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reviews

don gallardo all the pretty things

8/21/2021

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​Don Gallardo (from the album All The Pretty Things on Southern Carousel Records) (by Chris Wheatley)
 
All The Pretty Things, the new album by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Don Gallardo, is a creation of unique times, made possible by technology and shaped by the global pandemic. When the crisis began, Don Gallardo was in the middle of a successful European tour. On the way home, he contracted Covid, which left the musician struggling with health problems for many months. Despite having to cope with ‘brain-fog’ and fatigue, Gallardo remained positive, channelling the experience into this new musical project. Everything was worked on remotely. Gallardo composed and recorded at home, then sent the results to long-time band-mate and friend, Andrew Sovine. Sovine added electric and acoustic guitar, bass, keys, lap steel, drums, percussion, banjo, and synth. Tracks were then forwarded to Darren Nelson, who contributed backing-vocals to the mix. With everything wrapped up, producer David Pinkston mixed and balanced the tracks. ‘I hope these songs become as personal to the listener’ says Gallardo, ‘after the year and half we have had, as they are to me’. He chose the album's title as a reminder to look for beauty in all things, no matter what strain and stress you may be going through.

“Lost Hope” opens the set, a rolling, drifting piece of Americana. ‘I wonder where I am these days, forgetting everything I've learned...’ sings Gallardo. He has a classic, Country voice, rounded and smooth, with a Rootsy earnestness. Here, largely with just a solo guitar, he puts out a remarkably enveloping sound. There's some beautiful finger-picking here. Nothing is ostentatious, Don Gallardo's guitar runs are liquid and melodic. They sparkle but are never showy. The strength of any such music depends on the songs, and Gallardo's compositions, which on the surface seem straightforward, are well-crafted enough to reward repeated listens. Tracks such as “Dear Friends” possess a timeless charm. That is the enduring attraction of this style of songwriting. Nuance and honesty are the key drivers. The playing is first-rate, with some lovely adornments and subtle changes, but Don Gallardo's lyrics, of course, lie at the heart of this set, and they reach out to the soul with warmth and understanding.
 
The title-track shambles joyfully, with keys providing the melodic thrust. Gallardo's compositions always feel natural. They are also packed full of details which are easy to miss first time round.  Pinpoints of piano, strummed guitars, chugging finger-picking, and soft hand-percussion combine to great effect. It's like a fine magic-trick; best not to analyze how it's done, just enjoy the illusion and the feeling of wonder it will bring you. “The Dreamers of the World” brings an arresting, dreamy vibe. ‘I never thought I'd end up feeling, like a record spinning round and round’ sings Gallardo. Once again, it's the seamlessly blending of words and music which impresses. Hazy harmonized singing injects colour and pathos as the various instruments bleed into each other to create a drifting cloud of sonic loveliness.
“Gypsum” takes us out with rattling, ringing acoustic guitar, over which a tide of keys, bass, and strings slowly draws in. “I thought I told you it's not a ship we're on, we're hanging gypsum...” All The Pretty Things lives up to its name. This is a stylish, sophisticated record which wears its heart on its sleeve.  (by Chris Wheatley)
 
Listen and buy the music of Don Gallardo from AMAZON
 
Please visit the Don Gallardo website for more information


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georgia english interview

8/21/2021

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​Georgia English (from the album Pain and Power available on Me and the Machine Records)
It warms my heart when I witness The Arts being integrated and utilized as a teaching tool for our youth, and for future generations to come. Georgia English, Nashville’s rising star, has created something highly unique that she can consider all of her own, where music meets illustration ever so elegantly. Her latest endeavor, Pain and Power, takes us on a journey through the mind of a deep thinker who spent most of 2020 reflecting, learning, and trying to heal from internal wounds challenging her musical journey toward enlightenment. I 
was able to get a first-hand look into Georgia’s creative process, and how adversity pushed her into finishing a body of work that symbolizes resilience, empowerment, and emancipation. I truly appreciated our conversation, and admire how open and honest she was about her mental state of being under duress during a pandemic. Georgia English had no qualms allowing herself to be completely vulnerable to a stranger such as myself, and that says a lot to who she is as a human being putting the pieces together to this so-called thing called life, one day at a time….
 
 
JOE:  I know you're on the brink of promoting your Pain and Power project and I have to say, I am very impressed. I really like the idea of combining illustrations with music and have never heard of anybody doing this type of collaboration. Let's just dive right in, what was the impetus getting you motivated to combine art with music?
 
GEORGIA: It was really organic, and it wasn’t intentionnel. Last fall I was having a lot of struggles with my mental health and took a leave of absence from work. In that time, I rekindled my love of drawing. I didn’t draw very much in adulthood, but it was something I really liked to do as a kid. I definitely have a style but I wouldn't say I'm skilled at this, you know? Just in terms of technique I couldn't shade an apple correctly or anything as opposed to music where I have had a lot more training. I went to college for music and support myself with my music, so there was just a lot less ego involved in drawing with music and because of that it was a lot more fun to do.
 
JOE: I am saying this with the utmost respect, there is a kind of childlike quality to the drawings that bring me back to ‘The Little Prince’ by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which is quite extraordinary. When I was looking at them it reminded me of being a kid reading that book and enjoying the illustrations, I appreciate the innocence. A lot can be said in a picture, especially when you combine it with lyrics. 
 
GEORGIA: Yes, I wanted to bring that up, absolutely. I'm probably projecting 
here but I think anyone who finds themselves in a situation where you really do have to prioritize your mental health usually end up reconnecting with your inner child. So, I think a very playful part of myself came out and through that process it linked itself. I think with my musical process, at the end of the day it's all the same thing coming out a different lane. A human desperation for connection started coming out through the music, I'm really writing with a lot of imagery representative to a lot of the things I'm drawing. I think the first song I did 
was called “Messed Up”. I drew that picture after having had a really important conversation with my friend Paul, I drew that picture and then wrote the song. I was like ‘wow this is really encompassing all parts of myself and I'm really inhabiting myself when I draw it and write it and sing it, as though everything is awake here’.
 
JOE: Have you found through adversity you're more inclined to be creative? You were talking about how there were some mental health issues occurring during the pandemic and had to take a leave of absence from work. Do you think that experience was pushing you creatively to produce more output?
 
GEORGIA: You know, it's interesting because I wouldn't say it’s necessarily a pattern. Usually when I'm depressed, I'm pretty useless as most of us are. Yeah, so this was kind of different, I think in this case it was like, ‘okay, Georgia your full- time job right now is to get stronger’.  I think because I've kind of made that space for myself rather than going through the motions of going to work, coming home, getting stoned, watching TV, eating snacks, zombie life you know? This time was different.
 
JOE: Regarding material, was it a clean slate starting from the ground up with illustrations and then the words, and then the music?
 
GEORGIA: I had one song written by the time I started the project. Actually, that's not true, I had two songs written. I had “Springtime in The Suburbs”. I wrote that on Easter two years ago.  Then I have “One of the People”, that one kind of felt like a psychic song predicting what the next chapter of my writing would be about. I came in with those two, and then the rest were a complete clean slate. I think I pretty much wrote and drew everything between September and 
November of 2020.
 
JOE: That was a pretty bleak time, there was an uptick of people getting sick from COVID and more cases on the rise. I can see where that would make somebody get depressed and kind of reflect inwards. Did you find that you needed to retreat into nature in order to get inspiration?
 
GEORGIA: Yeah, I definitely did start taking daily walks.
 
JOE: Talk about the writing process for us. How does it work? Do you need to be surrounded by the elements outside, or do you need to sit in a room with peace and quiet? What is your method to the madness? 
 
GEORGIA: This is funny too because professionally I'm a music teacher. I mostly work with teenagers and middle schoolers helping them express themselves through songwriting. It's funny to be asked this question. Let’s see, what is my process? I think it has to become my lifestyle to be in the writing season. It's less ‘one-offs’ and more of creating new habits like getting up at 7AM in the morning to meditate, taking one hit of pot, and drinking a cup of coffee etc. I am self-employed, at the time I was working at a company I had co-founded, but I've since left and now have the ability to build my day around my process.
 
JOE: It's nice to have flexibility in your schedule.
 
GEORGIA Yes, it's huge!
 
JOE: Do you find that you need to have conversations with other people to be inspired or can you go through the entire day not being around anybody and still feel that you can get a lot done as far as your music and your lyrics are concerned? Speaking for myself, I like to have a conversation with somebody and kind of have that steer me into a certain direction. As far as lyrical content, some people enjoy stream of consciousness where they just want to sit by themselves and let their brainwaves take over. Do you find that human conversations fall into the songwriting as well? 
 
GEORGIA: That's a really good question. I think the answer is yes but not so much like person to person. The two things for me to be healthy in my writing is journaling every day and reading. So, in some ways I guess the reading is like listening, and the journaling is the talking. People's energy can be so much sometimes that I can self-abandon in those moments and lose presence, I feel like I really do require that kind of solitude. Yeah, I hear you, the reading and writing is a similar thing.
 
JOE: Whether the information is coming from television or from your mobile device, our current political climate these past few years has been really heavy, and the rhetoric can bring you down making you feel defeated. I wanted to thank you for sharing with us your personal struggles with mental health, it takes a very strong individual to be open and transparent because not a lot of people want to talk about this topic. I think it’s an issue that needs to be addressed. Moving along, you had a collaborator named Josh Preston who played all of the instruments. How did he become part of this project, and how exactly did you work together under the pandemic, was it in person or virtual?
 
GEORGIA: Yes, Josh has been a really good friend of mine for a long time, and I've actually wanted to work with him for a long time as well. He's a very colorful songwriter and producer who is bold and has goofy concepts. He does goofy very well but it's not goofy at the expense of human connection, the way he approaches music is very observational. So, I knew that about him as a writer, and then he's also a fantastic guitar player. I also knew that over the last few years he had started getting into more of the production side of things. On my past records I've always worked with folks who are primarily producers first. I thought for this one, especially with the space I was in, and the fact that we're under a pandemicneeds to be as much fun as possible. I really trust Josh, he helped do this with so much care so I connected with him because of his enthusiasm. I thought this is already a weird concept album and the reality of our current situation linked to it. I sent him demos to all of the songs of me singing and playing different parts that I could hear specific instruments doing over it. Then I sent him the drawings and said, “take the colors in the drawings, take my musical ideas, and take everything I give you and just go crazy”.
 
JOE: You gave him the freedom to run with it? Did you have any chord charts or did you just send himdemos and had him rearrange things as he heard them?
 
GEORGIA: I sent him chords and charts, but I didn't write out the horns or string parts.
 
JOE: Okay, you gave him rough sketches with ideas as a template to work from. How long would you say it took for him to flesh out the parts and get them back to you? Was it a long process?
 
GEORGIA: He was super quick and spent maybe a week or so on a song. Then I would take the file and sing something else on top of them. It was awesome, I think he thrived from having the freedom.
 
JOE: Were you recording everything in the box? The end result sounds crisp, how was everything recorded?
 
GEORGIA: Yes, he did all that in his home studio using Logic. Once we were vaccinated, I came over and did all of the background and lead vocals. 
 
JOE: Tell me this, was there a song that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? There is often that moment where you hear a chord change that goes from the verse into the chorus and you're thinking, ‘Oh my goodness that is brilliant’. For instance, Seal’s song “Kiss from a Rose” is one of those instances where I wish I wrote it. There is a certain hook you just cannot stop humming in your head. Was there something in your music that Josh produced where you felt that way thinking, ‘wow this is the money shot, this is it?’.
 
GEORGIA: Yeah, man there was so much, I think track three “America” has a string part he wrote that really took my breath away.
 
JOE: I really embraced the lyrics in “America”. I'm going to quote you, ‘but they’re raising children on the Bible and Chick-Fil-A,  America, so free, free as a child In the cage’. Please elaborate what you were trying to convey?
 
GEORGIA: I was thinking a lot of course about the children on the border, and seeing that and hearing those stories. I'm heavily involved in a lot of youth work in youth advocacy here locally. So, you know, I would turn on the news and it would just feel like it was the kids that I'm responsible for during the day, it really affected me. Meanwhile, that's all going on and then kind of externally there was this overwhelming sense of nationalism and pride. This scenario is nothing new, but there was something just in that moment where we're hearing all about America and the freedom. I remember thinking how can we define our freedom by anything other than the most vulnerable people in this country. That's got to be the bar line, that's got to be how we measure our so-called freedom. You're only as happy as your unhappy child or however the saying goes, I'm not a parent so I don't know. I just remember thinking, ‘okay, that's how we have to define our freedom by keeping a child in a cage on American soil?’. That's how free our country is?
 
JOE: In a way you were taking on a parental role with this song. Even though you're not a parent you are still responsible for kids during the day helping, educating and protecting them.
 
GEORGIA: A lot of them are very vulnerable. Kids with skin tones, like the ones I was seeing on television.
 
JOE: That's a powerful statement, it really is. I definitely enjoyed listening to that song out of the bunch. I like them all, but the song, ‘Starring in a Play” really stood out. You may disagree, but I hear so much of Aimee Mann in your inflections, it's uncanny really.
 
GEORGIA: I am ashamed to say I have never listened to her.
 
JOE: Check her out when you have a spare moment, there is something in the tonality of voice in particular that reminded me of her. I hate to ask songwriters to discuss the meaning of their songs because I know a lot of people just want the listener interpret it how they hear it. In this particular song it seems like you're speaking about committing to your trade, and possibly trying to impress somebody by being on stage to impress them. Is it correct to say that?
 
GEORGIA: Kind of yes, but the face value of it. For me it was extending a giant metaphor, just like regular life, regular conversation, and a regular setting for rehearsing. I think I put that song first because it was kind of a hint of you sacrificing your authenticity, and that sucks. Maybe it’s being bold putting it as track number one because it is very tongue in cheek. I have no interest in Hollywood or anything like that. To me, it's so clear it's a metaphor because of course I'm a musician. It's like the rehearsal element of being up all night and here's how a normal non-depressed person functions.
 
JOE: Gotcha, I think it's a great lead off track for sure. I was also enamored by ‘Houseplant', I love the lyrics. I know everyone has an opinion on musical influences and who someone sounds like, but I heard so much Suzanne Vega and Carole King in the vocal delivery. I wanted to ask, there is a line where you’re expressing the prefix of ‘dic’ in the word dictator. Talk to me a little bit about that line, was it a fuck you to Trump?
 
GEORGIA: Oh no, I love Trump (said jokingly). Things were really scary, especially during election week in November thinking to myself what is gonna happen to democracy as we know it, and what kind of crazy shit is he or his cabinet is gonna pull here? He and his team had already gotten away with so much so why not be nervous of the final outcome?
 
JOE:  A scary time for sure, it has been like walking on eggshells having had that person as our leader. Anyway, I don't want to get too political and need to stick to the topic of conversation, which is you. There is another line that resonated with me that says ‘you don't give a shit about me, but I'm the one who saved your life’. Now to me that is a double entendree. The plants not caring about us, and our leaders not giving a shit about us yet we put them into their positions of power. Is this fair to say?
 
GEORGIA: You know, you're the second person to bring that up and I almost want to put that in my pocket and be like, ‘yes, yes, I kind of got that feeling’. It's way more narcissistic than that really. I think I was talking to the plant but I was projecting myself on to it, I hated myself and did not take care of myself yet here I was saving my stupid life. But no, I think especially coming after “America” that I could see how it could sound that way.
 
JOE: Yes, very powerful words that resonated with me. I read your press release and you mentioned Joseph Campbell's book, The Hero's Journey, as an influence. What in Campbell’s writing inspired you?
 
GEORGIA: Ah yes, around that time I was doing a lot of soul searching, consisting of really deep reading, learning about different world religions, meditation and self-reflection. I was trying to figure out where I connected to the world, and to the universe through all of this reading, whether it's Buddhism or Christianity or Hinduism or Judaism what have you, there are all of these stories about unlikely heroes vulnerable in some way, marginalized in some way against all odds coming out victorious and healed.
 
JOE: A transformation?
 
GEORGIA: Exactly. So, in thinking about that, I have a flash back to ninth grade English and studying The Hero's Journey. When I google searched, Joseph Campbell came up as the guy who spoke the loudest, so then I ordered a bunch of his books and read Pathways to Bliss, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and I just I went to town on Campbell’s writings, not so much because I appreciated him but because he had the vocabulary on this subject matter, and that's what drew me. He's not a personal hero of mine, he just happened to have words I needed to understand the template he has dedicated his life to across cultures for centuries. Once I had that, I just got a giant poster board and started tacking my songs onto it and then filled in the holes with other songs and drawings. It was the convergence of all the therapy and self-help books I was reading. They converted into the space where I could see what I needed to do in order to look at the whole picture of childhood traumas. Now I need to look at the whole picture and take a bird's eye view because these stories have existed across cultures and corners of the world. That's not a coincidence, that’s the human story I am tapping into so I can see clear. 
 
JOE: I was checking out your music on YouTube and saw a preview for a podcast Blame Your Brother. There is an interesting still shot of you holding up a sign that says ‘Feel Your Fucking Pain”, Feel Your Fucking Power’. Explain what that was all about?
 
GEORGIA: So that's a line in my song, “Whatever It Takes”, which is a song for abuse survivors. Okay, so that's verse three and I was really excited about this song because I placed the word ‘fuck’ in exactly the same spot in different sentences throughout the entire piece, which is exhilarating! Once I got on a roll it was so fun to write even though it was also dreadful. 
 
JOE: Sometimes a good ‘F-bomb’ is a nice release!
 
GEORGIA: Well, there's plenty in that 1st and 3rd verse. ‘They are not your heartbeat they're not your skin, you are not imprisoned by this body you live in see all the fucking rain coming down like a shower, feel your fucking pain to your fucking power’. So that’s the verse and that's me, like in The Hero's Journey when the hero has the ordeal. That's a horrific thing to have to deal with and for me at that point in the song sums up the big lesson I learned which is your power does come from your pain, and that also seems to be the common denominator in these global myths. 
 
JOE: Do you feel better now that the project's done and you've finished it, and do you feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders?
 
GEORGIA: In some ways yes, and in other ways it’s kind of sad because it was a painful time, but also a sacred and pure time. Now we put it on this tiny square on Instagram and use the right hashtags for your traumas, it's kind of weird. But you know, things like this happen and that's cool.
 
JOE: Do you have plans for the rest of this year to perform live, what’s on the horizon for you?
 
GEORGIA: Right now, I'm just kind of working out local stuff throughout the year and have not put too much on the table. I've taken a five piece out a few times and love touring, it has always gone really well for me. I would totally be doing it right now if I had more faith that I'm gonna walk away with X amount of dollars and not come home in the hole. I'm cautiously optimistic and we're looking at getting on the road in the spring.
 
JOE: Wonderful! Before we part ways, let’s talk a little bit about your musical past. Did you record in Nashville or elsewhere? Did you have a band and what were you doing prior to Power and Pain?
 
 
GEORGIA: My band was called Georgia English and The Jukebox Kids which was cool, but then we started approaching 30 and thought, kids? I don't want to end up like New Kids on the Block going by that and they're all in their 50s. Also, it got weird because I do work with kids, but I do for the most part still play with the same outfit I was playing with on my 2015 album Good Girls and my 2019 album Learn to Draw. In between those two I did this project where I only performed songs from the public domain, and that was mostly me with my guitar doing different finger picking ragtimes.
 
JOE: Who would you cite as your major influences as a player and songwriter?
 
GEORGIA: Well, it's funny how you tie it all together. My friend Paul Rochelle, who strangely is also from Connecticut is a Country Blues guitar player. I studied with him for a few years and study is a very funny word to use in regard to him. He's right out of the 60’s but also very grumpy, he's just a curmudgeon, and I’m saying that nicely. Paul in one breath, would say, ‘hey get off my lawn’ but then he'd look at someone and they would look cold and he would say, ‘okay, just come inside because I made some soup’. I care a whole lot less about learning finger picking then I cared about hanging out with Paul, because he’s the shit. He is in his 70s and I am in my 20s, when we hang out it feels like we're both 12. He is actually the one I wrote “Messed Up You” about and a phone call I had with him, which was also the deciding factor to do The Hero's Journey because now I have my wise old man. So, he taught me most of the finger picking stuff. Then I think my musical heroes would be Nina Simone, and I love the old soul music of Sam Cooke. 
 
JOE: Agreed, you cannot go wrong with that old school soul which still sounds ahead of its time all of these years later. How did you land in Nashville because you're originally from San Francisco, correct?
 
GEORGIA: Yes, I’m from San Francisco and went to Berklee School of Music. That's where I met Paul. Graduating from San Francisco was not an option for me. After a while I was kind of bored of Boston and almost relocated to New York but then my drummer said he wanted to move to Nashville, and it’s hard to find a decent drummer you enjoy playing with, so I followed him down south.
 
JOE: Before we get out of here, please tell the people how we can find you through all of your social handles online, and what you have down the pike in the next couple months?
 
GEORGIA: You can go. On my website I have a whole Pain and Power tab, it has all the links to where you can find the visuals, whether you want to just watch it on YouTube, or if you want to buy a hard copy of the book. It has links to that on Instagram as Georgia English and I'm on Twitter, as GeorgiaBEnglish.
 
JOE: It’s been a real pleasure chatting with you Georgia, be safe out there and best of luck to you and your career!
 
GEORGIA: Thank you so much Joe, have a great night and be good, and be safe as well!
 
Listen and buy the music of Georgia English from AMAZON
Visit the Georgia English website for more information


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elijah ocean born blue

8/21/2021

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​Elijah Ocean (from the album Born Blue available as a self-release) (by Bryant Liggett)
Elijah Ocean’s Born Blue lays a solid Country Roots foundation right out of the gate. This is solid honky tonk album that kicks in from note one when a driving Telecaster guitar delivers truck-driving twang along with Bluegrass fiddle pushes the opener “Livin’ to Love  You”….. it’s a heck of a start. “In a Perfect World” keeps his beer salty with tears, a tune that drips with sad pedal steel and lonely fiddle that fits the mood of wondering why your girl rolls home at six in the morning, without you. It’s a sad dose on a song of acceptance ‘in a perfect world, you’re still my girl but that ain’t the one we’re in’.
There’s two-stepping bouncers like “Honky Tonk Hole” and two-stepping ballads like “Ice Machine” and “Losin’ My Mem’ry” with good time bangers like “Thirty-Five”, where Elijah Ocean sings ‘I’m 35, acting 22’. Shaving 13 years off your actual age and worrying about your mistakes later is when you ‘hit the gas, don’t think about the brakes’. There’s fantastic honky tonk piano fills in the funny “A Chip off the Barroom Floor”, a blast of Tex-Mex in “The Writing on the Wall” while “The Long Haul” closes with Elijah Ocean playfully drops city names as he follows his gal around the globe. This blast of honky tonk brilliance is tomorrows Classic Country. (by Bryant Liggett)
Listen and buy the music of Elijah Ocean from AMAZON
 
Please visit the Elijah Ocean website for more information


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bandits on the run now is the time

8/21/2021

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​Bandits on the Run (from the album Now is the Time available as a self-release)  (by Bryant Liggett)
Heady, high, and hopeful harmonies shine on the latest from Bandits on the Run. Now Is the Time is a record where you can’t ignore the instrumentation as swift cellos and tight guitar work set Now Is the Time in motion, and the addition of those harmonies help this record soar. The record kicks off with the triumphant “We Battle Giants”. It is a protest song and a togetherness rally cry. The trio sing about battling giants, leaving the understanding of giants are up to your imagination. It’s a forever task as ‘there’ll always be giants that’s true, thank god that’s my favorite thing to do..
Psychedelic ‘ooooh’s’ start off “Hurricane” before a reverb heavy surf chord yields to the vocals that kick into a tune dramatic and suspenseful. “Spellbound” has a quick accordion introduction before turning into a mid-tempo tense tale of love that leaves you lost. “Sing You to Sleep” is a straight-ahead Folk lullaby, where a simple banjo roll plays support to those ever-present vocals and that sweeping cello. The cello givesNow Is the Time a classical feel, while Bandits on the Run’s heavy harmonies can set an operatic tone. The banjo will keep it Folk-honest but all wrapped up you’ve got a Folk record with Avant-garde and prog underpinnings that are there to give what you thought was Folk music a welcome and refreshing spin. (by Bryant Liggett)
Listen and buy the music of Bandits on the Run from AMAZON
 
Visit the Bandits on the Run website for more information
 


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willie nile the day the earth stood still

8/21/2021

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​Willie Nile (from the album The Day the Earth Stood Still available on River House Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
Willie Nile’s a rocker with a who’s who of colleagues. From The Boss to The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend, the Buffalo, New York native has flown under the radar while also kicking around with some of the best, all while dropping emotionally charged and glorious Rock’n’Roll rackets along the way. The blast of a beat includes Willie Nile’s latest, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Willie has created a lyrically smart, punchy Rock record that moves from sounds of Classic Rock to swift New Wave and Roots Rock.
Cuts like the title track are bouncy, sunny, and loaded with super jangly Power Pop while “Where There’s A Willie There’s A Way” starts with a gentle Beach Boys inspired melody before the power chords come crashing in. Steve Earle drops subtle lyrical quotes like ‘hippie hippie shake’ or ‘when the whip comes down’ as a guest vocalist on “Blood on Your Hands”. “I Don’t Remember You” hints at Folky-twang, “Off My Medication” is Punk Rock irreverence, and “Time To Be Great” has a head-bobbing, Funky groove. Despite all the good time Rock’n’Roll, Willie Nile also knows how to sing about something intimate to someone important, putting smack dab in the center of the record “The Justice Bell (For John Lewis.)”. It’s a smart ballad and righteous nod for the late statesman and civil rights activist. Willie Nile knows how to Clash Springsteen with Cheap Trick, dropping a 2021 record that nods to the best of yesterday with a blast of right now. (by Bryant Liggett)
 
Listen and buy the music of Willie Nile from AMAZON
 
Please visit the Willie Nile website for more information


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francesc sans l'infinit

8/14/2021

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​Francesc Sans (from the album L'Infinit available on Microscopi Records) (by Chris Wheatley)
In the Anglophone sphere, bagpipes are often assumed to be an instrument unique to the Scottish Highlands. In reality, bagpipes have been played for centuries all around the globe. Far from being restricted to largely ceremonial use, the melodic possibilities and wonderful strength of the bagpipes have been employed in numerous different ways, in countless and varied sonic settings. For startling proof of the instrument’s versatility, witness the works of American jazz musician Rufus Harley. Here, though, we’re concentrating on the very fine player, Francesc Sans. L'Infinit is the first solo album from this highly respected player, and what a fantastic record it is.
“Tres Tocs, Un Cant” begins this set in striking fashion, with eerie layers of drone, clattering hand percussion and bowed strings, before taking an abrupt right-hand turn. From that moment, the tune bounces and sparkles, with some mercurial playing from Sans over a jaunty, rattling beat, which comes in fresh, rolling in waves like an ocean. There’s some lovely wordless vocal harmonizing here, and the array of instruments employed, including violin and acoustic guitar, make for a wonderfully varied soundscape. 
“Les Quintes” builds from a lilting piano-and-voice opening, blooming out into a full-scale piece full of expressive beauty. As with every track, and despite the amount of featured players, the arrangement on this tune never feels cluttered. Not an inch of space is wasted, nor needlessly filled. Tasteful flourishes and adornments abound. Disparate sounds circle, interweave and pull apart. This is an album full of magical moments.
“El Meu Sud” displays a deeply cinematic feel, a broad, weighty canvas across which a nimble flute weaves a mournful spell. There’s something reminiscent of the great film work of Vangelis here, in the manner that large slabs of sound are made to feel, at the same time, effortlessly accessible and human. It’s an impressive piece, and highly affecting. “Amoretes”, in contrast, skips playfully along at pace, a jaunty, joyous folksy number full of galloping drums, deft changes and more fine, supple work by Sans. Herein lies the strength of his chosen instrument and of this album – the width of tone and feel is impressive, taking you on a journey of unexpected delights. “L’Horitzo,” an almost medieval-sounding number, simmers with vibrancy. Pipes swim, dive and swoop, strings intone, underline and then take the lead. With L’Infinit, there is always more going on that at first might seem. 
Vocals are used sparingly on this album, and to great effect. When the human voice appears, it blends seamlessly with the other instruments. In fact, every composition here bears an organic, earthy feel, even when the music’s metaphorical head is in the clouds. “Dolors Gegants” flows by at leisurely pace, full of pathos and drama. “L’Aloseta” takes us out in fine style, sounding almost Andean in tone, a rich, beguiling song made for hot summer nights.
L’Infinit is an album of admirable breadth and scope. In Sans’ hands, the bagpipes flash and dance like a rapier, tracing hypnotic patterns of sparkling silver. Each of the eleven tracks is memorable in its own way, each is full of surprises. It is a record bursting at the seams with ideas, put together by first-class musicians and infused with no little spirit.  (by Chris Wheatley)
Listen and buy the music of Fransesc Sans from AMAZON


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buck owens remasters

8/14/2021

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​Buck Owens (from the albums Sweet Rosie Jones, Until I’ve Got You on My Mind Again, Tall Dark Stranger available Omnivore Recordings) (by Brian Rock)
Country Music Hall of Famer, Buck Owens, finds several of his original Capitol Records releases being lovingly remastered and rereleased by Omnivore Recordings. By the end of this year, Omnivore will release nine original Buck Owens’ albums. The first three (“Sweet Rosie Jones,” “I’ve Got You on My Mind Again,” and “Tall Dark Stranger”) will hit stores on August 6th.  Three more (“Your Mother’s Prayer,” “The Kansas City Song,” and “I Wouldn’t Live In New York City”) will be released on August 27th. The final three (“In the Palm of Your Hand,” “Ain’t It Amazing, Grace,” and “[It’s A] Monster’s Holiday”) will be available on October 1st.
For those of us too young to have experienced these releases the first time around, a little perspective is in order. By 1968 when the first of these albums was released, Country music had lost its way. Hank Williams & Patsy Cline were long gone. Johnny Cash was battling his personal amphetamine demons. The Beatles had changed the musical landscape for all genres, and the Summer of Love had introduced sonic elements that were light years away from traditional Country. A confused Nashville brain trust sought refuge in the easy listening melodies of Hollywood icon, Burt Bacharach. The result was a sludge of soulless, light orchestral pap that resembled real country in the same sense that applesauce resembles real apples. Against this backdrop, Buck Owens defiantly released authentic Country music on his own terms. Buck had the foresight to create his own music publishing company, so he maintained creative control of his music. He had the Beatles cover one of his songs, which gave him crossover appeal. And he was coming off a string of 14 consecutive number one Country singles, which gave him freedom to ‘buck” Nashville. His albums during this period (1968-1974) became the bridge that spanned from traditional Country to Outlaw Country.
Unlike greatest hits packages, these albums reveal a wider array of Buck’s music. Sweet Rosie Jonesfor instance, contains the top 10 hits, “Sweet Rosie Jones,” and “How Long Will My Baby Be Gone.” But there’s also a half dozen memorable tunes that you won’t find on his “hits” compilations. “Hello Happiness, Goodbye Loneliness”, is an optimistic piano and steel guitar driven Honky-Tonk number that foreshadows Waylon Jennings at his most playful. “If I Had Three Wishes” embraces the Appalachian roots of Country. “The Heartaches Have Just Started” is a direct connection to the spirit of Hank Williams. “Everybody Needs Somebody” combines Country and Folk in a way that Jim Lauderdale will later embrace. “The Girl on Sugar Pie Lane” is a playful, Telecaster driven reminder of the fun side of love. “Happy Times Are Here Again,” also reminds us that love is meant to be enjoyed.
I’ve Got You on My Mind Again contains the hit title song and “Let The World Keep On A Turnin’.” But again, this album features great songs that were never released as singles. “I Wanna Be Wild and Free”, “Where Has Our Love Gone”, “Sing A Happy Song”, “That’s All Right With Me (If It’s All Right With You)”, “Love is Me”, and “Alabama, Louisiana, Or Maybe Tennessee” are great examples of Western music, Rockabilly, Country Ballad, and Honky-Tonk that are worthy additions to any Country collection.
Tall Dark Stranger contains the hit, movie theme sounding title track. Other stand out tracks include, “White Satin Bed,” “I’m in the Middle of a Teardrop”, “Across This Town And Gone”, “I Would Do Anything For You”, “Hurtin’ Like I’ve Never Hurt Before”, and “But You Know I Love You”. Less upbeat than the previous two albums here, this one focuses on traditional heartbreak themes. 
Together, these three albums served as a sort of north star to help rudderless Nashville find its way back to shore. The songs have all been remastered from the original tapes and sound fresher than ever. The original album artwork and liner notes are included as well as new commentary and photographs taken during the recording sessions. The text and photos are presented in a twelve page booklet for each CD, each one ending with a copy of the original Buck Owens fan club sign up card. Perhaps the best testament to these recordings comes from the original liner notes from “I’ve Got You On My Mind Again” - “If you were to feed a computer the question, ‘Why is Buck Owens such a success?’ the answer might go something like this: ‘Buck Owens is Country Music!’” It was true fifty years ago, and it’s still true today.
 
Listen and buy Sweet Rosie Jones from AMAZON
 
Listen and buy Until I’ve Got You on My Mind Again from AMAZON
 
 
Listen and buy Tall Dark Stranger from AMAZON
 
Visit the Buck Owens website for more information

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christone kingfish ingram 662

8/14/2021

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​Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram (from the album 662 available on Alligator Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
Namechecking his local area code in Mississippi, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram titles his recent album, and proudly claims territory, 662. Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram released his debut, Kingfish, in 2019. The album blew open Blues doors for the young musician, taking him from his Clarksdale, Mississippi home and around the world. Then came the next year….remember 2020? Christone Ingram returned home and while the world reflected on their own lives, the Bluesman had a whirlwind career trajectory to consider. He recalled that ‘my sophomore album is a direct reflection of my growth as a young man. This album is very personal to me as it was conceptualized, created and co-written during the Covid-19 pandemic when I returned home to the 662 after a truly whirlwind year of change and growth’. Now at 22-years old, Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram steps back on the Blues path, delivering 662 (produced by Tom Hambridge).
 
Blasting the song cycle into life, 662 opens with its title track as Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram connects his musical lineage through his birthplace with “Something in the Dirt”, follows funky chord chops into a history of the places and players that came before in “Too Young to Remember”, and offers a DIY-guide for success with “That’s What You Do”. Buddy Guy called Christone ‘the next explosion of the Blues’, helping the guitar play gets noticed as the defining voice of his generation in the Blues. 662 cites hometown love while is sheds a spotlight on gun violence with “Another Life Goes By”, tenderly whispers goodbye to a lover in “You’re Already Gone” as it shows bad love the door for “Your Time is Gonna Come”. His voice and his guitar playing are fully integrated when Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram seamlessly grooves between roaring and riffing delivering the tracks on 662. A hammered beat and guitar chord bites are the foundation for speaking the truth as Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram describes his songwriting process. An unwanted phone call get answered in “Long Distance Woman” as guitar notes take a bite out of a mighty beat as Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram confesses “My Bad” over a pounding rhythm.  (by Danny McCloskey)
 
Listen and buy the music of Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram from AMAZON
 
Visit the Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram website for more information


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los lobos native sons

8/14/2021

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​Los Lobos (from the album Native Sons available on New West Records) (by Danny McCloskey)
The musical versatility of Los Lobos meets the cultural creativity of the band’s home state in the recent release, Native Sons. The collection of cuts nods to the players and the songs that showcase the wide tastes of West Coast music. Bordering the collection, Native Sons opens with “Love Special Delivery”, originally released by Thee Midnighters, an East LA garage band and one of the first Chicano groups to land a major US hit. Exiting Native Sons is “Where Lovers Go” from The Jaguars, a band that met on the campus of L.A.’s Fremont High in 1954 and was one of the first racially diverse bands in the United States.  The songs are a musical map of California
 
The semi-title track, “Native Son”, is the lone original tune from Los Lobos on Native Sons, the story and rhythmic sway fitting perfectly in with the band’s influences and favorites. West Coast Soulman Percy Mayfield is tributed with the Los Lobos cover of “Never No More” and The Premiers in the version of “Farmer John” while Native Sons samples the short-lived LA musical sub-genre, Pachuco, with Lalo Guerrero’s “Los Chucos Suaves”. Los Lobos offer a California mix-tape with cuts from The Beach Boys (“Sail On, Sailor”), Jackson Browne (“Jamaica Say You Will”), The Blasters (“Flat Top Joint”), Buffalo Springfield (“For What It’s Worth”, “Bluebird”), and War (“The World is a Ghetto”).
 
Listen and buy the music of Los Lobos from AMAZON
 
Visit the Los Lobos website for more information


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rodney crowell triage

8/14/2021

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​Rodney Crowell (from the album Triage available on RC1 Records) (by Bryant Liggett)
A guy known as a country singer has made a record that’s anything but. Perhaps the Indie Country dudes of the 70’s have earned a right to sound as they will and record what they want, which works on Triage, the latest from Rodney Crowell. The album and opener starts as a slow ballad, a soft guitar and Crowell’s gentle croon playing it sad before “Don’t Leave Me Now” kicks into a bouncy Roots Rocker with a thick and dramatic ending. The title track is a slow groover where Rodney Crowell contemplates love and “Transient Global Amnesia Blues” has a transient, global and ambient vibe. 
Crowell drops straight Folk on “One Little Bird”, “Something Has to Change” is a blast of modern Soul, and “I’m All About Love” has a Bourbon street stroll where Rodney states his love for all things human and material, claiming ‘I love money, so what if I do, I’m perfectly happy to give mine to you’. “Hymn #43” is a stripped-down Gospel cut that closes with angelic, lyrically hopeful harmonies singing ‘let freedom ring, there will always be more work to do’ and Crowell digs into his best bits of brit-folk influence on the closer in “This Body Isn’t All There Is To Me”. Folkie new-wave and gospel, soul, R & B, roots rock, it makes sense that if someone falls under the title of Americana then their sound should pull from all corners of America and then some. Crowell still sounds great.
Listen and buy the music of Rodney Crowell from AMAZON
 
Visit the Rodney Crowell website for more information


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