Rock Is The New Roll

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.