Author: falconi5

A place for musically minded folk to get together and share ideas, reviews, and basically spread the word.

Cover Cover Song of the Day: Blackberry Smoke – Take The Highway (Live from Capricorn Studios)

Charlie Starr and the boys in Blackberry Smoke really know there way around a Southern Rock cover song. Here, they slay the heck out of the classic Marshall Tucker Band road song.

Five Cool Ones: Five Cool Albums Released This Week (April 24, 2020)

Ok, let’s take care of the elephant in the room right away. If you are a Danzig fan, do NOT listen to the new Danzig record, Danzig Sings Elvis. If you are an Elvis fan, do NOT, under any circumstances listen to, Danzig Sings Elvis. Now, if there were some way we could get an Elvis Does Danzig record, well color us hell to the yeah.

This week is more notable for the singles and E.P.’s than albums. The Everly Brothers cover version of “Mr. Soul” from an upcoming archives release, is next-level cool. The Rolling stones have a new single out, are you listening to this Billy Joel, called “Living In A Ghost Town,” that is pretty epic. Jackson Browne is pimping his new record set to come out later in the year with the song “Downhill From Everywhere” that is pure ’80s era, Jackson. And, Rock Is The New Roll muse Check Prophet gives us a treat with a four-song mini-E.P. foreshadowing his new record, Land Time Forgot.

But, we digress. Here are five cool ones giving us an eargasm this week.

Lucinda Williams – Good Souls Better Angels

We suppose it was only a matter of time that Lucinda Williams would make her presence known on her view of the state of affairs in the country today. If you had any doubt before where she stands, the song titles alone on this one will tell you pretty much everything you need to know. “You Can’t Rule Me,” Man Without a Soul,” and “Down Past the Bottom” are just three. But, politics aside, this is Lucinda at her Tom Waits by way of Steve Earle with a nod to Patti Smith best.

Darell Scott – Darrell Scott Sings the Blues of Hank Williams

Full disclosure here, while Rock is the New Roll writers Cletus Crowe and Jeremy Wren might not be fans of cover songs, or entire albums of songs covering one artist for that matter, some of us, the ones that matter, love them. And here, is one terrific one in Darell Scott Sings the Blues of Hank Williams. “Just a Deck of Cards and a Jug of Wine” is a terrific and accessible way to take a journey down the Lost Highway that is the Joie-de-vie of Hank Williams.  The arrangements here are contemporary enough to make this a cool as hell listen and the nod of the cowboy hat is always front and center. “Lost Highway” is a must-listen, and the closer “(I Heard That) Lonesome Whistle” might just bring you to your knees. We are calling our shot now. This is the covers album of the year.

Wyldlife – Year of the Snake

It has been back in the days of yore, the days of  The Biters and The Struts, since a real live Rock and Roll band has garnered as much praise within the hallowed halls of Rock is the New Roll HQ as we have heard in recent days with the release of Year of the Snake, the new record from Wyldlife. All killer, no filler, as they say with that intoxicating flair of blending ’80s Brit-rock, ’70’s Glam, and CBGB’s Ramones era Post-Punk, all in one blender. Anthems galore on this one including “Sacre Bleu,” “Automatic,” and naturally, our favorite, the album closer, “The Falcon.”

Hazel English – Wake Up

Wake Up, the hippy, trippy debut L.P. from New Zealander Hazel English is some sort of wicked hot tub time machine, Austin Powers soundtracking, mind warp blending of a Best Coast, Dusty Springfield, Marianne Faithful extravaganza as produced by Phil Spector. Just listen to “Shaking” and tell us we’re wrong.

Brendan Benson – Dear Life

If you have not heard One Mississippi, the Power Pop masterpiece by Brendan Benson released in 1996, stop whatever you are doing right now and listen to it. Here, we will help you out with that.

Now, with your pump sufficiently primed, take an ear-gander at Dear Life, the first proper record Brendan Benson has released into the wild since 2013. Taking a break from his side-piece band, the Jack White-fronted  Raconteurs, Benson proves once again that despite what Matthew Sweet might tell you, Benson is the reigning prince of Power Pop.

 

Video of the Day: Massy Ferguson – Maybe The Gods (feat. Adra Boo)

When you are named after a farm equipment company your hardscrabble Americana deep Roots credentials better be set in stone, and these guys don’t disappoint. With songs in the Uncle Tupelo, Jayhawks, and Backsliders mode their cinematic storytelling includes bad motels, whiskey, and long stretches down the highway.

Song of the Day: The Dead Daisies – Unspoken

With the addition of iconic singer and bass player Glen Hughes, the Dead Daisies might finally be on to something.  This stellar group along with Hughes includes Doug Aldrich, Deen Castronovo, and David Lowy. The Rock and Roll band pedigree that includes Whitesnake, Journey, Deep Purple, and Dio, is second to none. If you like ’70s era rock in the mold of Bad Company, Foreigner, and Aerosmith, you will love the new incarnation of the Dead Daisies.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Albums Released This Week (April 17, 2020)

When Fiona Apple, Shelby Lynne, and The Vapors, yes those “Turning Japanese” Vapors, come out with new records in the same week, it must be a sparkling week for new music.

Fiona Apple – Fetch the Boltcutters

One of the most intimate records to come out so far this year, Fiona Apple lays it all on the line with Fetch the Boltcutters, her first album since 2012. From the opener “I Want You to Love Me” you can feel the pain expressed in her voice with a heart laid bare for all to endure the pain right alongside her. With sudden starts, stops and tempo changes the listener is asked to listen attentively and allow themselves to be immersed in a world that is uniquely Fiona Apple’s.

Bobby Bare – Great American Saturday Night

With 2 top-notch records already released with Bare and Sleeper Wherever They Fall, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of room for the live Great American Saturday Night back in 1978 when it was recorded, or, that is what the record company said anyway. Having been shelved for the better part of 21 years the album finally gets to see the light of day in all its Honky Tonk Glory. And what a party record it is. Filled with plenty of raucous sing-alongs right alongside tawdry ballads, along with the between-song storytelling that has long been a fixture at Bobby Bare shows, this one is hands down the tonk release of the year.

Soul Asylum – Hurry Up and Wait

No, this is certainly not “Runaway Train” Soul Asylum and it has been 28 years since Grave Dancer’s Union came out, but does it really matter. As long as Dave Pirner is involved, here he is the only original band member, we are ears all in. Rocking it up on “Got It Pretty Good” and going a bit lower and slower on “Social Butterfly” this record stops short of being excellent but is uniquely satisfying in its own right as long as you consider this a Dave Pirner solo effort and not a Soul Asylum album.

Ron Sexmith – Hermitage

Recorded in his home studio collaborating with his longtime drummer and producer Don Kerr, this set of intimate sounding gems has a bit of a Kinks feel to it that is quite pleasing to the ear. With the typical Sexmith whimsey inherent in songs like “Winery Blues” and “Apparently Au Pair” this one proves once again that the escapism that is generated when music is done well is pleasing to the soul and healing to the heart.

Datura4 – West Coast Highway Cosmic

The band, named after a two-lane blacktop along the coast of Western Australia is a Blues Rock boogie band that sorts of floats between The Black Keys and Deep Purple with Charlie Musselwhite joining them for the ride.

Described as Garagey but not Grungey, Power Poppy but not cheesy, muddy but not sludgy, Blues respecting but not formulaic, trippy but not spacey this is a band that seems to be carving out their own musical niche.

The title track has a certain “Highway Star” feel to it complete with Hammond B-3 and the extended instrumental interludes on most of these songs would make this record and epic road trip soundscape. The songs “Give” and “You’re the Only One” are, to our ears, pound for pound two of the best that have heard all year.

And yes, Datura4 is one of our favorite new bands.

 

 

Live Video of the Day: Ronnie Wood With His Wild Five (feat. Imelda May) – Johnny B. Goode (Later…With Jools Holland)

Ronnie Wood rips up this version of Johnny B. Good with able assistance from Imelda May. Check out his latest release with The Wild Five on his new record, Mad Lad: A Live Tribute to Chuck Berry.