A new collection of previously unreleased recordings from singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt has been announced. Sky Blue collects early drafts of songs like “Pancho and Lefty” and “Rex’s Blues,” recorded with Bill Hedgepeth in 1973. It also features two songs that have never been heard before—“Sky Blue” and “All I Need”—and covers of songs by Richard Dobson and Tom Paxton.
Sky Blue arrives March 7 (what would have been Van Zandt’s 75th birthday) via TVZ/Fat Possum.
— From Pitchfork —
The legend that is Allen Toussaint makes this one his own on an Austin City Limits Live performance. You can check out his studio version of the Paul Simon tune on his 2016 posthumously released album. American Tunes.
Ex Hex is made up of the power trio of Mary Timony, Betsy Wright, and Laura Harris. The band smashed their way onto the scene in 2014 with the album Rips, an album that garnered much critical acclaim and was on top of many best album of the year lists. Now, in advance of the new record It’s Real that comes out on March 22nd, we are treated to a sign of the marvelous sounds that will soon reach our collective ears.
Yet another of the really cool bands to come out of Nashville. A Rock band with an Americana bent to their vibe, “Radio” is the first single to be released from these guys that just finished touring with Tyler Childers, Margo Price and Nicki Lane. Look for the new record, In Unison, scheduled to be released on February 1.
Jeff Tweedy had a very big year in 2018. He published his auto-biography, released a new record, and is about to embark on a solo tour of America. Catch him if you can!
One of Rock is the New Roll Favorites has just released a new remix of his song “Love Supreme Work Together,” and if this is a bell weather of what we are going to see from this versatile artist in 2019 sign us up!
The Red Rum Club – Matador (Rating 5 out of 5)
With Matador, as debut albums go, Liverpool sextet The Rum Club has delivered a record that is sure to be on most of the Best-Of lists once the end of the year rolls around. With a distinct gumbo of a sound that is part 80’s Brit-Rock, part Psychedelic Rock, Part 60’s Surf-Garage, part Tarantino-Noir, and all cool, the texture of the album changes from track to track with even more influences filtering through the ears upon multiple listens.
Starting with the trumpet blazing opener “Angeline” the band comes out with all guns blazing. The song has a definite cinematic feel to it. Thinking back to the final episode of The Sons of Anarchy, this would have been a perfect soundtrack to the last scene with the police chasing Jax Teller into the sunset.
You have now been duly warned, “Would You Rather Be Lonely” is an earworm of a song that you wont be able to shake for a quite a while. A DNA kit might be needed to figure out the various influences that envelope this one, and that is a very good thing. It starts out with Ventures worthy Surf Rock, but quickly morphs into a Rock anthem with the entire band kicking in to show off their immense musical and harmony chops.
“Honey”, another belter of a song, brings comparisons to Low Cut Connie from the other side of the pond, one of several songs that will serve the band well on the summer festival circuit in 2019, and mark our words, you are going to be hearing “Nobody Comes Out Alive” on a cable or streaming series in the very near future, maybe even on the next True Detective, or the new season of Ray Donovan. And, just a note to the band, I know you need to make money, but If I hear this on a BMW commercial with a video of a car barreling down the Pacific Coast Highway, after toasting you with a robust “Good On Ya”, there will be a tinge of another great band gives up their artistic soul regret likely resulting in a three day bender with Matador on constant replay. Then again if this happens, everybody wins.
In a bit of a Sophie’s choice internal dilemma, if we must choose, “Calexico” comes out as a favorite song on the album. Since the album was only officially released a couple of hours ago and I have only listened to the record 4 times, and “Calexico” probably more than ten times now, this ranking may change, however as of now, the song remains the same. Checking off all of the musical touch points; infectious rhythm, passionate vocals, subtle mariachi horns, all showing off a band that is as tight as any in the business right now.
Stick with “Nobody Get’s Out Alive” past the first 30 seconds or so when panic sets in as the wheels seem to start coming off with the song drifting ever so slightly into U2 territory. But fear not, in very short order the entire affair seems to shift into some eclectic and brilliant mix that could have been a long lost early INXS single. All is right with the world as this one stacks up as one of the top three tunes on the album.
Ending with the title track “Matador” is somewhat of bold move, but in some ways it seems to make perfect sense. The vibe slows down with the musical landscape significantly widened, making this a perfect closer to the album, and a song in my minds ear, I can see as a beautiful closer to a great live show as they tour the country.
I only have one question for this, one of my new favorite bands. What are you doing Super Bowl Sunday?
— Bernie Sparrow —
St. Paul Peterson is best known as the keyboard player that replaced Jimmy Jam for Morris Day and the time. Discovered by Prince as a teenager, Peterson is know a much in demand session player having tickled the ivories for the likes of Steve Miller, Stevie Wonder, Boy George, Lionel Richie and many others.
“Cheer Up Charley” is one of the character sketches that the Delines deliver up with their latest Gem of an album, The Imperial. Charley is a day drinker trying to recover from a wife that has left him and a dead end job on the docks. Willy Vlautin really knows his way around a song. Singer Amy Boone wrings every bit of emotion out of a song that have fight right in on a Tom Waits record.
Nashville by way of Atlanta musician Ben Cramer under his stage name Old Sea Brigade has crafted a highly atmospheric record that has tinges of Folk and Americana in its DNA. Highly addictive stuff.
Rock Is The New Roll 