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4/18/2024 Frontier Ruckus (from the album On the Northline
Frontier Ruckus (from the album On the Northline available from Sitcom Universe) (by Danny McCloskey)
Delivering Folk music that contains the fullness of a big production is a golden ring circling the wheel each time a tune is created. The secret is an unknown, the men and women behind the pen quiet about the process, if they themselves even know the answer. While the ‘how’ cannot be taught, it can be heard. On the Northline, the recent release from Michigan-based Indie Folk outfit Frontier Ruckus, is an album of songs that go beyond the perceived notions of Folk music. The use of melody and characters present the cuts contained in On the Northline stretch the soundscape without compromising a Folk singers sense of respect for the songs. Opening on a slow trudge, “Swore I Had a Friend” rolls out a sad ending on a funeral march as Frontier Ruckus become the wedding DJ at the “Bloomington Mariott”, hear the approach of a lovers “Mercury Sable”, and sing “The First Song for Lauren” backed with a lone guitar. The observations of lyricist Matthew Milia create relatable characters walking along melodies that suit that song. Of the album title, Matthew Milia shared ‘On the Northline was inspired partly by the North Country of upstate New York—where the Thousand Islands pepper the St. Lawrence Seaway—and where my dad's side of the family somehow landed from Sicily in the early 1900s. Once an industrial boomtown, now marked by Amish buggies tied up outside of Price Choppers (upstate NY and New England grocery chain), dilapidated bowling alleys, and weedy putt-putt golf courses where the tourists have long-since stopped summering. It's my second-most visited source of inspiration for all that is equal parts glorious and grim’. Conversational vocals and warm harmonies soften the harsh realities in the storyline when the title track points fingers while determined acoustic chords strum an edge into “I’m Not the Boy” as Frontier Ruckus put questions to “Magdalene (That’s Not Your Name)” and sway to the rhythms crossing “Clarkston Pasture”. (by Danny McCloskey) Listen and buy the music of Frontier Ruckus from AMAZON For more information, please visit the Frontier Ruckus website The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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4/18/2024 Grackles (from the album Grackles
Grackles (from the album Grackles available on Yes Country for Old Men Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
Grackles could score a tango dance, Surf video, or dark, noir-heavy film. On their self-titled release they drop a tittle twang, plenty of reverb-heavy guitar, and lots of music ripe for a dimly lit lounge. Loaded with subtle, Blues undertones with a darkness amongst the down-trodden Roots vibe, darkness that equals greatness. There’s a tripped out, Jam Band-feel in the opener “It’s Coming To Ya” before they move into an experimental blues realm with the help of Charlie Musselwhite and his harp in “San Antone”. “Near or Too Far” is laidback coolness, “The Distant Lightning” is an animated Folk cut, and “Top of the World” with Kat Edmonson (whose added harmonies are flat out wonderful) is a tripped out dream thanks to the angelic background vocals, wandering piano and ambient pedal steel that makes the song float. They then drop a Punk and Boogie cut in “Grackles Barn Burner”, Edmonson’s voice, along with those sublime harmonies return in the hopeful Folksiness of “Far Away From Nothing,” and Grackles close the album with the sad and dramatic “Send Back the Roses”. Fans of the music of Murder By Death, the now late and always great Dexter Romweber, and anything lumped as “The Denver Sound” will dig on Grackles. Beautifully somber, this is a package to file under dark psychedelia, Roots-noir. (by Bryant Liggett) Listen and buy the music of Grackles from AMAZON Please visit the Grackles website for more information The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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4/18/2024 Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virgina Choir (from the album Picture in the Dark
Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virgina Choir (from the album Picture in the Dark available on Caroline County Record Company) (by Danny McCloskey)
An echoey church basement piano hits a four count, setting the rhythm for Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virgina Choir to march in to Pictures in the Dark, their recent release. The opening track is electric as it waits on “The End of the End”, a sprightly bounce dancing merrily towards Armageddon, as Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virgina Choir provide a family history in “Mission”, welcome “Flowers” as a reminder of the good in the world, ride a caffeinated beat whispering “Oh, Death”, and pound out a mighty groove to talk about the danger heading in “.45”. Coming together as friends playing covers, Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virgina Choir made the decision to break out of a comfort zone and become a touring band. Songs were written and singles recorded – and then the pandemic. Four years in the making, Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virgina Choir release their debut full length with Pictures in the Dark. Ranging from the majesty in “Song of Moving On” to the quiet whispered reflections of “Coffee, Wine”, Pictures in the Dark showcases versatility as Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virgina Choir make music that keeps the listener interested. (by Danny McCloskey) Listen and buy the music of Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virgina Choir from AMAZON For more information, head to the Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virgina Choir website The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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4/18/2024 Ron Houston (from the album R.O.A.M.
Ron Houston (from the album R.O.A.M. available as a self-release) (by Danny McCloskey)
A gentle sway opens the doors of R.O.A.M., the latest release from Ron Houston, as the SoCal music man boards the “Whiskey Train”. The album title (R.O.A.M.) works as a business card tag line for Ron Houston and his songs…..Real Americana Outlaw Music. A dreamy beat plays low beneath “The Rain”, the drums matching to patter of the drops while the hint of a second line beat keeps pace while Ron Houston points fingers at “People Looking the Other Way” and a lonely banjo punches out notes to begin the outlaw tale in “Blood on the Mountain”. Born in Louisiana, Ron Houston relocated to San Diego, finding like-minded musicians to deliver his tunes, Soundtracking an Outlaw code many of the songs on R.O.A.M. trail behind a road-weary sets of rules by marking “Lines on My Face” as Ron Houston wears the outlaw skin for “Drinkin’ Got the Best of Me” and “Raise a Lotta Hell” as he recounts personal history in “Life on the Edge of a Knife” and shares his fears with “Waiting on a Miracle”. With a wry smile, Ron Houston faces troubling times in the city when R.O.A.M packs up the car with family and heads on down to the “Gun Sale at the Church” to exit the album. (by Danny McCloskey) Listen and buy the music of Ron Houston from AMAZON For more information, please visit the Ron Houston website The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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4/18/2024 Sugarcane Jane (from the album On a Mission
Sugarcane Jane (from the album On a Mission available on Admiral Bean Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
The duo Sugarcane Jane are billed in some music mags as a Folk band. Keep that in mind when listening and you’ll surmise that definition is quite loose. This Folk is Singer/Songwriter tunes, or acoustic Blues. It’s laidback, loose Rock’n’Roll or acoustic Pop and Punk. Sugarcane Jane must be well aware that when considering the sound of Folk music, as it is in their latest On a Mission, it is description without borders. The album opener, “Try to Make it Look Like Me”, is a playful blast of 21st Century under the radar Rock while “Loved Moved Here Along” kicks off like 1970’s Prog Rock with stabbing guitar. Both cuts have great, singular and memorable lyrical lines, in the former they quip ‘there’s a lot to learn about nothing’ and for the latter ‘in a tunnel you just wanna breath some fresh air’. That Prog Rock feel rolls through “Burn” as Anthony Crawford scats part of his vocals, with Savana Lee banging out her vocals as a subtle back-up support as, through it all, the rhythm section grooves while the guitar pokes and stabs. “Put It in Your Pocket” has a 10-second, Bluegrass-intro before turning into bouncy Garage Pop and “Through the Day” is an animated cut that may be the Folkiest of the bunch. Forget what they sound like, remember what they do. There is solid harmony, loads of instrumental fills, and memorable melodies, all alive and well in an On a Mission, an album of laidback Folk that that swings with a pop and punch. Listen and buy the music of Sugarcane Jane from the AMAZON Please visit the Sugarcane Jane website for more information The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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4/18/2024 The Henry Girls (from the album A Time to Grow
The Henry Girls (from the album A Time to Grow available as a self-release)
(by Lee Zimmerman) There’s something to be said for sibling harmonies. The Beach Boys and the Everly Brothers are but two examples that provide proof of that point. So, leave it to the three Irish sisters that refer to themselves as The Henry Girls to do the same, weaving a tender tapestry of breathless balladry in the process. Although they tap into their rich Irish ancestry as found inspiration — the instrumental medley “Honeybee/Hard Border” and the fiddle-fueled “Not Your Fight” being the most obvious examples — they’re not bound to any particular parameters. The trio — Joleen, Lorna, and Karen McLaughlin, along with brother Tommy McLaughlin — took their name from their grandfather, and in the 20 plus years since there started, they’ve established their own essential identity. Each of the musicians is a multi-instrumentalist, and together they create a shimmery sound that’s consistently beautiful and beguiling. Think the Corrs with a less playful posture. There are any number of examples to be found on the tellingly-titled A Time to Grow -- from the ethereal arrangements woven within the title track to the spectral settings shared in songs such as “Clouds”, “Winter’s Day”, “Leaving Dublin”, and “Breathe”. The Henry Girls have a way of creating an aural ambiance that’s alluring and entrancing, while also keeping a lock on their Celtic connection. The resulting sounds are so soothing they sometimes be construed as simply some meditative musings, but rather than simply drifting into the ether, they use that atmospheric approach to enhance a seductive sound. The chorus that complements the title track seems up sum their stance succinctly: ‘Let me sit with this, let me take it in Let me understand from deep within…’ Those words also apply to the calming caress that’s affected throughout. As a result, A Time to Grow is as sweeping in its sentiment as its title otherwise implies. (by Lee Zimmerman) Listen and buy the music of The Henry Girls from AMAZON For more information head over to The Henry Girls website The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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4/18/2024 Slow Parade(from the album Maybe You’ll Come Around, Again
Slow Parade (from the album Maybe You’ll Come Around, Again available on Slow Jam Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
Old school Rock’n’Roll is the soundtrack for Maybe You’ll Come Around, Again. Less a melting pot and more a source for Blues, Country, and Roots of all beats and creeds, Slow Parade channel a few decades of sound from the Rock era, donning “Snake Skin Boots” on a swamp boogie and quietly drifting through “Napping on the Job” with a mellowly-medicated rhythm. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Slow Parade is the musical alter-persona of Matthew Pendrick (Pony Bradshaw), who opens Maybe You’ll Come Around, Again looking for a “Quick Buck” on an infectious groove, bordering the track for dreamy flow of album closer “Lovely Moon” Album number three for Slow Parade gathers together cuts from the songwriting of frontman Matthew Pendrick as he cruises behind the wheel of a “Junker in the Fast Lane” and is Rolling Sones proud as he struts across Maybe You’ll Come Around, Again in “Any Dorp Will Do”. A life on the road can be found in the stories of Slow Parade as a full tank spins the tires for “This Old Van” as Matthew Pendrik orders “Last Call for the Band” (by Danny McCloskey) Listen and buy the music of Slow Parade from AMAZON For more information, head to the Slow Parade website The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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4/18/2024 Sarah King (from the album When It All Goes Down
Sarah King (from the album When It All Goes Down available on Ringleader Records) (by Brian Rock)
Blues newcomer Sarah King makes her powerful album debut on When It All Goes Down. Although from Vermont, her musical roots clearly lie in the Mississippi Delta. Combining the power and emotional depth of Bessie Smith and Etta James with the gritty realism of Janiva Magness and KT Tunstall, adding just a touch of ethereal with a Kate Bush tremolo, Sarah King’s voice is instantly captivating and compelling. “Always an Almost” opens the album with a Soul drenched Blues ballad of yearning for what is so near, yet always seems just out of reach. Classic Memphis Stax Soul musical influences drip from every note. Hammond organ and saxophone create the mood as the bass line slowly pushes the story forward. In the background, persistent cymbal taps create a sense of urgency as King moans ‘almost won first place. Almost finished the race. Past mistakes were almost erased’. Recalling missed opportunities and lost shots at glory, Sarah King soon turns her attention to deeper losses as she sings, ‘almost changed the past. Almost made true love last…’ in “Always an Almost”. Sarah King’s voice manages to combine power and vulnerability as she pours out the pain of not just losing; but losing after you almost reached your goal. Finish last, and you know victory was never in the cards for you; finish second, and you spend the rest of your life wondering what small tweak could have propelled you to victory. Whether in sports or career or love, ‘almost is the saddest word there is. Sarah King makes you feel that sorrow down to your soul. Focusing on relationships, King sings the Blues about the ‘almost’ side of love on “The Longest Night”. Capturing the tone and feel of Eilen Jewell, she laments a man who likes ‘having a good woman more than you like trying to be a good man’. “Blame it on the Booze” tackles toxic relationships of a different flavor. With propulsive percussion and haunting background vocals, King warns that there’s nothing ‘more dangerous than a woman pushed to new lows – she’s got nothing left to lose’. A thoroughly modern twist on Blues, the song incorporates theatrical, Lady Gaga style piano to evoke a sense of foreboding throughout. Piano also adds a barrelhouse flair to her cover of Led Zeppelin’s, “Hey Hey What Can I Do”. “The Moth” uses haunting Celtic rhythms to describe the allure and consequence of an unfaithful lover. “You Were Wrong About Me” captures the Blues Rock stylings of KT Tunstall to flip a flying finger of defiance to a controlling ex-lover. Of course, a string of bad relationships takes its toll on a heart. Seeking solace, some turn to the bottle to ease the pain. “Whiskey Thinking” is a tender, piano ballad about the slow descent to the bottom of the bottle. “Pretty Things” takes a darker, Noir Blues look at addiction. Turning to Delta Blues, King faces the demons of addiction on “Devil’s Try”. A slow burning stomp-and-clap beat drive the song as dobro and organ add a haunting background; scattered electric guitar strokes flash like lighting across a midnight sky. Against this dismal setting, Sarah King sings ‘the Devil says he’ll drink with me just as long as I got the tab’. What was once emotional despair has turned into a spiritual crisis. The When It All Goes Down title track marks King’s journey through the long, dark night of the soul. Strident electric guitar introduces the song like an electrode shot to a dying heart. Singing ‘don’t judge another person’s choices till the choices they had are laid out for you’. Sarah King starts to assess her own journey. Like many dealing with addiction, she can only find the way up after she’s reached the very bottom. Acknowledging her bouts of ‘selfish destruction’ she has faced the worst of her demons and is finally ready to fight back. “Lord Take My Soul” is a musical surrender to a higher power; and a first step on the road to recovery. Starting with acoustic Delta Blues, the song soon explodes in electric Blues Gospel tones. Calling out for help, Sarah King cries ‘I’d like to rest my bones, but I cannot change my ways’. When the dawn finally breaks on her darkness, Sarah King discovers that she was “Stronger Than You Ever Knew”. Pedal steel permeates the Bluesy Country/Rock rhythms as she sings ‘take all the time you need’. (by Brian Rock) Listen and buy the music of Sarah King from AMAZON For more information, head to the Sarah King website The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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4/18/2024 Rick Monroe & The Hitmen (from the album Six Gun Soul
Rick Monroe & The Hitmen (from the album Six Gun Soul available on Label Group Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
Rick Monroe & The Hitmen claim to have invented a new genre for themselves, one they refer to as ‘Blue Jean Rock’, a style spawned from their rural roots but not necessarily that of a strictly down-home variety. To be sure, there’s no qualification needed as far as their raucous, rollicking approach, but the fact that they also manage to keep a certain country credence makes that descriptive handle all the more incisive. A well-seasoned performer who’s taken the stage in every U.S. state, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico — not to mention some 17 countries — Monroe and his bandmates — Bobby Perkins (guitar), Alan Beeler (bass), and Jason Bohl (drums) — clearly possess the confidence needed to make the most of a barnstorming sound. They certainly make that clear courtesy of the aptly dubbed Six Gun Soul, allowing for a steady stream of rowdy Rockers well stocked with both verve and volume. The gruff sound of “Moonshine Man”, the steady stomp of the title track, and the dramatic and defiant “Let’s Get Drunk” each possess the edge and intensity that find them to live up to those descriptive song titles. And while certain tracks allow for a momentary respite — a meditative “God’s Ear” and the closing rumination of “Which Way Is Home” — the edge and attitude are intrinsically intact throughout. In essence, Rick Monroe and The Hitmen provide ideal entertainment, especially for those who appreciate a band that can come out with guns a’blazin’ and an ample supply of fully fueled frenzy. It’s attitude that counts, and in this particular case, those edgy efforts are credibly conceived. In some regard, they could be considered an Americana derivative of AC/DC, with so much pomp and prowess included. Ideal entertainment for a booze-fueled, rowdy Saturday night music fest, Six Gun Soul fires on all cylinders. Suffice it to say, a tougher and more tenacious bunch would be hard to actually imagine. (by Lee Zimmerman) Listen and buy the music of Rick Monroe & The Hitmen from AMAZON For more information head over to the Rick Monroe & The Hitmen website The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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4/18/2024 Pernice Brothers (from the album Who Will You Believe
Pernice Brothers (from the album Who Will You Believe available on New West Records) (by Lee Zimmerman)
The Pernice Brothers have always been a formidable duo, but in truth, it’s Joe Pernice that consistently takes the lead, both in terms of his efforts alongside his brother Bob and throughout a career that began with the rustic sounds of the Scud Mountain Boys, continued with a super group called New Mendicants alongside Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake, and beyond through his own solo excursions. Who Will You Believe, the Pernice Brothers’ first album of originals in five years, is no exception. Joe has given the band a smooth and soulful selection of songs, several of which sound like they could have been given birth on pop radio in the ‘80s and ‘90s. It’s a somewhat unexpected turn from their usual Americana motif, but it’s also one that should serve them well in terms of broadening their inherent appeal. Surprisingly, many of these songs were borne from sadder circumstance. In 2019, Joe lost two friends and family member in a single six-month period. He sums up his sentiments with the lovely acoustic strum and massed harmonies of “The Purple Rain”, given a lyric that serves a purposeful plea: ‘Remember me to her sea-bound train. Remember me to her fruited plains. Purple mountains and purple rain won’t always separate the shining seas. The wake is washing over me’. A similar sentiment is shared on the sweet serenade “How Will We Sleep”: ‘Growing old seemed like death to me when I was young, now I want to grow old and I want to belong’. The duet with Neko Case, “I Don’t Think I Need That Anymore”, is irresistibly charming, adding another song to the album’s abundance of tuneful delights. So too, the cheery title track, the bouncy and buoyant “Look Alive”, the effusive “A Man of Means”, and the soulful sway of “Hey, Guitar” all add an upward gaze that defies any hint of a pessimistic perspective. In total, the rich and resilient Who Will You Believe gives its listeners plenty of reason to believe this is, in fact, the Pernice Brothers’ best. (by Lee Zimmerman) Listen and buy the music of The Pernice Brothers from AMAZON For more information head over to The Pernice Brothers website The Blog Tags widget will appear here on the published site.
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