Category: A Rock and a Roll

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (September 6, 2024)

Beware fellow rock and rollers it is tough sledding out there. But no worries, we are doing the work so you don’t have to.

Back from the dead after imploding last year, founding guitarist Flippa Nassil with two new band members has delivered Thundermother from the ashes. Here is their new blues rock crusher, “So Close.”

The Blues Brother himself Steve Cropper delivers a Bluesy song “You Can’t Refuse” with country crooner Tim Montana providing some vocal heft.

And, the halls of Rock is the New Roll are absolutely enchanted with “You, Me, and the Alcohol” a banger of a song from the Italian metal band’s 2018 record, White Mask.

But, enough foreplay. Here are five tasty morsels released into the wild this week for your listening pleasure.

The Cold Stares – The Southern

On album number seven The Cold Stares are more fully formed with their Black Crowes meets Bob Seger Midwest charm of a rock and roll record.

“Giving It Up” is a straight-up blues rocker that would fit in nicely in the middle of a Kenney Wayne Sheppard set, “Level Floor Blues” is a story song about a girlfriend’s running him out of town, and “Looking For A Fight” would be escalated to stone cold classic if they were to have secured a guest-slinger appearance from Joe Bonamassa.

This one should go up on your mantle along with the latest Black Crowes as the rock album of the year.

Eva Cassidy – Walkin’ After Midnight

Another stellar song set from the archives of the late Eva Cassidy. With mostly spare accompaniment, the careful song curation of this record moves the proceedings from just another cover song album to a sublime listen.

The 12 previously unreleased tracks were recorded at Maryland Inn’s King of France tavern in 1995. With the guitar, violin, and bass providing a laid-back vibe to complement Cassidy’s immense vocal prowess.

Other versions of these songs may be found in other releases, but these, recorded in this venue that was built in 1772, stand above the rest with “Summertime,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine” standing tall as case in point.

The Heavy Heavy – One Of A Kind

If you were to combine the swagger of The Rolling Stones with California psych-rock, Mama’s and Papa’s gang vocals, and the Byrds blend of British invasion you would have nailed the essence of the band Heavy.

The UK-based band’s debut album is a sparkling record that will take you on a groovy journey with highlights-a-plenty including the Laurel Canyon-tinged, Walker Brothers pastoral “Salina,” the Jefferson Airplane worthy “Dirt,” and the Donovan-inspired “Lemonade” leading the way on this strong candidate for debut record of the year.

George Strait – Cowboys and Dreamers

Sure, his style has never changed, he doesn’t write his own songs, but heck, never did Elvis, and he stays out of the spotlight. But, at the end of the day, he wears the hell out of a cowboy hat and is still King George.

This latest set features the barroom lament with “Three Drinks Beyond,” the ode to days gone by in “Cowboys and Dreamers, and, of course, the cowboy gets the girl represented on “To The Moon.”

If you like George Straight, this is your jam. If you don’t, what the hell is wrong with you.

Mercury Rev – Born Horses

With a band as intricately diverse as Mercury Rev, it’s no wonder that it has been 5 long years since the release of their homage to Bobbie Gentry’s The Delta Suite. And now, with Born Horses we are treated to a palate of jazz, folk, spoken word, and Laurel Canyon mellowness all in one package.

The opener, “Mood Swings” emanates like a Chuck Mangione operatic opus, “A Bird With No Address” plays it fairly straight forward and is pure majestic pop, with the closer “There Has Always Been A Bird In Me” has a more upbeat Leonard Cohen esthetic.

This is a swerving artistic sort of listen with John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk in its heart and Leonard Cohen lurking in the shadows.

Video of the Day: The Georgia Thunderbolts – Wait

Aptly labeled as the torchbearers of Southern Rock alongside Blackberry Smoke and Black Stone Chery, the Georgia Thunderbolts with their latest record Rise Above It All carry a gutsy and gritty vibe that will have you breaking out your old Molly Hatchett T-shirts.

Five Cool Ones: Five New Records Released This Week (August 30,2024)

The heat is on as the summer gives us one last heat wave, and the new releases are falling right in line.

Monster rockers and recent RISTNR favorites D-A-D crank up their riff machine with their latest single, “Keep That Mother Down.”

The head of the snake David Coverdale has been releasing the venom with singles from his upcoming remastered Solo-era albums.

And, the Saskatoon rockers Sheepdogs dig the retro 70’s madness with “Take Me For A Ride.”

But wait, back by popular demand may we present five banger records for your ear-bath.

Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts – Rogue To Redemption

Through his innovative single-release strategy we have been treated to several of these gems over the last few months, and finally, Tuk Tuk Smith has released the Kraken and delivered what should be, ears-down, the best rock and roll record of the year.

The opener, “Take The Long Way” has all the panache of a Cheap Trick Heaven Tonight era classic, and Glorybound would have been a perfect ‘70s rocker in the Greg Kihn by way of Rick Springfield mold.

With more hooks than an episode of Dangerous Catch, Tuk Smith has burst into the spotlight with enough swagger to be considered as the replacement for Stephen Tyler in Aerosmith.

Steve Wynn – Make It Right

From his early days with the Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn has established himself as a scion of the scene as well as a songwriter of the highest order.

On his new record, Make It Right, Wynn with his first solo record in 10 years, is joined by members of R.E.M., Bangles, Psychic Temple, and The Baseball Project, on a song set that was written in conjunction with his recently released memoir, I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True.”

The record, starting with the opener “Santa Monica” takes the listener on a journey of a live well lived and a man coming of age growing up in the L.A. Punk scene.

The Boxmasters – Love And Hate In Desperate Places

If your only exposure to Billy Bob Thornton has been in the form of Slingblade, Bad Santa, or the series Goliath, you are in for a treat. Well before he hit the big screen Thorton was a serious musicician and has been playing with his band The Boxmasters for decades.

Built on a bed of blues-based Honky Tonk Americana, there is a whisper of British Invasion and mid-era Byrds by way of Tom Petty taking flight in their music. Billy Bob’s vocals are not particularly strong, but he stays in his lane with descriptive songwriting and the cracker-jack band leading the way.

Los Bitchos Talkie Talkie

Mostly instrumental, Talkie Talkie, the latest swinging record from Los Bitchos, the London-based that has a sparking electricity about them will be you next party record.

Part Tiki, part surf music, and all fun. Swirl to the vibe of “Tango and Twirl,” fly to the Orient on Air “Talkie, Talkie, Charlie Charlie,” and head to the border while listening to “La Bomba.”

This is escapism in all its glory.

Shemekia Copeland – Blame It In Eve

Starting her career at the age of 18 backing up Koko Taylor, Shemekia Copeland is the heir to the “My Guy Done Me Wrong” love ballad. And now, she is out with another socio-political belter with her latest, “Blame It On Eve.”

On the opener, “Blame It On Eve,” Copland laments women losing the right to choose, and on “Broken High Heels” she takes on the state of the country with a venom that only she can produce.

But don’t panic, Shemekia gets down and silky with “Wine O’Clock, her ode to unplugging from life’s worries, and down on dirty covering Johnny Copeland’s “Down On Bended Knee”

This one might be the blues album of the year.

What We’re Listening To (August 26, 2024)

The Sheepdogs – Take Me For A Ride

Coming off their somewhat ear-scratching foray into yacht rock with the last single, “Darlin’ Baby,” the boys from Saskatoon are back with the drop of a surprise E.P. A sunny ‘70s glam stomp of a single.

The Hot Damn! – Can you Hear Me Now?

How much more disco-era can you get with the mantra “come on, come on the disco’s calling” ringing in your ears? This single from their up and comer, Dancing On The Milky Way, due in September, is a straight up balls to the wall ‘80s Power Pop stunner.

Lions In The Street – Moving Along

This one is so Stones adjacent it might as well come with its own supermodel and heroin addiction. Back after life’s circumstances threw them several curve balls, Lions In The Street landed their time machine to fire up our speakers and light up our world.

The New Roses – When You Fall In Love

If Bryan Adams was the frontman for Def Leppard you would be getting the essence of German rockers The New Roses. This ‘80s anthemic rocker is a throwback to those days when rock and roll was pure.

Amyl & The Sniffers – Chewing Gum

Another banger of a band from the thriving Aussie music scene. This one head-bangs along led by lead singer Amy Taylor, with a swagger about her that would make Exene Cervenka jealous.