Author: falconi5

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

Five Cool Ones: Five (More) Reasons That Rock is not Dead

Diesel Park West – Golden Mile

This Leicester band blazed on our radar way back in 1989 with their glorious debut album Shakespeare Alabama, and have never really left. On their latest record, Let It Melt, they continue to impress with their melodic riff-tastic anthems.

Quaker City Night Hawks – Suit In The Back

Formed in Forth Worth in 2012, the Quaker City Night Hawks are constantly and consistently refining their sound. On their latest self-title record they mix funky rockers with piano-led ballads. On “Suit In The Back” they look back to when they were pulled over and arrested for the possession of marijuana concentrate.

Goodbye June – Switchblade Heart

Owing a heavy debt ZZ Top and Creedence Clearwater, Breakout Nashville rockers Goodbye June, drawing on their religious upbringing, take the performance aspects of a Pentecostal revival to the Rock and Roll stage with their fiery live shows.

Flying Colors – Love Letter

A Progressive Rock supergroup channeling their inner Beatles and ELO, Mike Portnoy, Steve Morse and Neal Morse join singer Carey McPherson in a harmony drizzled dose of Sunshine Pop.

Black Stone Cherry – Me & The Devil Blues

Kentucky rockers Black Stone Cherry really drill down deep into the blues with this Robert Johnson cover from their second Blues tribute album Back to the Blues 2.

Live Video of the Day: Trey Anastasio – Back In The U.S.A. (Live From Here with Chris Thile)

When you haven’t heard a song in a while and you are hit between the ears with an entirely unique version courtesy of one of your favorite artists, there is a certain serendipity in the universe.

Five Cool Ones – Five New Albums Released This Week (October 18, 2019)

You know we are getting into the dog days of the year when you start getting ear bombed with new Christmas releases. With rare exceptions, most notably the Kate Bush classic 50 Words for Snow from a few years back, there is really no reason for records like Rob Halford’s Christmas album “Celestial” (released today) to exist. And, don’t darken our ears with The Jimmy Buffet entry in this years Christmas lottery with the horribly named ‘Tis the Sea Son. Since we have a soft spot for Neil Diamond we are down with his release, but no, the world doesn’t need a new Holiday record from The Oak Ridge Boys. Where is Nick Lowe when we need him. Here are five (Non Christmas) records we are grooving to this week.

White Reaper – You Deserve Love

heading towards the head of the pack on our list of 2019’s favorite records, White Reaper with their latest release hits that sweet spot between Cheap Trick and Thin Lizzy. From the opening track, “Headwind” that sounds a bit like The Killers in Glam mode, to the twin guitar attack on “Might Be Right” this is an old school Rock and Roll record for the new generation.

The Magpie Salute – High Water II

High Water II, the appropriately titled sequel to High Water I, comes so close to sounding like vintage Black Crowes it might as well be a reunion record. And no, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Heavy on rockers and blues-boogie with an occasional acoustic interlude thrown in for good measure with Rich Robinson providing the guitar riffage.  In the battle of the brothers Robinson for world domination Chris definitely has some catching up to do.

Milk Carton Kids – The Only Ones

Be ready to lay down some chill vibes with the new Milk Carton Kids Record, The Only Ones. If you could create a Frankenstein duo with one member of Simon and Garfunkel and one of the brothers Everly, the resulting spawn would give you The Milk Carton Kids. At a tidy 7 songs this one is a perfect listen for that spare half hour in an otherwise hectic day.

The Drunken Hearts – Wheels of the City

With their hardscrabble approach to Americana, The Drunken Hearts lay down an earthy blend of Bluegrass, Outlaw, and Americana that would make Jamey Johnson and Cody Jinks proud. Lead singer Andrew McConathy has a bit of Michael Stipe by way of Hootie and the Blowfish front man Darius Rucker in his voice, particularly on the title track. The band mixes rowdy anthems with broad soundscapes on a record that will capture your ears with subsequent listens.

Jimmy “Duck” Holmes – Cypress

Another stellar and eclectic release from the Nashville based Dan Auerbach studio, Easy Eye Sound, the outfit that brought you Yola, Dee White, and Shannon Shaw just to name a few. Now, with Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, we are introduced to one of the last living bluesmen. Mixing a fuller sound than you would expect, drawing in a full band that includes Marcus King on a couple of songs with just Jimmy and his guitar on others, the essence of a real Mississippi juke joint is on full display with every gutteral vocal and every greasy guitar lick.