You would not expect the son of Richard and Linda Thompson to make a straight up country record but that is exactly what Teddy Thompson did on his third album “Up Front and Down Low”. Other than the song “Down Low” this album is comprised of all classic country songs from some of Thompson’s favorite artists. Thompson is not what you would call a country singer but he makes a better country record than 99.9% of the artists in Nashville. It is a shame this album did not get the attention it deserves. Click to read more …
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Here’s the deal about Edwin McCain, if all you know is “I’ll Be” then you don’t know Edwin McCain. In fact, on many occasions he has stated, that one song has ruined his image if not his career. Edwin is much more of a singer-songwriter in the Americana genre then a balladeer. The Album “The Austin Session” is a real grass roots album with heart, emotion, and one that paints a picture of the America we live in from coast to coast.
If you are a fan of true middle America-grass roots rock and roll, you will really love Edwin McCain’s true artistic side. Even though he is from South Carolina, Edwin McCain has a real firm grip on Middle America, with a Midwestern sensibility. Most casual fans no little about Edwin’s body of work in this genre, but if you are a fan on Americana, this is an album, and an artist, you will really enjoy. Click to read more …
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A lot of bands make great debut albums and then promptly crap their pants on their second release. That was not the case with this band.
The Crowes were on the road for 2 years after releasing “Shake Your Money Maker”. The album sold over 3 million copies and had monster radio hits “She Talks To Angels” and the Otis Redding cover “Hard to Handle”. It would be a tough act to follow. So on New Years Day 1992 the band reconvenes in Atlanta, Georgia to record the follow up. They had already fired original guitar player Jeff Cease and replaced him with Marc Ford who had been playing with Burning Tree. Keyboardist Ed Harsch was also added to the lineup, a move that would pay dividends for the next 15 years. When the band emerged 8 days later they had completed “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion”.
I think TSHAMC is this band’s finest moment. It really is the perfect album. You can tell immediately the band had obviously benefited from two years on the road and the addition of Marc Ford and Ed Harsch had the band playing at a level it could not have just a year earlier. The band announces their arrival on this record with back to back rockers “Sting Me” and “Remedy”. This is where you really hear the interaction between Rich Robinson and Marc Ford on guitar. They create a sound reminiscent of “Sticky Fingers” era Rolling Stones. They then stretch out on the tunes “Thorn in My Pride”, “Bad Luck Blue Eyes” and “Sometimes Salvation”. This portion of the album really foreshadows the direction the band was heading in at that point. They could no longer be compared to a 3 chord bar band. They were playing more complex arrangements that were showing their growth while sticking to their roots.
The second half of this album is where they really turn things up. Chris displays his fine harmonica playing on “Hotel Illness” while singing ” I got a head full of sermons and a mouth full of spiders”. They follow that up with two absolute ass kickers “No Speak No Slave” and the ferocious “My Morning Song”. The album is finished off with a fine cover of the Bob Marley song “Time Will Tell”. I have always thought the band wears there influences on their sleeves and it really shows on this album all the way down to the album cover which is a nod to the classic album “The Band” by The Band. If you want to know what a band sounds like when it is hitting on all cylinders put this album on and let it play. While you are listening to it remember that it was made in 8 days. What have you accomplished over the past 8 days?
Later,
Nick
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32 seconds is all you need to figure out what kind of album “Roadhouse Sun” is going to be. At the 32 second mark of the very first song on the album the band kicks in and Bingham howls “when the day is done I was born a bad man’s son” and I think I believe him.
“Roadhouse Sun” is the second album Bingham has put out on a major label. Bingham’s first album “Mescalito” was released in 2007. “Mescalito” was a fine album that I have listened to more than a few times since it’s release but “Roadhouse Sun” is on another level. This album, like the first album, was produced by Marc Ford of Black Crowes fame. Ford also lends his guitar skills to the album as well.
Bingham and his band The Dead Horses live on the road and this album reflects that. Although he is not even 30 years old Bingham has a voice that sounds like it has been on the road playing clubs for at least 30 years. Rolling Stone compared Bingham’s voice to that of “Steve Earle’s dad” and I could not agree more. When you listen to this album you hear a truth in his voice, lyrics, and the music that is hard to find these days. The album feels as if it was recorded live and I would have to guess Pro Tools was not used in the making of this album.
While this album has a roots/Americana/country feel with songs such as “Dylan’s Hard Rain”, “Tell My Mother I Miss Her So”, and “Country Roads” Bingham also proves he can turn up the volume as well. This album has plenty of songs with big guitars that sound like they were taken straight off of an Uncle Tupelo record. If you don’t believe me check out “Change Is”,”Hey Hey Hurray”, “Endless Ways” or the best song on the album “Bluebird”. I can tell you from experience that these songs translate live as well. I saw Bingham perform nearly this entire record live and it was one of the best concerts I have ever seen.
This record is too “rock” for country radio and too “country” for rock radio so you will need to trust me on this one. “Roadhouse Sun” is one of the best albums I have purchased in the last five years. If you want to hear music that is made for the right reasons I highly encourage you to pick up this record.
Later,
Nick
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This session’s album of the minute is The Replacements “All Shook Down.” The album came out in 1990 as the follow up to “Don’t Tell a Soul,” which was The Replacements first commercially successful undertaking. The Replacements started out in 1979 and quickly became the leaders in the underground punk movement in the blossoming Minneapolis musical underground. Through out the 80’s they released a fury of heart pounding albums in a soul stirring punk style, but each one became a bit more refined.
In the late 80’s they started to redefine their sound in the likes of R.E.M., The Smiths, and the Cure. It was the decade of college radio and The Replacements placed themselves right in the middle of it with the stylish-poetically-artistic and emotional “All Shock Down.”
One of the great song writer skills of Paul Westerberg has always been is ability to combine poetry and ironic double-speak together. In this album, his does this like a sculptor carving clay…not to mention his powerful-raw voice and driving guitar riffs. This album is much softer than anything they had done before, yet for all its sonic tenderness, it still has a lot to say about, love, society, and a true distrust of raw human nature.
The Album starts off with “Marry Go Round.” This is a song that I can compare sonically to “1979” by Smashing Pumpkins. It’s a great kick start to a fantastic album. It has a strong melodic tempo mixed with soft acoustic guitars. Track 3 is a song named “Nobody.” It’s a song about going to the wedding of an ex-girlfriend and knowing a secret only you and she know, and that is that she is still secretly in love with you. It’s a smart and ironic tune about still being in love your ex-lover, and when your new love asks, “Who are you thinking about?” And you say, “nobody,” it’s never “nobody,” just someone you’ll never know. Track 5 is “Sadly Beautiful.” It’s the album’s only true ballad and is truly a beautiful song. It’s not your typical love song, its melancholy and longing. Its lead guitar is rhythmic and slow and a back ground guitar-slide is haunting and powerful. Track 9 is a fun little duet with Concrete Blondes’ Johnette Napolitano called “Attitude.” This is an up-tempo jaunt that really is worthy of a listen.
This is one of those albums that is has no throw-always and is solid from begin to end. It is more acoustic and softer than anything The Replacements ever did, and in my top 20 albums of all time. The guitars are super poppy without being too pop. The chords are up beat although the music and lyrics are untrusting standoffish of outsiders. It is all part of Paul Westerberg genius and sense of irony. Enjoy!
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