.

Album Review: Any Day Now by The Far West

The Far West has just released the eagerly awaited follow up to their critically acclaimed, self titled debut. The new album, Any Day Now, is well worth the wait and should easily be an early contender for Americana album of the year. Led by Lee Briante's haunting, haggard, and heartfelt vocals, The Far West lays down a baker's dozen of modern Americana classics. Continuing the trend from their first album, the band plays songs about heartaches and hard times: straight, with no chaser. With songs like, "Walk Light On This Poor Heart," "These Arms Will Be Empty," and "She's Gonna Leave Him Too," you know you're not going to find many happy endings here. Even songs like, "Bright Side" and "Oh, Love" are deceptively titled as Lee sings, "I just can't see the bright side anymore," and "Oh love, I'm giving up on you."
But taking a cue from Johnny Cash, The Far West add a little rhythm to their blues on this album. With nearly half the songs played in mid to uptempo, the songs don't bog down in despair. Instead, they give the impression of someone who has overcome the pains of their past, and can pause to reflect on them even as they're moving forward. In "Words From A Letter," for instance, they sing "I'm sorry I'm asking your forgiveness. You were right and I was wrong all along." But despite the sadness implied by the lyrics, the song is played Western Swing style. And in the end we find that the apology and the plea for forgiveness are all just "words from a letter I'll never send." Again, in "Oh, Love!" they sing "love is like a deal that just went bad." even as they play barrel house piano and sing backup vocal harmonies to soften the sting of love's poison arrows. The song "Leonard" tells the story of a hard luck hustler following his dreams. With a Squirrel Nut Zipper "jazz-grass" sound, they make lyrics like "Have you ever felt like you just can't win? Someone calls your bluff when your chips are all in," sound downright cheery.
And it's that musical diversity that makes this band and this album stand out. Americana is largely a lyric dominated musical form. It is the poetry more than the passion. But too many current Americana artists end up sounding the same, song after song. They get so caught up finding the perfect rhyme for "malaise" that they forget to vary their chords or tempos. But not The Far West. From the chooglin' freight train rhythm of the opening track, "On The Road" to the "Dylan meets R.E.M" sound of "Wichita," The Far West keep surprising the ear with new rhythms and musical arrangements. Each song is new, fresh and memorable (Take a listen to the otherworldly percussion arrangement on "Forged In Iron" if you need more proof.) And of course, the rock steady rhythm section and expert guitar work are capped off by Lee Briante's distinctive vocals. (For my money, the best Americana vocalist this side of John Howie of Two Dollar Pistols.) Lee's voice is especially showcased in the sparse lament, "Post and Beam."
With masterful songwriting, musicianship, and vocals, Any Day Now is an album I'll be listening to for many days now.

Best of 2013

BEST OF 2013

 

 

With 2013 winding down, it's time to take a look back on some of our favorite albums of the past year. For your consideration, here are our picks for Best Albums of 2013:

 

Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash: New Old Story

     Makes you feel like you're in the coolest roadhouse on Route 66

 

The Carper Family: Old Fashion Gal

     Authentic old school Country without feeling dated

 

Casey Donahew Band: Standoff

     Good ole Texas alt-Country attitude

 

Connor Christian & Southern Gothic: New Hometown

     Toby Keith meets Sister Hazel; catchy, hook-laden modern Country

 

The Deadfields: Often Wrong, Never In Doubt

     Infectious and uptempo, drives the blues away like a spring breeze

 

Delbert McClinton and Glen Clark: Blind, Cirppled and Crazy

     Brilliant, bluesy and better with age

 

Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell: Old Yellow Moon

    Two gifted songwriters give us a gift with this collaboration

 

Florida Georgia Line: Here's To The Good Times

    Polished, Nashville-approved, modern Country to jump start any party

 

Holly Renee Allen: Big Love

    Beautiful, poetic and poignant songs delivered with a big voice

 

Jeremy Calley: Nearly Nowhere

    Despite his Texas roots, he could be Nashville's next star

 

J.R. Shore: State Theatre

     Everything that's right with Americana; brilliant storytelling, singing, and arrangements

 

Kacey Musgraves: Same Trailer Different Park

    An amazing songbird voice delivering witty stories; another rising star

 

Ryan Racine and Gas for Less: Low Life (Vol 1&2)

    Bakersfield Country Blues that makes even the bad times feel good

 

So there's our 13 for '13. Do yourself a favor and give a listen or two to these great artists and ring out 2013 with a bang!

Happy New Year everyone, we'll see you in 2014 after a much needed winter's nap.

 

 

Album Review: New Old Story by Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash

New Old Story by Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash is a story you don't want to miss. As the title implies it's a beautiful melding of old school Country (with lots of Bakersfield tendencies) and modern Americana arrangements. The brainchild of lead singer and songwriter Mark Stuart, The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash may be a bit of a misnomer as Mark's voice sounds more like Merle Haggard than the man in black, and also because these guys are definitely legitimate.

The set kicks off with the rollicking road song, "Highway Bound." With melodic guitar and touches of steel, they sing, "It's a beautiful sound where the road meets the rubber, the wheels turn round. Don't try to stop me, I can't slow down. I'm a wild one baby, I'm highway bound." Like a cross between early Steve Earle and Dwight Yokam the song is an open invitation to jump onboard for a roadtrip through some beautiful Americana musical landscape.

The other uptempo numbers on this album: "No Honky Tonks," "Leave a Light On," "Into the Blue," and the title song, "New Old Story," make you feel like you just walked into the coolest roadside honky tonk on Route 66. "No Honky Tonks" especially captures the spirit of a Texas ice house on a Saturday night so well you can almost picture ol' Hag sitting in with the band.

And when Mark and the Bastard Sons turn their talents to ballads the effect is just as authentic. Mark's leathery voice is perfectly suited for crying the blues to the strains of some well placed fiddle and slide guitar. "Well Worn Heart," is a great example. Mark sings, "I've got a well worn heart and a restless soul. I gave my life to the open road. But there's still a few good miles on this well worn heart." And if his heart is well worn, his voice is equally well honed to moan the blues.

Other highlights are the anthemic, "Poor Man's Son," and the flamenco flavored "El Troubador." The mood and tone of these two songs help add an extra layer of texture to an already masterful collection of tunes. With so many versions of the same old story on the radio these days, it's refreshing to come across a New Old Story. Thanks to The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash, this is one story I'll be listening to over and over again.