Peter Lang
dharma blues 2001 ( horus records HM103-42)
 guitar 2003 (horus records HM103-62 )


Peter Lang was originally signed and recorded in 1972 by John Fahey's Takoma Records. His first release, The Thing At The Nursery Room Window, established his credentials as a guitarist of singular take and talent. Along with label mates Robbie Basho, Leo Kottke, Bola Sete and Fahey himself, Lang helped segue between traditional acoustic music and something new. The Billboard charting compilation album he did with Fahey and Kottke in 1974 quickly became a cult item as well as the label's biggest seller. It was the high water mark in a wave of new Americana. But tastes change, people change, the world moves on. By the late 70's pop culture passed the fail-safe point in a journey from the aggressive idealism of the 60's to the dark and listless cynicism of right now. Dharma Blues, the title cut from Lang's 2002 release (his first since 1978) perfectly measures that distance. It also suggests a little ongoing ontological reflection.

In 1981 Lang put down his guitar and headed off into design and animation work. Given the fortunes of acoustic guitarists in the 80's, not a bad call. But twenty years on what he helped start is deeply embedded in the contemporary musical landscape. Some critics see the resurgence of acoustic music as an antidote to the over-produced and content-challenged world of most pop. Others as a natural outgrowth of the fractal universe contemporary music has become. What is certain is that Lang has always had a vision that drew from other sources. And although he is certainly not the only artist to resume a musical career as if he'd just stepped out for a cup of coffee, he is one of the most interesting.

If there's a reason why his compositional sensibility seems to only have deepened it's probably the same reason that ageing makes great wines out of good. His new CD, plainly titled, Guitar offers a more relaxed mastery than his previous work. The familiar transparency of technique is still there but subtler, less flamboyant. On cuts like "John Hurt in the 21st Century" and "Daylight Is Darkness" it's not technique but feeling that draws the listener in. Then there's "I Should Have Known" which brings to mind both the Allman Brother's 'Little Martha' and the guitar stylings of Joseph Spence without pandering to either. And the brand-new-day vibe of "Come Along Joe" testifies that Lang's well-developed sense of whimsy is still intact. The energy of Dharma Blues on the other hand, is closer to Lang's early Takoma recordings. The opener, "Thicker Than Wicker" takes you right back to where he left off in the 70's. And from there on you just sit back and enjoy riding with somebody who knows where they're going. What made Fahey, Lang & Co special was their originality not the jaw-dropping technical proficiency that too often got most of the attention. Nowadays people of insufficient age to get a drivers license own more technique than most anybody in the music pantheon. But to paraphrase BB King, would your momma know it was you if she heard you playing on the radio?

In the liner notes for Dharma Blues Lang pleads "the hands of an ageing guitarist" and avers that his youth is gone. But nobody who listens to his playing will believe a word of it. These are both masterful CDs from a true original that satisfy a need hard to name but universally felt. Maybe the best explanation for the return of Peter Lang is his statement that "dogs howl, people play music. When the moon is full, I howl." If he plays because he can't not play, so much the better. Let's hope he's regularly bathed in moon glow and that the howling continues for a good while to come.

james mcSweeney

Peter Lang discography
Thing At The Nursery Room Window, Takoma, 1972
Fahey, Lang, Kottke, Takoma, 1974
Lycurgus, Flying Fish, 1976
Prime Cuts, Waterhouse, 1977
Back To The wall, Waterhouse, 1978


http://www.folkrocks.com/PeterLang.html
 





Doug Hoekstra
waiting (paste U.S. / fundamental U.K.)


Much has been written about this fine singer-songwriter and I must say all of the praise is richly deserved. This is Doug's' 5th solo album and although the other four are excellent in their own right, this is the pick of the bunch by far. Those familiar with Doug's work will embrace this album with open arms and those hearing him for the first time will, I'm sure, be converted very quickly.

Originally from Chicago Doug now lives in Nashville where this disc was recorded and produced in his own studio with Doug providing all instruments, loops and samples ably assisted by Amelia White on backing vocals. Taking all these aspects into consideration and, at the time of recording awaiting the birth of his first child, you soon sense that this recording was a real labour of love.
With a voice that is almost on the verge of a whisper at times Doug draws the listener into his music and you soon find yourself transported to a different place a world where beautifully crafted songs and a real love of the written word are kings. There is almost a mesmeric quality to his work that makes you sit up and take notice of what he is singing, a real gift indeed.

As for the album itself it's a twelve track melting pot of finely structured songs all with a different slant or take on life done in Doug's own inimitable way. The opening track, Blow Beautiful Dreams, well, I can almost picture Doug singing this to his son Jude, with its lullaby style chorus. Sunday Blues is a real father and son song that we can all relate to as parents and there cant be many songs with the word 'utensil' in them!
There is a darker side to the record as demonstrated in Theresa a song about the terrible trade of selling babies born on the street to rich couples .This is a thought provoking number that brings home the fragility of youth and the awful corruption of our 'civilized' society.

Favourites for me are Driftin' which has a really catchy chorus that grabs you into the song and makes you listen to its dream like message, almost making time stand still while you ruminate about its meaning. Night time Rain is a reflective song essentially about looking back on life ,its losses and gains ,conjuring up images of the past ,could things have been different, well we've all been there.

I could write pages and pages about the merits of each song but then that would probably take you longer to read than just listening to the record! Suffice to say this is a mighty piece of work indeed, an album to be cherished and past on to your kids. You never know they might actually learn something from it
The real beauty for me is the fact that I picked up something new every time I listened to it. The use of language is excellent and the way he creates images for us is just amazing. Every home should have at least one Hoekstra album and you won't find a better starting point than this one.

I'll leave you with one final quote from Dark Side of a Pearl 'Quiet walks the street outside………. In there heart, they let it pass. In their heart, the world is cast. Into the dark side of a pearl. Need I say any more? Go check it out.

david tonberg
www.doughoekstra.com
 





BR 549
tangled in the pines (dualtone)

They Done Done It Agin' When ordinary folks ask me who my favourite band is I say BR549 "Who? What about U2, The Stones, Zeppelin, Queen, Vanity Fare or even the Mavericks they ask. Goes to show the circle of people I associate with down here in sunny Sheerness On Sea. For the uninitiated BR are just about the busiest and most entertaining road Band on the Planet. I have caught them twice and am looking forward to July 6th Roots club Maidstone making it my "Hat Trick". "Tangled In The Pines" is just more of what they already have done. No innovation or fancy productions here. If anything "Tangled In The Pines" is even rawer than "Big Backyard Beat Show". Since Backyard two members have been replaced. Seemingly the youngsters from the backwoods of Arkansas couldn't "hack" the intense schedule. "Wimps" We got Chris Scruggs of the Buddy Holly glasses and no nonsense white Telecaster on Guitar and vocals. Alas mainly harmony vocals on this "un. Geoff Firebaugh replaces young Jay McDowell on doghouse stand up Bass, Chris is credited as co-writer on some of the tracks as is Raol Malo on track one incidentally. But only one lead Vocal, "No Friend Of Mine". This album is definitely Chuck Meads' baby and none the worse for it. CONTENT. Damn fine Honey Tonk songs and every one an original. Not a Buck Owens cover, as in previous records in sight, although the influence does shine through. As does Merle Haggard (check out the guitar break on "I'm Alright For The Shape I'm In"). Lonesome Fugitive me thinks! Some great quirky lyrics here and there... Gonna use a hammer in an Alabama slammer ... Pure Shakespeare. A great album marred by one small but significant fault. The snare drum sound on Aint Got Time, No Friend Of Mine and Way Too Late. Rock a Billy Tunes . but the "WRONG SNARE SOUND". Quack, Quack, Quack !!! But now I am getting technical and there is no need. If you are not a drummer that is. Trails

mark dean ellen

http://www.dualtone.com/
 





Hot Club of Cowtown
continental stomp (hightone)


If ever their was an act that does exactly what its says it should do in the name then TCCT are it, IE if by any luck you were to find yourself in Cowtown on a Saturday night and were looking for a Hot Club, then these would be the act you would want to be on the band stand.

Three talented people and a shared vision ElANAS FREMERMAN Lead Vocal WHIT SMITH Guitar Lead Vocal JAKE ERWIN Sting Bass and vocal. This is a timely release for UK audiences with them about to return for what will doubtless be the most successful tour to date. Recently they have whipped up a frenzied of praise and lassoed a posse of fans and friends where ever the trail takes them, and now they seem set to capitalise on what must be a withering recent touring schedule, in massive "Big Balls in Cowtown" sort of a way.

They have I suppose forged their reputation as a stunning live band, so a live album can only be a good idea, and will go down well with the confirmed fans. Though if you are like me, not a lover of live releases, you'll come to it reluctantly, most live albums I have are seldom played more than once or twice after the show they were bought at (usually in a forlong effort to keep the magic alive and take it home in a box) and only ever returned to subsequently if you've lent out your studio albums and need to fill the craving somehow else. However occasionally these recording will catch a band in its natural environment infront of its very best crowd, at the height of its game and with a producer (Lloyd Maines on this occasion) at the controls that knows the sound and what the band want. This is I'm pleased to say one of these recordings.

Recorded at the famous Continental Club Austin Texas a venue that can boast staging supper shows with the likes of Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller in the forties, staging burlesque in the sixties, and once more refurbished back to is former glory, now inspires and benefits in many way from Austin's Acoustic music boom of the Nineties and naughties. What better place for the City's leading retro rangers to recreate this swath of jazz and roots in a swirl of swing and zing. Like the giants who preceded them, the Hot Club doesn't so much re-create as re-invent, quintessentially American music with an energy that makes it as current and as radical as it ever was, at the same time recovering the memorable melodies and lyricism that made these songs house hold treasures in the first place. Right!!!

What do you get for your money, and I can hear you jangling that loose change from here? Of course you get the standards croon along hot hokum you would expect, the likes of, China Town, Deed I Do, I Cant Give You Anything But Love, you get a careering Orange Blossom Special, also in a country style, a stomping Ida Red, but unexpectedly, like a black pearl imbedded deep in the oysters flesh, as a hidden track and not mentioned on the sleeve, you get to hear them (complete with cats chorus) do Milton Brown and his Brownies show stopper, the oh so ir-religious "Here Pussy Pussy Pussy" (Where can you be) which I have only ever heard, other than at 78 revulsions per minute, recreated by my brother Mark Dean Ellen The Yodelling Mix Master's band No Comebacks. I was going to say great minds think alike, but that doesn't get anywhere near it really.

Entertainment guaranteed.

rob ellen
http://www.hotclubofcowtown.com/
 





The Fence Collective
fence reunited (fence records)


This is a strange one, a real curate's egg, good in parts and not so good in others. The Fence Collective are some of Scotland's foremost alternative folk artists and include in their ranks HMS Ginafore, James Yorkston, Down The Tiny Steps, King Creosote, UNPOC, Gummi Bako, The Pictish Trail, Lone Pigeon, On The Fly, Beth, Pip Dylan and John Bews.

Following the sombre opener, Comfort In Rum by HMS Ginafore and James Yorkston, the album produces two songs of quality in Lemonbelly (Down The Tiny Steps) and the languid Easily Led (James Yorkston, King Creosote, Down The Tiny Steps & HMS Ginafore). It is no coincidence that Down The Tiny Steps has a part in both songs as they are one of the plus's that are to be gained from the collection.

Going Down To The Water continues the downbeat feel but it is an excellent example of modern folk and is performed by The Pictish Trail, King Creosote and Down The Tiny Steps. The album is in full swing now and Unknown Yesterday by Lone Pigeon and King Creosote continues the rich vein of top class songwriting.

King Creosote and James Yorkston serve up A Friday Night In New York which manages to combine the feeling of an old sea shanty and a contemporary outlook. One of the few upbeat tracks is Pip Dylan's I Believe It's True and this is one of the highlights. HMS Ginafore's treatment of the standard Nobody Knows takes a little getting used to but persevere because it does work. The inspired pairing of Lone Pigeon and King Creosote provides another top-notch song in Musakal Lives.

I said that the album is a strange one but I have gone on to point out eight very good tracks. The others are not poor quality by any manner of means but it is a shame that not all of the artists reach the heights of Down The Tiny Steps, HMS Ginafore, Lone Pigeon, King Creosote, The Pictish Trail, James Yorkston and Pip Dylan. I believe however that the good overcomes the not so good and the album deserves to be in your collection as an example of contemporary folk.

david blue
( these reviews also available at www.netrhythms.com)

http://www.fencerecords.com/
 





The Joe Jackson Band
live - afterlife (rykodisc)


GJoe Jackson, remember him? He's back, well he's not really been away but this time he's back with his original band from the late 70's/early 80's. This album is the result of four nights recording at California venues on his 104-show tour and the thirteen tracks portray a man and his band totally at ease with themselves. The songs are gleaned from his back catalogue along with a smattering of new songs from his latest studio album, Volume 4.

The familiar strains of Steppin' Out open the album but they are in an unfamiliar but excellent slower setting. This is just Joe on piano and vocal and it is just as effective as the single that came from the Night and Day album. There is massive energy coming from the stage and Awkward Age (from Volume 4), Sunday Papers (Look Sharp), Don't Wanna Be Like That (I'm The Man) and Got The Time (Look Sharp) are testament to that and it shows that the old vibe is still there along with the more sophisticated current sound. Machine gun, staccato guitars and almost punk-like energy are the trademarks of these songs.

Joe's first album, Look Sharp, is well represented and the band give fine performances of One More Time, Look Sharp and Fools In Love in addition to the already mentioned Sunday Papers and Got The Time. These older songs are given a sympathetic treatment are well received by the audience, especially on Fools In Love which has a segway into the Yardbirds' For Your Love. His voice shows no sign of decay through the years and, in fact, he considers himself to be a better singer and songwriter nowadays - no argument here. Down To London, from the Blaze Of Glory album and Love At First Light from Volume 4, are good examples of Jackson's belief in his singing voice and Sunday Papers shows his vocal dexterity.

The band get a little funky and throw in some reggae beats on Fairy Dust and Beat Crazy from Volume 4 and Beat Crazy albums respectively, Jackson turning on the angry old man routine on the former. This is a stunning live album and has a band that sounds that they have been playing together for 25 years rather than one who recorded three albums in two years and then split up for the next 23.

david blue

( these reviews also available at www.netrhythms.com)

 
www.rykodisc.co.uk www.joejackson.com
 





Shipcote
Hot Water Valley (Gap 2)


Graham (Shipcote) Anderson, is a Geordie musician with a purpose, as well a kent face, as is possible on the streets, in the venues and riding the late night taxies of Newcastle. Legend has it, the taxi drivers of the Toon collectively gave him his nick name "Shipcote" because, if needs be, Graham can simply jump in any taxi on Tyneside, as long as he can say the name of the region he lives in, (Shipcote, the not so leafy suburb of Gateshead) the taxi company, which ever one it is, knows exactly where to take him. A handy skill to posses in a town like Newcastle, and in a job like his. Shipcote has been a highlevel roots promoter (he helps run and helped establish the world famous Jumping and Hot Club ) nearly as long as he has been playing highlevel authentic Jug Hokum Jazz Rockabilly and Blues on dog house bass and always with a smile, (with The Hotlicks Cookies with Round Eyes Ray and Martin Stephenson's Toerags amongst others) He now writes the songs.

The album opens out with the lines " Good sense of humour and open mind ----- that's what life's about" Home spun isn't the word for it, Grahams philosophy is rooted on the busking streets of Newcastle dodging and bating back all manner of barracking with an ever present wry smile, belying a seldom hidden scything wit. His music is rooted in..... ?? well its just rooted....!! and he has the best of help from notable Geordies musos Cluck Fleming, Franky Gibbon, Vikki Price. Shipcote's Hot Water Valley, shows that there are hidden depths in still waters never mind hot waters, while managing to present as cheery a collection of muse's imaginable. Here's a line from Springtime In Gateshead "Honeysuckle rose magic mushrooms by the drove spring time is moving in" OK Mushrooms grow in autumn but this is poetry and licence is going to have to be given, St Cecilia, track four is a gentle but uplifting Cajun piece and my Anns favourite too, then were lead into a swing number by Chuck Fleming's lilting Fiddle and Vikki's crooning vocal, a tune about love lost, "We should be friends and I hope it stays that way", Shipcote knows about song structure many of these pieces have a singular singalong quality, though Graham, decided to let Vikki have the lime lights on this one. Morpeth is an affectionate wander around a forgotten quarter of Northumberland, featuring the mandolin work of Mike Hirst, cascading like a summer brook gushing off the fell side, the instrumentation on this album is beautifully laced and woven, and the open uncluttered production leaves enough space for Grahams lyricism and ideas to breath and grow. Shipcote has a unique restrained vocal style, he pitches the notes well and he covers the melody, but he leaves the instruments to soar and illustrate what are in essence simple observations, delivered with an admirable amount of humility and humour, and all underpinned by a rolling sometimes swinging double bass and a supporting harmony vocal from the wonderful Vikki Price. No better illustration of all of this than Old Bluegrass Song, Shipcote's brave attempt at trying to describe just why he likes listening to a good old Bluegrass Songs, "Words of truth down from the mountain a home spun tale of hope the sweetest voices are coming to me" exactly,, I wouldn't try to put it better.

I would strongly advice you take a trip to the Hotwater Valley. Refresh your soul in its living stream, it's a stream of consciousness steeped in all the styles a full career of listening and making music could offer up, and delivered with a charm and a confirmation that will be as endearing on its first listen as it will be in 30 years time, and I believe if the Good Lord is willing and the creek don't rise, I will still be using this album for just that purpose then, as I've come to do now, it's a timeless, genderless and magic piece.

You've got to love someone who can mix The Specials Ghost Town and Kylies Can't Get You Out Of My Head, IE Hot Water Valley leaves us tangoing with Kylie in a karaoke bar, "I can't get you out of my head girl" ----- "Bands don't play here any more" Ohhhh Shippy rock on brother rock on

See Interview here http://www.flyinshoes.fsnet.co.uk/interviews16.htm

rob ellen

 

 
http://www.geocities.com/guests_tzora/cookies.htm
 





Thad Cockrell & Danny Barnes
the maze, nottingham 26th april 2004


A double bill at the Maze on a blustery english day of april showers but a brighter climate in the end when these artists started to shine. I had followed some of Danny Barnes's convoluted and mightily impressive musical journey from The Bad Livers through to Bill Frisell and Jim ( Basketball Diaries) Carrol. What I wasn't prepared for was the sheer punk energy of attack of his banjo playing as everything but the kitchen sink seemed to be hinted or played on this instrument. Better musicians than me stood open-mouthed as he twisted the banjo into jazz figures and old timey re-appraisals at a speed that frankly left some members of teh audience shellshocked. It was a bit like watching a video of Pete Seeger at fast forward speed at times and some members of the audience couldn't sonically keep pace...me included. Amidst the finger buzzing mayhem I did spot some Frisell like licks and some pretty damn good songs but without the CD am hard-pressed to name them although 'Bluegrass Suicide' and a Ronnie Lane cover stood out. At times the ghost of Roscoe Holcombe prowled the stage and Fahey, Kottke and Chet Atkins ghosted through too. Mostly though his friendly 'country boy' demeanour won the crowd over although I'd suggest less haste more speed might win even more converts to his singular vision this side of the pond. An american original but like all geniuses takes a while to get the message.

Then a real treat. I'd been aware of Thad Cockrell through No Depression reviews etc but never actually heard his music. The fact that Caitlin Cary and Tift Merrit sang on his cds and that the wonderful Chris Stamey ( ex-Db's and Whiskeytown producer) were involved said a lot and I wasn't disappointed.

We were treated to a consummate songwriter and a three-piece delivery that despite lack of a drummer ( a tambourine underfoot sufficed) delivered a stunning set. The antecedents were immaculate. Everly's over The Beatles, Charlie Rich and Merle Haggard over everything else. Thad Cockrell is the real deal. His songs are knowing tributes to the past and modern takes on the heartbreak balladry tradition. As his website puts it 'drawn to the twang of hurt'. The set visited both the latest 'Warmth and Beauty' cd and the first 'Stack of Dreams' with title track providing one of many standout moments of the evening. Thad is reminiscent of Chris Isaacs in his hurt man approach but without the sticky confected vibe of the latter. Indeed it is Charlie Rich and Lefty Frizell that come to mind as he seems situated in that 50's and 60's post rock and roll/nashville vibe. Hints of Gordon Lightfoot and Ron Sexsmith inflect the voice which is beautifully suited to the content.

Opener 'Girl from Maryville' set the tone. A acoustic guitar and harmonic shuffle that kicked in half way through with fellow band members on bass and guitar/vocal providing a rock solid fioundation for his voice. From tehre on in it just got better and better with hints of his beloved Everly Brothers as guitarist Matt filled in the Don to Thad's Phil. He even joked about having written somgs for The Hg and the Bros before those particular songs. They should have taken him up. He's working on a new CD and a split ballad/ frantic rock n roller also revealed that he can rock it with the best and the set closer with drums would have brought the house down as Thad cut a couple of Carl Perkins type poses!

Not much I can add apart from buy this man's cds. He's gonna last when a lot of the more spurious talents we're sold have propped up the second hand bins for a couple of decades. Foremost he writes a pretty dam fine song, secondly he can sing like an angel and thirdly...well thirdly ya don't need the first two don't come along that much these days! One of best gigs I've seen at Maze in a while and I've seen some good ones. Made the recent Laura Viers gig look like the hyped up shambles it was. This Cockrell sure can crow! The Sun label shone....

shaun belcher
http://www.thadcockrell.com/
 





Tim Rose the london sessions 1978-1998


The 'American Troubador', best known for Morning Dew and Hey Joe, died in September 2002 and this album of previously unreleased material is a fitting memorial. Like A European is a straightforward rock song delivered with a Lou Reed style vocal and, written by guitarists Simon Shepherd and Brian Barnett, is an excellent opener. An acoustic cover of The Bee Gees I Started A Joke follows and sets the scene for the many changes of style on the album. The Rose, best known as a Bette Midler song, is sung with a voice full of feeling and the same style of vocal is added to a strange, almost reggae beat on Over The Rainbow to give a weird effect.

I Guess It Doesn't Matter Anymore, better known as a Buddy Holly song is given a good folksy treatment and Rose is again on top form vocally. Pavement Princess is one of four tracks written or co-written by bass player Pierre Tubbs. This is a country song, sung accordingly. Rose co-wrote It's All Gone Wrong with Tubbs and the fractured vocal makes you believe that something had, in fact, gone wrong on the country-style song - nice backing vocals from Melissa Rose. There I Go Again is the third of Pierre Tubbs collaborations and Rose's easy vocal give a sense of warmth although the lost love lyric is not a warm subject. Rose always made sure that people knew that his version of Hey Joe was around before that of Jimi Hendrix and this version, with it's overall feeing giving a Massive Attack sound, is a powerful piece of music - totally different from the Hendrix version.

The last Tubbs song (his, in total) is the twee Christmas offering Lady's Coming Home For Christmas - surely this he was singing this with his tongue firmly rooted in his cheek, enough said! The final two tracks are worth waiting for and it is no coincidence that Rose had a hand in their composition. The folk song Borocay (Yo Tango Amore Te) with its snappy, acoustic slide guitar is a gem and The Answer has a mesmeric rhythm to it along with its almost spiritual lyrics. The filling is very good but if you want the best of Tim Rose then go to the start and the finish.

David Blue
http://www.timrose.net
 





Druce and Jones Songs from The Silver Band Room


Having loved the blues, lost the blues and banished the blues, this was a refreshing change from my normal listening. A fifteen-track c.d and British artists to boot with a good mix of standards and self -penned material, lovely acoustic guitars and dobro with a hint of brass a very pleasant recipe indeed!
Emily Druce is no stranger to the u.k circuit and has been performing solo for a few years now. With two albums already under her belt she has been lauded by the likes of Bob Harris and Paul Jones, high praise and fully justified in my opinion. This collaboration is with Steve Jones who not only plays a fine guitar but, along with Colin Kendall, makes them as well. The product of which can be heard on this album. These are two very talented people who make beautiful music together.
Emily has a rich clear voice that copes well with the slow smouldering ballads and the more gritty blues and gospel songs while Steve's' guitar playing is crisp and melodic without ever being showy the mark of a really fine guitar player. Chris Smyth ably assists the duo on dobro and lap steel.
The standout tracks for me were the self-penned numbers. The opening track, Let's Walk Out, is a country blues. a real toe-tapper and sets the mood for the rest of the album. This is followed by, When I See You There, a slow ballad with Emily's pure vocals complimented by guitar and Dobro. Each song has its own merits and I could ramble on quite happily for two pages, suffice to say go buy the album .The two gospel numbers, Keep Your Lamp….. and Burden Down are a couple of crackers and if they played more music like this in our churches, we could have a mini revival on our hands! Picks of the bunch for me are Howler "I can feel a cold wind blowing through my mind" and the absolute tops the heart-achingly beautiful Same Air "we can sit there together and see a different view I just want to breathe the same air as you" terrific. Incidentally Emily and Steve write both songs
I hadn't listened to blues for quite some time but this record has certainly whetted my appetite for more. The whole album oozes with talent and not forgetting the Honley Silver Band who appear on track 8 and track 15. I presume the title of the album, although recorded in the silver band room West Yorkshire, may be paying homage to these guys. Either way it doesn't really matter.
For a blues lover or first time buyer there is a lot in this album to recommend. I would have liked to hear Emily sing a cappella as she has such a great delivery and clarity and she could carry it off no problem, but this is just a very small gripe on my behalf and doesn't detract from the album in anyway. Good homegrown talent and a well put together recording that gave me the "I woke up this morning" syndrome all over again! You know what I mean! Check it out today!

David Tonberg
www.emilydruce.co.uk
 





Sid Selvidge a little bit of rain


Sid Selvidge could hardly be classed as a prodigious source of material - he releases one album per decade - but if they are all as good as this then he's worth waiting on.
He's a bit of a Memphis institution and has been around since the 60s when he was signed to, of all labels, Stax as a white folk singer.

The title track, and opener, is a gentle introduction to the world of Sid Selvidge. It's a world of Folk, Blues and classic Americana. Hobo Bill has the feeling of a children's song, much akin to Puff The Magic Dragon but he's back in adult land with the bluesy Mama You Don't Mean Me No Good, Long Tall Mama and Every Natural Thing. Although there's only one original song on the album the covers are pure Selvidge. His voice has a warble to it and is as sweet as syrup on the country style Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? and one of the highlights of the album, John Hiatt's, The River.

Blues and country are mixed in together for Real Thing and we hear another level to Sid's voice, there's a bit of grit in here for this one. Folk blues for the excellent Swannanoa Tunnel will have the hairs on your neck standing to attention and the straightforward folk offering Long Black Veil is a lovely song. The album finishes with Pickin' Petals and Arkansas Girl. The former has one of my pet hates, yodelling, although I can forgive him because of what has gone before and the latter takes us out in the gentle manner that we began with. Both of these songs remind me, vocally, of Leon Redbone.

Take a few listens of this album because Sid Selvidge will grow on you.

David Blue
www.archer-records.com
 





dean owensmy town

Dean can never be accused of, not going for it, whether in finding himself opening for the likes of The Mavericks, Fiddlers Bid, Kevin Montgomery, Emmylou Harris, Kieran Kane, Slaid Cleaves, Ron Sexsmith, Steve Earle, The Handsome Family, Jay Farrar, Suzy Bogguss, Little Feat and more recently wowing them at Celtic Connections opening for The Transatlantic Sessions ( I was there, the boy done good ). Or chasing his cause around the uphill struggle of pub club and hostelries of his native Scotland, even retiring to the hills to record around a peat fire and a minidisc and getting his fans to pay for the pressing. Very clever!! He's tried it all even now being given the opportunity not many get to do the big production piece, that is "My Town" his new one. i.e. silky smooth production, highly arranged, glossy textures, high level performance and presentation, in fairness suiting Deans sweet saccharine mid Atlantic vocal delivery down to the ground, kind of evoking, at a stretch the Nashville years of Roy Orbison. "My Town" was recorded over only two weeks, and that alone is another indication of the skill brought to this piece. This I am guessing is the album he always wanted to deliver, as he is also the producer. On these points alone an album like this from an emerging artist must be seen as a success story.

The jury is out on whether Dean will become the star he and his loyal fans obviously would want him to become, and this album is as strong a piece of evidence that the prosecution could possible put forward, in good part give more credence through the advocacy of Glasgow's Vertical records and the weight that the Capercaillie dynasty can throw behind any rootsy release in Scotland. All that just might condemn him to the fate of the famous, at least at home.

The Big O or the Big No, is the question? Ok what are the ingredients of a successful pitch at the wall of stardom, rule number one, get the best musicians you can, "My Town" enters well up the charts in that department, with particularly fine trumpet flurries from Colin Steele worthy of special note. The musicians playing on the album include Marianne Campbell (fiddle and strings), Kevin McGuire (double bass and nylon string guitar), Colin Steele (trumpet and flugelhorn), Karine Polwart (acoustic guitar and vocals, see On the Radar Flyin Shoes Review). then a famous friends or two would help. Al Perkins (lap steel), Will Kimbrough (dobro), fill that gap nicely, Then to be safe you better play something for everyone and keep it simple to read, ( unlike the cover which is impossible to read ) again OK in that department too, then spend some money on the artwork, below par in that respect as I indicate, choosing instead to go down market and grungy, strange choice in this case as that is the only grungy thing to do with this release.Of course even before you get a chance to make this sort of pitch you have to work and work and work, do every gig, climb every mountain and hopefully get a good label interested if you can make a few noticeable ascents, and stay in the public eye long enough to make that notoriety work. Dean's well up to that task and his hard work has landed one of the best Scottish roots music labels in Vertical, who also look after James Grant ( ex Love and Money teeny honey, now born again songster ). All the time you must maintain that media profile, get on the radio and TV if you can. No problem there particularly in Scotland, where Dean is Mr Entertainment.. The argument will be won or lost and the verdict returned as ever on the strength of the songs. So the big question is does Dean have the songs? He has the artist's pallet, though using more primarily colours than suits my personal taste, he has the patter, he has the vocal talent, but does he have the songs, A Dark Star or a Candy Coloured Clown ?

"My Town" opener and title track and the one for the DJ's, Unfortunatly Iris Dement has applied for and all but achieved the patent on this type of song, with her Classic "Our Town" I'm stunned Dean makes his opening play against such strong competition, particularly when this too is a story of a home town suffering the ravages of time, nice enough for a Dean fan to know in his words that "This is my Town, the one that brings me down, take a look around, see the sights hear the sound, of my town" but no bitter sweet memoirs unfold just a pedestrian attempt at poetic awareness, no affectionate ramble through the life of a community, just his disaffected wanderings among his hopeful close friendships, not the best of starts.

"Desert Song" careworn and archetypal, song of the hard road, where Owens should be most at home, given his recent history, "I'm a successful failure I've got the bullets but no gun", probably written before he got the budget for this opus from Donald and Karen ( Virtical have certainly supplied the firepower how true is the Dean Owen's aim?) I'll continue, Al Perkins (pedal steel) and Marianne Campbell (Fiddle) gives it a much needed lift from the mundane, and diverts the attention from what comes over as just a moan about his job, perhaps he should try welding then he might really find the blues and reach the soul of despair, it is a hard life in many ways on the road, but is never less than enjoyable, for all but the most faint of heart or disturbed, it can be portrayed without drawing that inevitable there, there, there condescending response, from those less fortunate to be able to pursue a dream, but clever word play and irony needs to be employed, Slaid Cleaves has made a career of it. I don't think Dean should even try.

"Its Not Love" Its not a song either! its meant to be a heart on the sleeve muse about well faded love, but leaves me thinking why bring it up in the first place if it means so little to you now?

"Northern Lights" All the songs are set up by a bit of Smash Hits style editorial, 'this is what I was thinking of when I wrote this song' type commentary, here he informs his readers that he was thinking about his mortality, the Northern Lights and the song was conceived in Shetland. Mortality and Shetland (Centre of the musical Universe, as far I am concerned ) So two sure fire tools for the budding artiste, mortality and a sense of place & purpose and he adds the Northern lights and all its cosmic colours to the pallet to paint the story with, I have high hopes now this will turn the corner for us I feel sure, go for it Deano!....... No he's still whinging about his luck, and how seemingly slow stardom is coming to change his lot..... Ho Hum!!.

"Life and Beauty" Pedal steel intro, and Dean can sing there is no doubt about that and this is a happier "The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music" piece, but how many times do you need to hear "Life and Beauty Surrounds" repeated? to get the picture, YES Dean life and beauty surrounds I get the picture!!! next!!!! again simply read and obvious observation.

"This Feeling" The time with the Mavericks wasn't wasted Tango/Latino rhythms and some aforementioned accordion and trumpet offer very interesting counterpoint and contrasting light and shade, bitter sweet agony and torment is the order of the day and Dean delivers well on this one, this is the best song by far, so far.

" Blue December" Gypsy violin and lilting double bass again the set up is wonderful, that trumpet is spine jinglingly good but I really do wish he hadn't mentioned Nick Drake in the introduction, it encourages comparison and in respect of depth of field, imagery, passion and pathos there is no comparison to be made, again he's a canny chanter and the performance is Chis Isaak-esque and entertaining enough for all of that

"The Other Side of Dawn" He writers on the sleeve notes "Here I deal with the sliding door of Life and Love, who knows what the tide will bring ? Kismet" A love song and a heart felt thank you to the will of God. A good woman and a good song, my Ann likes this one. And the ballad is a musical form his voice excels in. No exploration going on just a statement of fact I've given up looking for depth or answers in these songs and I feel beter
for that.

"Shakespeare Country" A story song and the story is, .....I don't believe it!..... he is back on a poets trail and the comparison this time is Shakespeare, I give up I've had it, that's the last straw, first Nick Drake and now Shakespeare, I'm blocking out the lyrics. I'm going back to listening to his versatile backing band and his gentle endearing vocal, and the reasonble well placed hook lines, that's what is honest, about this album.

This member of the juries verdict is, "My Town" works better as background and mood music, musical wall paper, expertly hung and perfect for a life style ordered habitat, more about style than life though it has to be said, wait a minute on that assessment it could be a huge hit, what am I thinking of? when did we last see a hit song that had content over style? It all depends on the marketing at that point, and Dean is perfectly placed in the frame for fame window of opportunity.

rob ellen

http://www.boomerangboy.com
 





lee pattersonlamplighter

Think Billy Bragg "Between the Wars" take away the Essex accent substitute an Edinburgh housing scheme attitude and accent, add a pinch of Van The Man, light the blue touch paper, stand back and that's what it's like at a Lee Patterson concert.

Lamplighter, is his self release album available from his web site, and selling like hot cakes at his shows. Where I queued for this copy, after the recent Acoustic Mayhem show, (see Flyin Shoes David Blue review below) with Scott Mac Donald (see flyin Shoes interview) and Dave Arcari (see radiotones.com).

The question usually is, was the £10 well spent and does it represent what we saw at the show? It opens with "Sometimes", a love song with a dexterous use of imagery in a Paul Brady kind of way and a 13 time "I Love You" proclamation of a chorus, (lucky for some, hopefully him, count them Lee, 13 times, you love sick fool!!! ) soul body and heart like his show; so far so good. "I Am A Man" is next, a passionate affirmation of time place and purpose in the face of the adversity of a relationship gone bad. Damn! a jump in the recording to get it started! and not a burned copy either! very strange!!. Truth is the recording is better than demo quality if the mastering isn't and is more that simply listenable for a low budget offering. Lee is a percussive, high volume and highly intense, veins in the neck sweat on the face, sort of performer, but he has deceptive sensitive sides too, which find their many sparkling reflection on Lamplighter. Particularly on the title track (inspired by a Robert Louis Stevenson poem) It is about encouragement, intimacy, touches and smoulders like the gas lighting evoked in the piece. Simply his voice and guitar at its John Martyn-ish warmest. "Once To Live" comes bucking back at you in his more accustomed confrontational style, shouting in a Proclaimer-ish way "That's The Way It Is You Got To Dance" and quickly adds the disclaimer for the disenfranchised "If You Can" incisive comment and observation is Lee Paterson's haul mark, here his eagle eye stares down on the chasm between the have's and the have nots. "When Love Falters" is a funk fusion dance piece, about that divorce and its aftermath. "Can you pay somebody to love your kid?" and "When The Love Falters The Money Helps" are a couple of lines, a frank and honest call and no answer song." I See You" returns to the plaintive back porch feel, and sings of love and its part of the whole person and how it feels without it, however brief the parting. Once smitten ever bitten, Lee's in love!!!. "Lowlands", is into Dick Gaughan country, an a cappella, low registered Scottish spiritual and deeply penetrating for its starkness. Jack and Jill returns to the love seeking format, and doesn't show the subtlety of some of the other offerings on this otherwise convincing album. Jack & Jill or just a fill? Every album has at least one.

Hello though!!! here comes the 'piece de resistance'! and the best reason I will remember this artist, the gig and possible the album too, "Don't Ask Them Why" (that's the name of the song not my rhetorical question) accompanied only by his uncles grey hound.( Its true but don't ask "me" why, you'll have to go to his gig to hear that story !!) A chant/rank with his radical bodhran playing the only backing. A drum corp cacophony of sound beating the way for political freedom from 21st century conditioning. Don't Ask Them Why is as it is with all the best protest songs, a statement of frustration and an incitement to action.

Well no frustration here as far as this album is concerned, It comfortably fulfills its post gig criteria, refreshing more than just the memory, and I hope this review will help entice and incite you to one of his gigs, but don't wait if you don't want to, visit www.leepatterson.co.uk and have a listen now, if you like the vibe I think you enjoy the whole album.

rob ellen
http://www.leepatterson.co.uk
 





dan tylerI hope (Intuit Music 2003)


Dan Tyler first made the charts in 1978 when Eddie Rabbitt recorded his "Hearts On Fire". He's been a regular ever since with hits like "Modern Day Romance"[Nitty Gritty Dirt Band], "Somebody's Doin Me Right"[Keith Whitley], and "The Light In Your Eyes"[Leann Rimes]. Eddy Arnold, Bobby Blue Bland, the Cox Family, and Kenny Rogers have also recorded his tunes. This time however it's Dan Tyler showcasing Dan Tyler. The CD title, I Hope, is from some lines by Emily Dickinson:

Hope is the thing
with feathers
That perches in the soul
and sings the tune

The surprise is that on his own, Dan Tyler turns out to have the heart of an old folkie. He writes about things that matter, even puts his conscience out there for the record but without the preachy tone. Like the best social commentary it slips in under your radar while you're busy appreciating the art. Steve Goodman immediately comes to mind on the bouncy opening cut "Costa Rica". And from there on out it's a master class in songwriting. The stick-in-your-head lyric and jukebox friendly arrangement of "Even The Bad Times Are Good" is contrasted by "I Am The River" which makes the most of a Celtic musical sensibility and a Native American nature perspective. Then there's the rousing, rocking gospel energy of "Jesus Come Back", the biting, bluesy political rant of "Watch What Their Saying" and the stark, simple intimacy of "Sweetheart". By the time he gets around to his version of. "The Light In Your Eyes" you're struck again at how the best writers know not to smother a song with production values but let it breathe. These are songs with the feel and lift of a different time and different take on things-still concerned but more hopeful than is fashionable today. Everyone who sits down to write with a guitar should go to school on this CD. So if you're flat out a fan of great songwriting and you're taste leans towards Nick Jones, Dan Bern, or Kieran Kane, add Dan Tyler to the mix.

james mcsweeney
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dantyler
 





jason walker + the last drinksashes and wine


In the last ten years or so there seem to have been a successsion of bands rising to the fore with original material that pays blatant homage to some particular phase of rock/pop's varied history. Oasis famously rewrote The Beatles' songbook whilst The Thrills, The Coral and a host of others have rewritten the 60s and 70s for the 21st century. And now here comes Jason Walker from Australia with his second album, all his own songs but sounding like Mick'n'Keef mislaid them sometime in the early 70s.
It's all about doomed love affairs and taking refuge in the drink and I feel the lyrics reflect the rock'n'roll mythology rather than any intense personal experiences. And that's fine because we don"t have to take it seriously and can just enjoy a good nostalgic wallow in solid rock music solidly played. There's plenty of knowing nods in The Stones' direction. I think Jason just happens to sound like Mick Jagger because the similarities are quite subtle, not a pastiche , but he really goes for the connection with the whole band sound on some tracks, and then when a song called "Dissatisfaction" comes along you know he's just enjoying himself being Jagger's kid brother. My favourite track is perhaps less Stones-like; "Drown in that River" has a beery (or whisky-soaked) boys chorus backing Jason as he sings a song of the drink both ruining his life and offering his only refuge (boy, does he need the love of a good woman). Amongst other pleasures it gives us the line: "I'm not dead, I'm just sleeping alone". This album's still growing on me, and, for a rock record, it brings a quiet pleasure. And finally I should mention that whilst Jason Walker is the mainman, Michael Carpenter provides Gurf Morlix like duties as co-writer, engineer, producer, drummer, backing vocalist......

( Laughing Outlaw Records LORCD-072)

john davy
http://www.laughingoutlaw.com.au/
 





jim brysonthe north side benches


Featuring in my 2003 best of year at number 4 this Canadian release on Orange Records is as far as I know still not available here which is tragic. Easily one of the most impressive discs of the past year it is really worth seeking out. I first came across it via a demo track called 'Somewhere Else' which was getting a radio airing last summer. Enquiries and a demo disc later I was presented with a slightly different version of the final disc I can now review. From opening track 'Sleeping in Toronto' we are in first-rate songwriter territory. It's reminiscent of a bit of the Jayhawks at their poppiest and Mathew Sweet's pop confections but nearer probably to the Ron Sexsmith's more recent albums in tone.The album sifts and peels the layers back on shifting personal expectations and geographic and emotional dislocations. Not all as doom and gloom as it sounds but there definitely a blue tinge to the mood like the album covers 'anyplace' evening photo of floodlights. If anything the revised track order is even better than on the demo as this tracks effortless groove slides into that 'Somewhere Else' track. Favourite lyric on album it reveals a true wordsmith up there with that Sexsmith bloke and to these ears gives Ron's recent work a run for the money. Honestly! No suprise then to see Canadian luminaries on the backing credits and that Jim has played guitar with Kathleen Edwards on what was probably the best Canadian release of last year her album 'Failer'. To my mind this record is as good. The gorgeous brushed guitar intro splashes into a gentle hymn to love's cruel geography..'life can be cruel, life can be sweet if I want it to be..'...'the town I once called home I can't hold on to..' 'everybody out here they want to live somewhere else...'...I don't often accuse someone of poetry but hell this close.
The album is uniformly good and dare I say it not a bad track in the 11and even the web-linked demos( a enhanced feature)are great showing different textures on same songs. In fact I even prefer the stripped down versions in some cases. A first rate musician lineup and sensitive production bring out the best. Highlights? Well 'elizabeth' starts with a country Byrds like jauntiness but slides under the sentiment...'I'm just along for the ride'...lovely pace to it. 'Fleetwood' starts with a throbbing organ/guitar figure and again Jim sounds lost........'Captain Finch' is beautiful with an almost spoken lyric....feather like touches on guitar and drums supporting the delicacy.....for some reason Lovin Spoonful comes to mind. Pop-rock or country who cares this is sublime stuff and 'Feel much better' is a damn fine tune. 'Accidental Country Leaning' sends up his own leanings perhaps in a mellow way that reminded this listener of Tim Hardin's jazzier tracks. As if to upset the applecart next track 'Mean Streak' is more Replacements punk rock than folk-rock and it's great......OOOHHHHHH singalong stuff....must be great live track as the garage 'rumble' guitar slides down the frets to an abrupt conclusion. 'At Least for Now' sounds faintly Mercury Rev in arrangement..and yep as good as...and yes I still aint found a dud track. Eleventh track and closer is the piano and voices Randy Newmanesque..'broken fingers' and again he doesnt drop the quality.....bravo.
Well if it gets a license deal here I can put it in my best of 2004 list too. Sometimes us critics gush and say things like 'never off the CD player' well in this case I can honestly say I play this once a week and it gets better. Some damn fine Canadian recordings about lately..Kathleen Edwards, Ox and ow Jim Bryson......a fine 2003 vintage.....what they put in the water out there....

sdb
http://www.jimbryson.org
 





eliza gilkysonland of milk and honey


I had not come across Eliza Gilkyson before witnessing a superb performance at The Maze Nottingham last year. Ably supported by Jeff Plankenhorn who has recently released his own well-received disc she stole a lot of hearts. Songs aired on that showing and which stayed with me ( always sign of real songwriting) are presented on this Red House Records disc.
The cover, by Newsweek journalist Charles Ommaney, sets the tone perfectly. These are ballads from an imperfect world. The songs are as poignant and affecting as the knowledge that the young boy diving into the pool of industrial waste in Albania will probably die young from the effects of all that pollution.

At a time when politics is hard to avoid it surprising how many songwriters are avoiding it. I'm not talking mild platitudes here. Eliza grasps the nettle fair and square on opener 'Hiway 9' ...'whose tax dollar is it yours and mine, keeps the big trucks rollin down hiway 9'. We are all implicated. It isn't just the 'little man' and his 'daddy's kin' in the White House we are all implicated in these crimes.

The album drifts in and out of the personal and the political. here does one end and the next begin when a single woman is ok being on her own for a while (Not Lonely) or a girl is thrown on a table and her brother ' forced himself inside of me' ( Ballad of Yvonne Johnson'). How we treat each other has implications for how we treat the world around us. We take and we spoil for o-i-l she says and we cannot wash the stains from our boots and hems.

Musically the recordings are faultless and the star backing group of Slaid Cleaves, Iris Dement, Mary Chapin Carpenter is secondary to the power of the songs here. I haven't had privelige of hearing all the back catalogue but this sounds like a career best record. She covers her father in 'Runnin Away' and for those unaware he was a man who wrote for Johnny Cash and others and this a lovely homage to the man who now sadly gone.

The back cover of the record has another telling photo of a 'God Bless America' poster defaced to read 'God Bless the World' with a peace sign inserted in the letter O. This album is a heartfelt plea from a woman who has lived and seen the costs of the american dream and calls to us to change course before it too late...as she sings 'wayward world I weep for thee....'.
The land of 'Milk and Honey' is awash with the smell of 'terror and ashes' as Mavis Gallant said of postwar Germany. When will the fires stop burning? Her coda is a superb rendition of a hitherto unrecorded Woody Guthrie tune 'Peace Call' with a star chorus of voices. A fitting end and a rallying cry too..

' I'll work, I'll fight, 'll dance and sing of peace of the youthful spirit,
get ready for the bugle call of peace

peace, peace, peace,'

Is it worth buying? Damn right it is but this is not about easy listening this is about how you live your life....it goes beyond the warm living rooms and the folk fans cd player and collection..it goes beyond those comfortable barriers behind which we hide from the cold winds of war...........it's about those trucks rumbling down Hiway 9.........it is a record of our fears and our hopes and our dreams.... hear that bugle calling....

sdb
http://www.elizagilkyson.com
 





randy thompsonthat's not me

 

Slick photos, slick press, slick production...so what he doing in Flyinshoes then? Well if you scrape back the Nashville surface gloss there is some interesting music within just not much. We talking more the Garth Brooks market than Lambchop anyway but hey opener is a cover of a Steve Young song so let's give it a go.

There's an air of Waylon macho bravado here and a few sonic comparisons in order in that respect too. Especially in the rockin 'Sound of the Rain' a great full tilt boogie number. Indeed the rhythms are mostly uptempo. think Steve Earle's 'Guitar Town' era and you be close to the mark. Mostly it comes off as in 'The Lovin' Shown' and almost a touch of the Brooce vibe about 'Dance until dawn'. Hell it close to a steal but it bops along agreeably. can see the soccer moms bopping in the stadium to that one already!

You may detect a wariness about this disc and mostly its the perfect product nature of it. If a team of engineers built a perfect contemporary artist for the country market they'd come up with something like this. By the closing tracks...'Unknown Zone', 'If that wasn't love' and 'Only one way' the feeling of apathy was washing me away and the bland song titles didn't help. Probably perfect music for driving a truck down Hiway 9 but hell it does nothing for me. I don't usually damn with faint praise but in this case I really think it worth it. Good artist with bottom dollars rather than songwriting leading the way...and that's not me.

Probably sell a million but not to me....

sdb
http://www.randythompson.net
 





dickie lee erwin'stexas midnight highway


You'll find them in truck stops heading west on I-40 from the Atlantic through the Smokies to the Texas panhandle and on to California and the Pacific. Or up and down the west coast on I-5 from Canada to the Mexican border. CDs you don't see anywhere else, featuring artists you never heard of unless the rig you drive has 16 wheels or better. And there they are, at point of purchase displays or on revolving racks next to the sunglasses-CD after CD of truck drivin' music. Regionality and specialization fuel this phenomenon. Most of these CDs are made by artists whose zone of popularity fades after a few hundred miles and is subject to the same vagaries that account for regional differences in food, mores and tastes. Recognition and sales usually fall off when you hit the periphery of that zone. Word of mouth and a subculture of chili, little white pills and breakfast at 3 AM take the place of billboards and trade rags. Truckers recommend their favorites, trade back and forth and know there's always another truck stop up ahead. And folks, on Texas Midnight Highway Dickie Lee Erwin is at least a spiritual cousin to each and every one of these outsiders. He's long past the point of being a local sensation but the music's still got that independent attitude and riding-with-my-baby vibe. The difference is reach-his neighborhood might be the back roads of west Texas but there's no boundaries to the music. You can feel the miles rolling by just listening to roadworthy rockers like the opening cut "Motherlode" or the easy cruising "Circles In The Sand". If that was all there was it would still be worth your while to have a listen but there's way more than that. Erwin's vision is not bound by geography and the songs on this CD transcend style as well. Take Patty Griffin's gem of a harmony vocal on the Sam Cooke inspired "Candy Girl" for example. Or the soulful feel and gospel pull of "Blackjack County Chain". Then there's "Rowdies Tune" the CD's closer, which would sound right at home on a David Grissman album. And the flat-out acceleration of "2000 Miles" with its churning Farfisa organ evoking fuzz-box rasp is a ripping good tribute to West Texas legend Doug Sahm and his Sir Douglas Quintet. A real-deal band featuring Hunt Sales, Gary Newcomb, Ron McGuire, Richard Somers, and Patty Griffin on harmonies throughout, makes the music stand tall. Texas Midnight Highway: stories honestly come by and earnestly told. And a hell of a lot of fun to boot.

james mcsweeney
http://dickieleeerwin.primusnetworks.com/
 





powder blue s/t



Looks like the best alt-country record of 2004 so far has been made in The Netherlands by the wonderful Marjolein van der Klauw who includes a cover of Gllian Welch's 'Dry Town' and guess what she's more than capable of gving Ms Welch a run for her money.....along with guitarist Jac Bico she has already recorded one CD in her native Netherlands called 'So much to cover' through the Basta Record label. She has gained recognition and won a major competition.
This her second release is a stunning old timey influenced recording. Can't really fault it at all. Production is superb and the songwriting on tracks like 'Rosie' and Blame it on me' is as good as anything that has come out stateside in last few years. Her voice is not as mannered as Welch and at times hints at Rosie Thomas and Laura Cantrell. The guitar is tasteful and precise. Euro-americana djs are already placing this high in their chart and one can see why. Thoroughly deserving of investigation and hopefully it will get a U.S. release soon.
sdb

http://www.powderblue.nl/
 





slaid cleaveswishbones


No huge surprises in Wishbones, "if it ain't broke don't fix it". So expect, top notch instrumentation (big iron strings and sliding steel abound ) and equally slick production and performance, emotional weight and clever wordplay, stories of the hard road, American fables, and lovelorn vinaigrettes.In his own words from the title track "this is real life no reality show" . The gritty Cleaves is again in cahoots with Austin production mentor and buddy Gurf Morlix, but this time he is really utilising Gurfs considerable guitaring skills to maximum effect. This album is a bit rockier with more band arrangements than the award winning 2000 release Broke Down. Cleaves says, with obvious pride, of Wishbones "The instrumentation becomes more a part of the story instead of the background to the story." It certainly feels comfortable on the ears to this listener, and I can see why Cleaves is comfortable with the arrangements to the extent he indicates.

The only complaint I can imagine from his legion of fans will be "why so long"? Slaid Cleaves is at his best when he is telling "beginning middle and end" stories and Wishbones, if anything, has even more story songs than Broke Down. He has a lazy affability and a deceptively well-honed ability to introduce characters, lay settings, communicate emotions and conduct a journey through verse long adventures, with either comforting or confronting choruses, to the inevitable moral filled conclusion and all in 3 minutes. Slaid is as good as it gets at this, and what is even better, from the point of view of an ardent gig goer, the hard working Cleaves ( whos musical trail started busking in Cork in the mid 80's where he was a student ) can still be found touring 10 months of the year and will in any given year be at a venue near you.

Though if this album is as user friendly as I suspect it is, and given some breaks, it can't be long until he will only be available live, as a dot at the end of some warehouse for £30 a ticket, see him while you can!

tracks:

01 Wishbones .... a jaunty guitar driven careworn but optimistic tale
02 Road Too Long.... a standard RnB truckers tune (six day in this mode but I'm going to get a hit this time)
03 Drinkin' Days.... His drinking days are over but he's still in trouble, bad luck doesn't always come in a bottle. The sequel to Horse Shoe lounge from Broke Down
04 Sinner's Prayer.... Blues tune, in a Peter Green style, a lament for the lost life.
05 Tiger Tom Dixon's Blues.... Reforged collaboration with his pall Rod Picott, the boxers tale
06 Below.... Nostalgic piece of childhood and childhood places both lost never to be seen again.
07 Quick as Dreams... The old timer Jocky's recollection, riding the thoroughbreds, in the racing hey day
08 Horses.... Moonshine Willie's tale, in a Jimmy Rogers style
09 Hearts Break.... Shuffering Blues and home spun philosophy, my favourite track.
10 Borderline.... Heartbreaking tale of a disenfranchised migrant worker
11 New Year's Day.... A Cajun feel good farewell to a friend

Wishbones is on Philo/Rounder and will be available in good record shops and through Slaid's web site on March 9th

Rob Ellen

 
http://www.slaid.com/
 





r.d. roth & the issuesfear not the breakdown


r.d.roth's first disc was reviewed in flyin shoes review as crossing over two worlds - that of texas singer songwriters and the more avant-garde nashville world of lambchop and co. With this his second release that crossover mentality finds ample expression and goes even further across the borders. Roth intones across opening track 'The Fiddler' like Paul K or Steve Wynn and the backing is a murky almost Magazine like 80's type rock over which Deanna Varagonna of afore-mentioned lambchop blows a weird baritone sax blues. Spooky and not a little unusual like rest of the disc. Originally a fine