Category: Artists We Like

What We’re Listening To Wednesday (November 27, 2019)

It’s been a bit slow on the music scene the last couple of weeks, but despite the lack of quality there definitely is a whole lot of quality.

Daniel Donato – Never Been a Lover

Yet another great singer from the Nashville vicinity, his recently released e.p., Starlight, has been on heavy rotation at Rock is the New Roll H.Q..

Nils Lofgren – Pretty Soon

His work with Bruce Springsteen, of course, is legendary, and his back in the day band Grin is pretty cool as well. But we love his solo work the best.

Tim Buckley – Hong King Bar

Tim Buckley’s 1972 release Greetings from L.A. is on the top 50 platters of all time to our ears. Tim Buckley, Jeff’s father, like his son met an untimely end. With a style that is a bit less hazy than his son’s and slightly more accessible, the album is pure ’70s Folk Rock at its finest.

The High Divers – Ride With You

Another one of the fine bands from Charleston, SC, the Tom Petty influence can’t be shaken, but that is never a bad thing. Their entire e.p. is a treat especially when the entire band jumps in like they do on “Our Love Is A Fire.”

David Blue – Grand Hotel

Roaming round on the fringes of the Laurel Canyon scene in the days of Linda, The Eagles and the rest of the denizens, David Blue, for unknown reasons, never really caught the wave the others rode to stardom. Always rooting for the underdog, his catalog is worth a listen.

Mother Hips – White Falcon Fuzz

Mixing pretty much all of the genres that we love, Americana, Pop, Psych, California Boogie, with a touch of Jam-Band on the side, this S.F. based band is our go-to music comfort food.

Live Video of the Day: Blackberry Smoke – Flesh and Bone (Homecoming: Live In Atlanta)

From their epic newly released album recorded live at The Tabernacle in Atlanta in 2018. All of their hits are on this set plus a couple of choice covers in “Space Captain” and (Not Fade Away.)

The Top Songs of 2019 (40-36)

There have been a lot of really great songs released in 2019. This year, we will be revealing our top 100 songs five tunes at a time all the way to number one. Here are our picks for 40-36

40. Dirty Honey – Rolling 7s

If like most of us, you are sick and tired having just about every music critic this side of Cameron Crowe trying to jam Greta Van Fleet down your throat as the next great Rock and Roll band, we present to you, Dirty Honey. This L.A. band plays what they call “new-fashioned Rock and Roll.” With a sound that is some sort of devil hybrid between Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, their 2019 six-song mini-album will rock your plimsoul.

39. The Stereophonics – Bust This Town

A bit maligned in their own U.K. The Stereophonics have been doing their thing for over 20 years now. The second single to be released from their 2019 Kind L.P., celebrates escapism in all its forms.

38. Garret T. Capps – All Right, All Night

Garret T. Capps is one of those stylistic and artistically hip Americana influenced artists along the lines of Tennessee Jet, Sturgill Simpson and Robert Ellis. “All Right, All Night” is only one of several terrific songs on his 2019 release of the same name.

37. Sir Woman – Highroad

Sir Woman is the newest project for Kelsey Wilson, co-founder of Wild Child. On “Sir Woman” she uses her singing and arranging skills on this string and horns laden stunner. With a snappy beat and a ’60s vibe, this one has a “feel good” feeling that demands to be on your year-end playlist.

36. Lucille Furs – Paint Euphrosyne Blue

Lucille Furs and their 2019 record, Another Land, have, and it’s not even close, released the Psychedelic album of the year. Full of Beatles, Monkees, and even 13th Floor elevators Austin Powers groovability, “Paint Euphrosyne Blue,” just one of stellar songs, could have been on a Monkees record back in the day.

 

 

 

 

 

Live Video of the Day: Dead Writers – She’s All Animals

Based in London, this band was formed by Dynamic front man Paul Shine in 2017. With a sound that hovers somewhere between The Cult and INXS, the band is in slow release mode with this, their third release in the last several months. Look for a proper record in 2020.

Best Albums of 2019: The Reconstructed – Great North Wind

 

Whoever said that the only good music comes out of Austin, the left coast, or New York, has obviously never heard of The Reconstructed, the best thing to come out of Southern Maine since the lobster. Their latest record, Great North Wind, is a melodic stunner of an album with delicious hooks, sweet vocals, and enough of a Power Pop sensibility to make Alex Chilton jealous.

The opener, “Cross Talk” is what the stork would have delivered if the parents were the Bands Crazy Horse and The Bodeans, and the title track shares some DNA with Jason Isbell and the 400 unit. “Wrapped” sounds like it could have been a R.E.M. B-side, “50 Minute Records” features next-level songwriting, and “Talking With Your Ghost” rhythmically carries a bit of a John Mellencamp torch. In “Something Came Over Me” your mind’s ear will be able to detect a bit of pre-Phil Genesis on a song that vitally demonstrates the intricate songcraft and Prince level musicianship delivered on this album.

In short, while bits, pieces, and resemblances of other great bands might be salted here and there on this record, don’t be mistaken, this album and this band is a wholly unique unicorn that should be reaching more ears.

Live Video of the Day: The Black Crowes – She Talks To Angels (Live In Atlanta 1991)

The office halls of Rock is the New Roll are giddy with delight over the reunion of the Brothers Robinson and their subsequent tour next year. Now, if only the Davies brothers can get their stuff together for a Kinks get together. Are you listening, Noel and Liam?

Music Podcast Review: The Walker Lukens Song Confessional ded

The premise is deceptively brilliant. Gussy up a cool looking trailer into a space where people can enter and bare their souls confession style, drag the trailer around the country to music venues, festivals and other haunts where music fans tend to mingle, and chop it up with folks that have a story to tell. Once the story is told, the transcript is turned over to one of the many talented, mostly Austin based, songwriters. They, then, have four hours to write a song using the bones of the story that was just told. And then, once written, the song is professionally recorded to be pressed to a seven inch vinyl record and presented to the storyteller.

A year and a half in the making Walker, along with fellow musician Zac Catanzaro, have partnered with Austin radio station KUTX to gather the best of the Song Confessional tales into a one of a kind weekly podcast.

Episode 1 features a somewhat bizarre set of circumstances where the narrator experiences death first hand over the course of a bus ride and a road trip from Fort Worth to Austin. We won’t go into any more details, you can enjoy it for yourself by clicking on Walker himself below.

The song generated for episode 1, “Don’t Let Me Die in Waco,” written by Austin based Croy & The Boys, is a good ol’ Jerry Jeff Walker style Honky Tonk sing-along with the band tune. It is stellar, and Bad Boy Croy only needed one hour to write it. Texas Longhorns will love the song, Sooners and Aggies will be mildly amused, and Baylor Bears will be downright pissed.

And, while your in the listening mode, check out Croy & The Boys latest record, Howdy High-Rise.