3874 - THE GREENHORNES (2001)

THE GREENHORNES
''THE GREENHORNES''
MARCH 6 2001
40:40

1/Can't Stand It
The Greenhornes/3:20
2/Shadow of Grief
The Greenhornes/2:50
3/Stay Away Girl
The Greenhornes/3:36
4/Inside Looking Out
Eric Burdon / B. Chandler / J. "Superslim" Lomax III / Alan Lomax/3:33
5/It's My Soul
Clifton Chenier/2:58
6/Let Me Be
P.F. Sloan/2:50
7/Lies
The Greenhornes/3:15
8/Nobody Loves You
The Greenhornes/3:41
9/Lonely Feeling/3:46
10/High Time Baby
Sammy Davis, Jr. / Steve Winwood/2:56
11/Shame and Misery
The Greenhornes/3:31
12/Can't You See
Toy Caldwell/4:24

Craig Fox /guitars, vocals
Patrick Keeler/percussion, drums
Jack Lawrence/bass
Jared McKinney/keyboard
Brian Olive/guitar
REVIEW
by Alexandra Zorn
Unlike many garage revival records, what stands out about the Greenhornes' self-titled release is that their original songs sound better than their covers. While remaining true to the '50s blues and '60s rock/mod pioneers which clearly influenced them (think Stax meets Kinks), the Greenhornes have established themselves as classic songwriters in their own right. Produced by John Curley (formerly of Afghan Whigs), the album is a compelling blend of vintage and modern. Slow-tempo, melancholy ballads like "Stay Away Girl" alternate with rumpshakers like "Lies" and "Nobody Loves You." However, it's Fox's vocals (once described as "worn") which are the magic element on the album. It's hard to believe that it's really just a 24-year-old white kid from Ohio singing these songs.

BIOGRAPHY
by Mark Deming
Cincinnati, OH's the Greenhornes earned a devoted following during the garage rock boom of the 2000s, but while the band was clearly influenced by classic blues-based acts of the '60s (the Yardbirds, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks) and first-era garage rock (the Sonics), their instrumental skill and songwriting chops put them well ahead of most of their peers. the Greenhornes were formed in 1996 by Craig Fox (guitar, lead vocals), Brian Olive (guitar), Jared McKinney (keyboards), Jack Lawrence (bass) and Patrick Keeler (drums); several members of the band had been friends since high school, and they recorded their first demo tape under the name Us and Them. After adopting the handle the Greenhornes, the band cut their debut single in 1998, "The End of Night" b/w "No More," and their first full-length album, Gun for You, appeared in 1999. In 2000, Olive left the Greenhornes to join the Soledad Brothers (where he changed his stage name to Oliver Henry), and Eric Stein became the band's new guitarist. The new lineup of the band recorded their second LP, simply titled the Greenhornes, but by the time they cut 2002's Dual Mono, Jared McKinney was out of the group, and Stein would leave before the year was out. However, the Greenhornes had a valuable ally in Jack White of the White Stripes; he had helped produce a Greenhornes single in 2000, and when the White Stripes' third album became an unexpected breakthrough hit, White championed the band and brought them to the attention of the White Stripes' label, V2 Records. In 2005, V2 released an EP of new material from the Greenhornes, East Grand Blues, as well as a career-spanning compilation, Sewed Soles. A year earlier, White had recruited Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler to play on Van Leer Rose, the album he produced for country icon Loretta Lynn, and when White and Brendan Benson (who produced East Grand Blues) formed their side project the Raconteurs, Lawrence and Keeler were invited to be their rhythm section. The Raconteurs released albums in 2006 and 2008 and toured extensively, while Lawrence also recorded and toured with another White project, the Dead Weather, and as part of the acclaimed Detroit alt-country band Blanche. However, Fox, Lawrence and Keeler reconvened the Greenhornes in 2010; they went into the studio to record a new album, **** (released by White's Third Man Records imprint), and hit the road in support of its release late in the year.

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3873 - JW-JONES - Seventh Hour (2012)

JW-JONES
''SEVENTH HOUR''
MARCH 27 2012
36:39

1. Ain't Gonna Beg/3:45
2. Let It Go/3:17
3. In A Song/4:05
4. You Got Caught/3:40
5. All Over Again/4:08
6. Heartbreaker/3:02
7. Do For You/4:14
8. I'm Tryin/3:59
9. What Is Real/3:55
10. So Long I'm Gone/2:34

JW-Jones/Guitar, Vocals
Jesse Whiteley/Hammond Organ, Piano
Marc Decho/Bass
Jeff Asselin/Drums

REVIEW
by John Vermilyea (Blues Underground Network)
I really don't know what JW-Jones was trying to prove with his newest release "Seventh Hour", but if he was trying to prove that he just gets better and better with each new album, then all I have to say is, Mission Accomplished. With the "Seventh Hour", JW-Jones unabashedly crossed over a few lines and brought back a bit of hidden treasure.

For most of JW-Jones releases, you were pretty well guaranteed that there was going to be a famous guest or 2 on board, with recent notables being, Little Charlie Baty, Junior Watson, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Charlie Musselwhite, Colin James, Kim Wilson, and Hubert Sumlin. For "Seventh Hour", JW-Jones decided it was going to be a nothing fancy production with, "No famous guests. No fancy studios. This is JW-Jones and his band doing what they do best - right at home, recorded in J-Dub's living room." As in most cases, JW-Jones once again played the part of producer, but left the mixing up to none other than, multi-Juno award winning artist/producer, Steve Dawson, whom also did double duty on Track 9 via the playing of a National Tricone Guitar.

"Seventh Hour" consists of 10 Tracks of which JW-Jones solely wrote 5 and co-wrote 3 with Tim Wynne-Jones. Tim Wynne-Jones, JW-Jones uncle, is a celebrated Canadian writer, mostly in the field of children's literature and has collaborated with JW-Jones on previous albums, including his 2010 release "Midnight Memphis Sun". The 2 covers on "Seventh Hour" were "I'm Tryin'", written by Little Milton & Oliver Sain Jr., and "So Long I'm Gone", written by Roy Orbison & Sam Phillips.

The opener for "Seventh Hour", "Ain't Gonna Beg", doesn't waste anytime at all ripping your butt off its seat and planting your feet firmly on the dance floor. Wow this one is a real barn burner of a song. It is a no nonsense hard driving pedal to the metal Track which will get your attention immediately.

For the 3rd Track, "In A Song", Jeff Asselin starts of with a big Bass Drum beat that permeates this rockin' song, which slips from a feel of Rock-A-Billy, to a tinge of Country, with some fine Guitars Soaked Blues, midpoint. Yet another mighty fine Track.

Jeff Asselin once again keeps a mighty fine feel, as does Marc Decho on Upright Bass for Track 6, "Heartbreaker", with this Jump Blues Style feeling song which was one of the 3 co-written Tracks JW-Jones did with Tim Wynne-Jones.

Track 10, "What Is Real", is one of the slower, yet certainly no less entertaining Tracks on "Seventh Hour", which not only shows off JW-Jones signature sounding Vocals, but also the mighty fine National Tricone Guitar work courtesy of Steve Dawson.

"Seventh Hour" finishes off in fine style with the country/rock-a-billy edged song, "I'm Tryin'". Fantastic Piano pounding by Jessie Whiteley, and great Electric Bass from Guest Performer James Rooke. It is an ending and an album, that simply has you reaching for the replay button, because one listen is never enough.

There were a lot of greats songs on this album, but the one that really hit me was the first Track, "Ain't Gonna Beg", which continued to be my favorite one on "Seventh Hour".

JW-Jones is recognized as Canada's Top Touring Bluesman, and with productions like "Seventh Hour", you have no problem understanding why. Like his Live shows, JW-Jones puts all he has got and more into his albums, always finding a way to make them a little better then the previous one.

"Seventh Hour" is a fantastic Canadian release, but more than that, it stacks up against many of the fine releases that have come out internationally, as well, for 2012. JW-Jones is an artist for whom your appetite for his music just gets stronger and stronger with each new release.

Highly Recommended and Thorughly Enjoyed...

BIOGRAPHY
by Linda Seida
What could a teenager possibly know about the blues? Traditionally the blues are about years of hard living and paying a hard price for it, and about serious lovin' and serious loss. Parodies, which frequently are based on kernels of truth, tell us that a bluesman worth the name must know about women, whiskey, and jail, and not necessarily in that order. But all these assumptions and kernels of truth fly right out the window when it comes to the youthful Canadian blues guitarist known as JW-Jones (and yes, the hyphen is in the right place). Born in Ottawa, he wasn't yet 20 years old when he triumphed in a hometown competition known as the Blues Guitar Riff-Off in 1999. Jones built on his early success and with a band he had pulled together the previous year of musicians who were about as young as he was or younger, the guitarist and his JW-Jones Blues Band set out to record an album. He debuted with Defibrillatin' in 2000. The CD features some numbers that were recorded at home, some that were laid down in a studio as demos, as well as a couple of live numbers. While some critics groused a tiny bit about the quality of the release's sound, they quickly followed the complaint with superlatives for Jones' talent. His band is comprised of "Southside" Steve Marriner, the champion in 1999 of the Blues Harp Blow-Off in Ottawa, on harmonica; Pierre Chretien on organ and piano; drummer Steve Hiscox, and upright bass player Nathan Morris. Jones penned seven of the debut album's tracks. Chretien wrote one song, as did Marriner. Before turning to the guitar, Jones was initially interested in the drums. A change of heart brought him to the guitar after he found himself intently listening to and watching an Ottawa guitarist named Tony D. The guitarist's moves so impressed Jones that he hammered questions at Tony D after his shows. The working musician took the time to answer the teenager's questions, provide tips, and recommend a list of recordings. The switch to guitar from drums was cemented when Jones' grandparents gave him an electric guitar late in 1996. Keyboardist Chretien is credited with bringing a jazz influence to Jones' and the band's sound. Jones met Marriner through the Johnny Russell Band when both played with the outfit, as they still do. In 2001, the Maple Blues Awards honored Defibrillatin' with a nomination. The following year, the Maple Blues Awards listed Jones as a nominee for New Artist of the Year and named Marriner as a finalist for Harp Player of the Year. He followed those achievements up with 2002's Bogart's Bounce, featuring help from Fabulous Thunderbirds Kim Wilson and Gene Taylor.

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3872 - JW-JONES - Midnight Memphis Sun (2010)

JW-JONES
''MIDNIGHT MEMPHIS SUN''
AUGUST 10 2010
48:27

1/Off the Market
JW-Jones / Tim Wynne-Jones/3:59
2/Love Grows Cold
Lowell Fulson/2:15
3/Kissin' in Memphis feat. Charlie Musselwhite
JW-Jones / Tim Wynne-Jones/4:44
4/Cuts Like a Knife
James Vallance/4:06
5/Born Operator feat. Hubert Sumlin
JW-Jones / Tim Wynne-Jones/4:14
6/Burnt Child feat. Charlie Musselwhite
Brownie McGhee / Sonny Terry/3:21
7/Right on Time
JW-Jones / Tim Wynne-Jones/4:29
8/I Don't Go for That feat. Charlie Musselwhite
Jimmy Reed/3:48
9/Mean Streak
JW-Jones / Tim Wynne-Jones/4:55
10/Make a Move
JW-Jones / Tim Wynne-Jones/3:59
11/Howlin' with Hubert feat. Hubert Sumlin
JW-Jones/4:31
12/Games feat. Hubert Sumlin
JW-Jones/4:06

Brian Asselin /Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Jeff Asselin /Drums
Anthony Betton /Vocals
Debbieann Braham /Vocals
Nick Cochrane /Trumpet
Mark S. Gordon /Vocals
Richard Innes /Drums
JW-Jones /Guitar, Horn Arrangements, Vocals
Charlie Musselwhite /Harmonica
The One Faith Singers /Vocals
Lisa Gaye Pryce /Vocals
Martin Régimbald /Bass
Hubert Sumlin /Guitar
Larry Taylor /Bass
Jesse Whiteley /Horn Arrangements, Orchestration, Organ (Hammond), Piano

REVIEW
by William Ruhlmann
No longer a teenage prodigy, Canadian blues guitarist JW-Jones is pushing 30, and on his sixth album, Midnight Memphis Sun, he has decided to emphasize his fidelity to tradition, partially recording the disc in Sun Studio in Memphis, TN, and having veterans Charlie Musselwhite and Hubert Sumlin guest on three tracks each. Like many latter-day blues revivalists, Jones doesn't hew to any one style of the blues, preferring to move from one subgenre to another on each song. "Off the Market," the opening track, with its punchy horns, initially suggests that he might have wanted to record in the Stax Studio (if it still existed) instead of the Sun Studio; Lowell Fulson's "Love Grows Cold," which follows, is in a jump blues style; "Right on Time" has a ‘50s R&B sound; Jimmy Reed's "I Don't Go for That" recalls Howlin' Wolf-style Chicago blues; "Mean Streak" nods to Delta blues; and "Make a Move" is arranged like a B.B. King song. The majority of the compositions are Jones originals, although the tunes are so steeped in tradition that it's hard to think of them as new. With his co-writer, Tim Wynne-Jones, Jones seems to have been reading the newspapers since his last album, 2008's Bluelisted, as he tries to steer clear of the housing crisis in "Off the Market," singing, "Don't wanna go sub-prime," and devotes "Born Operator" to condemning Wall Street criminal Bernie Madoff and his "Ponzi schemes." As usual, Jones is more of a guitarist than a singer, not because his voice is bad, but because, with its clear tenor sound (which often recalls Edgar Winter), it sounds more like a pop voice than a blues voice. But then, this is a musician who thinks it's possible to turn fellow countryman Bryan Adams into a blues artist, treating the hit "Cuts Like a Knife" as if it were a blues song. Ten years into his recording career, Jones remains a talented mimic in search of his own style.

BIOGRAPHY
by Linda Seida
What could a teenager possibly know about the blues? Traditionally the blues are about years of hard living and paying a hard price for it, and about serious lovin' and serious loss. Parodies, which frequently are based on kernels of truth, tell us that a bluesman worth the name must know about women, whiskey, and jail, and not necessarily in that order. But all these assumptions and kernels of truth fly right out the window when it comes to the youthful Canadian blues guitarist known as JW-Jones (and yes, the hyphen is in the right place). Born in Ottawa, he wasn't yet 20 years old when he triumphed in a hometown competition known as the Blues Guitar Riff-Off in 1999. Jones built on his early success and with a band he had pulled together the previous year of musicians who were about as young as he was or younger, the guitarist and his JW-Jones Blues Band set out to record an album. He debuted with Defibrillatin' in 2000. The CD features some numbers that were recorded at home, some that were laid down in a studio as demos, as well as a couple of live numbers. While some critics groused a tiny bit about the quality of the release's sound, they quickly followed the complaint with superlatives for Jones' talent. His band is comprised of "Southside" Steve Marriner, the champion in 1999 of the Blues Harp Blow-Off in Ottawa, on harmonica; Pierre Chretien on organ and piano; drummer Steve Hiscox, and upright bass player Nathan Morris. Jones penned seven of the debut album's tracks. Chretien wrote one song, as did Marriner. Before turning to the guitar, Jones was initially interested in the drums. A change of heart brought him to the guitar after he found himself intently listening to and watching an Ottawa guitarist named Tony D. The guitarist's moves so impressed Jones that he hammered questions at Tony D after his shows. The working musician took the time to answer the teenager's questions, provide tips, and recommend a list of recordings. The switch to guitar from drums was cemented when Jones' grandparents gave him an electric guitar late in 1996. Keyboardist Chretien is credited with bringing a jazz influence to Jones' and the band's sound. Jones met Marriner through the Johnny Russell Band when both played with the outfit, as they still do. In 2001, the Maple Blues Awards honored Defibrillatin' with a nomination. The following year, the Maple Blues Awards listed Jones as a nominee for New Artist of the Year and named Marriner as a finalist for Harp Player of the Year. He followed those achievements up with 2002's Bogart's Bounce, featuring help from Fabulous Thunderbirds Kim Wilson and Gene Taylor.

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3871 - WILLIAM TOPLEY - Mixed Blessing (1998)

WILLIAM TOPLEY
''MIXED BLESSING''
JULY 7 1998
52:02

1/Wake up (Your Dream Sounds So Sad)
Dominic Miller / William Topley/3:56
2/Sycamore Street
William Topley / Colin Vearncombe/4:20
3/Song of a Seabird
Dominic Miller / William Topley/4:56
4/Sophia
William Topley / Colin Vearncombe/4:32
5/(I Don't Wanna Go) Uptown
Dominic Miller / William Topley/3:58
6/Drink Called Love
Dominic Miller / William Topley/4:34
7/Soul Love/Feat. Cutty Ranks
Luke Brighty / Kevin Hime-Knowles / Cutty Ranks / William Topley / Mike 4:07
8/Sweetheart
William Topley/4:39
9/Highway Five
Luke Brighty / Kevin Hime-Knowles / William Topley / Mike Westergaard/3:46
10/Delta Rain
William Topley/6:05
11/Hurricane Room
William Topley/7:09

Eddie Bayers /Drums
Luke Brighty /Guitar
Geoff Dunn /Drums
James Eller /Bass
Kevin Hime-Knowles /Bass
Bruce Hornsby /Accordion, Guest Artist
Dann Huff /Guitar (Electric)
Jim Kimberley /Drums, Keyboards, Percussion
Donna McElroy /Vocals (Background)
Terry McMillan /Percussion
Dominic Miller /Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Percussion, Producer
Steve Nathan /Keyboards
Don Potter /Guitar (Acoustic)
Cutty Ranks / Performer
Shola /Vocals (Background)
Lisa Silver /Vocals (Background)
Mark Taylor /Keyboards
William Topley /Vocals
Soozie Tyrell /Violin
Colin Vearncombe /Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals (Background)
Willie Weeks /Bass
Mike Westergaard /Keyboards, Percussion

REVIEW
by MacKenzie Wilson
Singer/songwriter William Topley and Sting session man/guitarist Dominic Miller exude a passionate bluesy seduction on Mixed Blessing. This collection includes seven songs by Topley's former band, the Blessing, as well as four new solo tracks from the British country-soul man himself. He delivers a Southern drawl matching the grit of Tom Waits ("Sycamore Street"), holds a soul-tinged heartache ("Sweetheart"), and struts with a sassy swagger on the twangy sweetness of "A Drink Called Love." Reflective and soul-searching, Topley doesn't wallow in the process. His craftsmanship as a solo act and as a bandleader showcases his attractive musical mix. He's not wholeheartedly reserved, although he seeks solace in a common peace. He doesn't slow down either, hearkening like a brooding Nick Cave on "Wake Up (Your Dream Sounds So Sad)." Life's lessons are his template, and Mixed Blessing is Topley's finest inclusion to what he's capable of. He doesn't sell himself short...ever.

BIOGRAPHY
by John Bush
William Topley is a deep-voiced British vocalist with heady literary influences and a taste for the bluesy sound of America's Deep South, as well as the Caribbean rhythms of Jamaican reggae. The leader of the Blessing for two early-'90s albums, Topley earned several fans in the American music industry, including MCA executive Luke Lewis. After Lewis became the president of Mercury Nashville, he signed Topley to a recording contract. Another admirer, longtime Muscle Shoals keyboard session man and producer Barry Beckett, was hired to oversee recording in Nashville for Topley's debut album Black River, released in early 1997. Mixed Blessing, which followed in 1998, exuded a passion for Southern black soul and a gritty country drawl. A year later, Topley toyed around with folk aesthetic and signature loops of Americana for Spanish Wells. The new millennium, however, proved to be Topley's time of rediscovery. Not one to totally stick with what always works, Topley continued his musical experiments, playing with reggae and Cuban sounds inside his deepest songwriting yet for Feasting with Panthers (Lost Highway) in early 2002. Sea Fever and west coast dates with Mark Knopfler followed in 2005.

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3870 - THE DREAM SYNDICATE - The Complete Live At Raji's, Disc Two (1989)(2004)

THE DREAM SYNDICATE
''THE COMPLETE LIVE AT RAJI'S, DISC TWO''
2004
93:16

DISC ONE
1/See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
F. Lewis/4:53
2/Still Holding on to You
Steve Wynn/4:15
3/Forest for the Trees
Steve Wynn/4:25
4/Until Lately
Steve Wynn/7:09
5/That's What You Always Say
Steve Wynn/4:47
6/When You Smile
Steve Wynn/3:44
7/Burn
Steve Wynn/5:52
8/All Along the Watchtower
Bob Dylan/2:39
9/Tell Me When It's Over
Steve Wynn/3:52

DISC TWO
1/Merrittville
Steve Wynn/7:46
2/The Days of Wine and Roses
Steve Wynn/8:22
3/The Medicine Show
Steve Wynn/8:51
4/Halloween
Karl Precoda/6:55
5/Boston
Steve Wynn/7:35
6/John Coltrane Stereo Blues
Karl Precoda / David Provost / K. Smith / Steve Wynn/12:11

Peter Case /Additional Personnel, Harmonica
Paul B. Cutler /Guitar, Vocals
Dennis Duck /Drums
Mark Walton /Bass, Vocals
Steve Wynn /Guitar, Vocals

REVIEW
by Stewart Mason
On tour in support of their final album, 1988's Ghost Stories, Dream Syndicate recorded a limited-edition live album, 1989's Live at Raji's, that quickly became something of a holy grail for fans. Especially in comparison to Dream Syndicate's previous live release, the curiously flat This Is Not the New Dream Syndicate Album...Live EP from 1984, Complete Live at Raji's (an expanded double-disc set featuring the full concert) is truly remarkable. Covering the band's entire career, reaching all the way back to 1982's groundbreaking Days of Wine & Roses (over half of which is represented), the set list is a well-chosen blend of Steve Wynn's twisted character studies and the band's neo-psychedelic guitar rave-ups. The second disc in particular focuses on the latter side of Dream Syndicate's sound, consisting entirely of half-a-dozen different jams in the seven- to nine-minute range, all of which feature only the barest minimum of aimless noodling in favor of some impressively noisy solos and some of Wynn's most raw-throated singing, especially on a near-violent climax to "The Days of Wine and Roses." The whole thing is capped off with the definitive version of "John Coltrane Stereo Blues," Dream Syndicate's own "Sister Ray," which had never quite been captured in its full glory on tape before. Dream Syndicate were already kaput when the first release of Live at Raji's came out, but this expanded edition shows that unlike many of their so-called Paisley Underground contemporaries, they went out at the peak of their powers.

BIOGRAPHY
by Denise Sullivan
Dream Syndicate are at the foundation (alongside the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and R.E.M.) of contemporary alternative music simply because at the time when most bands were experimenting with new technology, the Syndicate deigned to bring back the guitar. Fronted by Steve Wynn (b. Feb. 21, 1960) and including Karl Precoda (guitar), Dennis Duck (drums), and Kendra Smith (bass), the band formed in Los Angeles after Smith and Wynn had relocated there from Davis, CA. They debuted with a self-titled, unbelievably Velvet Underground-like EP on Wynn's own Down There label. It was shortly off to Ruby/Slash for Days of Wine and Roses, the most lauded record on the college charts that year. The record has been cited as influential from artists as diverse as Kurt Cobain to the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. Live, they had developed into an assaultive guitar band prone to jamming, which helped earn them the tag as leaders of L.A.'s paisley underground movement.
Released in 1984, Medicine Show was met with mixed response by the college crowd. By this time, Smith had left the band and was replaced by Dave Provost on bass and Tom Zvoncheck on keyboards. Wynn took his cues from Neil Young & Crazy Horse on the record rather than Lou Reed (who was considered a preferable source at the time), and the rootsier sound caused a backlash with the fan base. As the band label-hopped, a new lineup and falling morale spawned Out of the Grey (Big Time) in 1986 and the Elliot Mazer-produced Ghost Stories (Enigma) in 1988. The band had realigned to include Mark Walton on bass and Paul B. Cutler on guitar. They recorded Live at Raji's in 1989 as their swan song.
Wynn has since recorded albums as a leader and with Gutterball (featuring the House of Freaks and Silo Bob Rupe) and is continuously collaborating with other musicians. His 1996 solo record had him backed by the Boston band Come. Smith went on to work in Opal with David Roback, a prototype version of his Mazzy Star, and has since recorded solo albums as well. After a long hiatus from music, Karl Precoda reappeared in 1997 fronting the Last Days of May, a neo-psychedelic instrumental trio. Duck continued to work with Wynn as a touring drummer and bassist Mark Walton played with the Continental Drifters. A documentary of Dream Syndicate's last tour, Weathered and Torn, has been released on DVD.

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3869 - THE DREAM SYNDICATE - The Complete Live At Raji's, Disc One (1989)(2004)

THE DREAM SYNDICATE
''THE COMPLETE LIVE AT RAJI'S, DISC ONE''
2004
93:16

DISC ONE
1/See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
F. Lewis/4:53
2/Still Holding on to You
Steve Wynn/4:15
3/Forest for the Trees
Steve Wynn/4:25
4/Until Lately
Steve Wynn/7:09
5/That's What You Always Say
Steve Wynn/4:47
6/When You Smile
Steve Wynn/3:44
7/Burn
Steve Wynn/5:52
8/All Along the Watchtower
Bob Dylan/2:39
9/Tell Me When It's Over
Steve Wynn/3:52

DISC TWO
1/Merrittville
Steve Wynn/7:46
2/The Days of Wine and Roses
Steve Wynn/8:22
3/The Medicine Show
Steve Wynn/8:51
4/Halloween
Karl Precoda/6:55
5/Boston
Steve Wynn/7:35
6/John Coltrane Stereo Blues
Karl Precoda / David Provost / K. Smith / Steve Wynn/12:11

Peter Case /Additional Personnel, Harmonica
Paul B. Cutler /Guitar, Vocals
Dennis Duck /Drums
Mark Walton /Bass, Vocals
Steve Wynn /Guitar, Vocals

REVIEW
by Stewart Mason
On tour in support of their final album, 1988's Ghost Stories, Dream Syndicate recorded a limited-edition live album, 1989's Live at Raji's, that quickly became something of a holy grail for fans. Especially in comparison to Dream Syndicate's previous live release, the curiously flat This Is Not the New Dream Syndicate Album...Live EP from 1984, Complete Live at Raji's (an expanded double-disc set featuring the full concert) is truly remarkable. Covering the band's entire career, reaching all the way back to 1982's groundbreaking Days of Wine & Roses (over half of which is represented), the set list is a well-chosen blend of Steve Wynn's twisted character studies and the band's neo-psychedelic guitar rave-ups. The second disc in particular focuses on the latter side of Dream Syndicate's sound, consisting entirely of half-a-dozen different jams in the seven- to nine-minute range, all of which feature only the barest minimum of aimless noodling in favor of some impressively noisy solos and some of Wynn's most raw-throated singing, especially on a near-violent climax to "The Days of Wine and Roses." The whole thing is capped off with the definitive version of "John Coltrane Stereo Blues," Dream Syndicate's own "Sister Ray," which had never quite been captured in its full glory on tape before. Dream Syndicate were already kaput when the first release of Live at Raji's came out, but this expanded edition shows that unlike many of their so-called Paisley Underground contemporaries, they went out at the peak of their powers.

BIOGRAPHY
by Denise Sullivan
Dream Syndicate are at the foundation (alongside the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and R.E.M.) of contemporary alternative music simply because at the time when most bands were experimenting with new technology, the Syndicate deigned to bring back the guitar. Fronted by Steve Wynn (b. Feb. 21, 1960) and including Karl Precoda (guitar), Dennis Duck (drums), and Kendra Smith (bass), the band formed in Los Angeles after Smith and Wynn had relocated there from Davis, CA. They debuted with a self-titled, unbelievably Velvet Underground-like EP on Wynn's own Down There label. It was shortly off to Ruby/Slash for Days of Wine and Roses, the most lauded record on the college charts that year. The record has been cited as influential from artists as diverse as Kurt Cobain to the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. Live, they had developed into an assaultive guitar band prone to jamming, which helped earn them the tag as leaders of L.A.'s paisley underground movement.
Released in 1984, Medicine Show was met with mixed response by the college crowd. By this time, Smith had left the band and was replaced by Dave Provost on bass and Tom Zvoncheck on keyboards. Wynn took his cues from Neil Young & Crazy Horse on the record rather than Lou Reed (who was considered a preferable source at the time), and the rootsier sound caused a backlash with the fan base. As the band label-hopped, a new lineup and falling morale spawned Out of the Grey (Big Time) in 1986 and the Elliot Mazer-produced Ghost Stories (Enigma) in 1988. The band had realigned to include Mark Walton on bass and Paul B. Cutler on guitar. They recorded Live at Raji's in 1989 as their swan song.
Wynn has since recorded albums as a leader and with Gutterball (featuring the House of Freaks and Silo Bob Rupe) and is continuously collaborating with other musicians. His 1996 solo record had him backed by the Boston band Come. Smith went on to work in Opal with David Roback, a prototype version of his Mazzy Star, and has since recorded solo albums as well. After a long hiatus from music, Karl Precoda reappeared in 1997 fronting the Last Days of May, a neo-psychedelic instrumental trio. Duck continued to work with Wynn as a touring drummer and bassist Mark Walton played with the Continental Drifters. A documentary of Dream Syndicate's last tour, Weathered and Torn, has been released on DVD.

DoWnLoAd

3868 - THE DREAM SYNDICATE - Ghost Stories (Bonus Tracks) (1988)(2004)

THE DREAM SYNDICATE
''GHOST STORIES (BONUS TRACKS)''
2004
1988
75:34

1/The Side I'll Never Show
Steve Wynn/3:52
2/My Old Haunts
Steve Wynn/3:07
3/Loving the Sinner, Hating the Sin
Steve Wynn/4:30
4/Whatever You Please
Steve Wynn/3:45
5/Weathered and Torn
Steve Wynn/3:10
6/See That My Grave Is Kept Clean
F. Lewis / Steve Wynn/4:02
7/I Have Faith
Johnette Napolitano / Steve Wynn/3:47
8/Someplace Better Than This
Steve Wynn/3:37
9/Black
Steve Wynn/4:35
10/When the Curtain Falls
Steve Wynn/5:22
11/When the Curtain Falls
Steve Wynn/4:59
12/If You Should Ever Need a Fool
Jon Klages / Steve Wynn/3:13
13/Never Ending Rain
Jon Klages / Steve Wynn/6:22
14/Whatever You Please
Rodney Crowell / Steve Wynn/3:22
15/Darlin' They Know
Steve Wynn/2:57
16/Carolyn
Steve Wynn/3:35
17/I Ain't Living Long Like This
Steve Wynn/5:41
18/Spill the Wine
Sylvester Allen / Harold Brown / Lonnie Jordan / Charles Miller / Lee Oskar / Howard Scott/5:38

Chris Cacavas /Accordion, Organ, Piano, Vocals (Background)
Paul B. Cutler /Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Dennis Duck /Drums
Robert Lloyd /Guest Artist, Piano
N. Velvet /Guest Artist
Rob Stennett /Guest Artist, Guitar
Mark Walton /Bass
Steve Wynn /Guitar, Vocals

REVIEW
by Denise Sullivan
Opening with the self-referential "The Side I'll Never Show," and produced by Neil Young and Crazy Horse vet Elliot Mazer, Wynn and Co. mine the dark and rusty terrain of folk and blues-rock that they ultimately made work to their advantage on this very straight-ahead rock album. Wynn's vocal style and forthright lyrics never really connected with the masses at the time, but years later, it's clear he was making music for the ages.

BIOGRAPHY
by Denise Sullivan
Dream Syndicate are at the foundation (alongside the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and R.E.M.) of contemporary alternative music simply because at the time when most bands were experimenting with new technology, the Syndicate deigned to bring back the guitar. Fronted by Steve Wynn (b. Feb. 21, 1960) and including Karl Precoda (guitar), Dennis Duck (drums), and Kendra Smith (bass), the band formed in Los Angeles after Smith and Wynn had relocated there from Davis, CA. They debuted with a self-titled, unbelievably Velvet Underground-like EP on Wynn's own Down There label. It was shortly off to Ruby/Slash for Days of Wine and Roses, the most lauded record on the college charts that year. The record has been cited as influential from artists as diverse as Kurt Cobain to the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. Live, they had developed into an assaultive guitar band prone to jamming, which helped earn them the tag as leaders of L.A.'s paisley underground movement.
Released in 1984, Medicine Show was met with mixed response by the college crowd. By this time, Smith had left the band and was replaced by Dave Provost on bass and Tom Zvoncheck on keyboards. Wynn took his cues from Neil Young & Crazy Horse on the record rather than Lou Reed (who was considered a preferable source at the time), and the rootsier sound caused a backlash with the fan base. As the band label-hopped, a new lineup and falling morale spawned Out of the Grey (Big Time) in 1986 and the Elliot Mazer-produced Ghost Stories (Enigma) in 1988. The band had realigned to include Mark Walton on bass and Paul B. Cutler on guitar. They recorded Live at Raji's in 1989 as their swan song.
Wynn has since recorded albums as a leader and with Gutterball (featuring the House of Freaks and Silo Bob Rupe) and is continuously collaborating with other musicians. His 1996 solo record had him backed by the Boston band Come. Smith went on to work in Opal with David Roback, a prototype version of his Mazzy Star, and has since recorded solo albums as well. After a long hiatus from music, Karl Precoda reappeared in 1997 fronting the Last Days of May, a neo-psychedelic instrumental trio. Duck continued to work with Wynn as a touring drummer and bassist Mark Walton played with the Continental Drifters. A documentary of Dream Syndicate's last tour, Weathered and Torn, has been released on DVD.

DoWnLoAd

3867 - THE DREAM SYNDICATE - Out Of The Grey (Bonus Tracks) (1986)(2004)

THE DREAM SYNDICATE
''OUT OF THE GREY (BONUS TRACKS)''
2004
1986
66:12

1/Out of the Grey
Steve Wynn/4:50
2/Forest for the Trees
Steve Wynn/4:37
3/50 in a 25 Zone
Steve Wynn/4:43
4/Boston
Steve Wynn/5:31
5/Blood Money
Steve Wynn/4:30
6/Slide Away
Steve Wynn/3:32
7/Dying Embers
Steve Wynn/4:56
8/Now I Ride Alone
Steve Wynn/4:32
9/Drinking Problem
Steve Wynn/3:34
10/Dancing Blind
Steve Wynn/4:46
11/You Can't Forget
Steve Wynn/2:47
12/Let It Rain
Bonnie Bramlett / Eric Clapton/3:57
13/Cinnamon Girl
Neil Young/3:02
14/Ballad of Dwight Fry
Michael Bruce / Alice Cooper/5:42
15/Shake Your Hips
Slim Harpo/0:53
16/I Won't Forget
Steve Wynn/2:33
17/Lonely Bull
Sol Lake/1:57

REVIEW
by Denise Sullivan
Like nearly everything released that year, Out of the Grey suffered from a touch of the post-new wave flu. But "50 in a 25 Zone" has that old, bluesy Syndicate spirit, as does "Now I Ride Alone," and Steve Wynn is still an exceptional vocal stylist, bringing heart and meaning to every word he writes.

BIOGRAPHY
by Denise Sullivan
Dream Syndicate are at the foundation (alongside the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, and R.E.M.) of contemporary alternative music simply because at the time when most bands were experimenting with new technology, the Syndicate deigned to bring back the guitar. Fronted by Steve Wynn (b. Feb. 21, 1960) and including Karl Precoda (guitar), Dennis Duck (drums), and Kendra Smith (bass), the band formed in Los Angeles after Smith and Wynn had relocated there from Davis, CA. They debuted with a self-titled, unbelievably Velvet Underground-like EP on Wynn's own Down There label. It was shortly off to Ruby/Slash for Days of Wine and Roses, the most lauded record on the college charts that year. The record has been cited as influential from artists as diverse as Kurt Cobain to the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson. Live, they had developed into an assaultive guitar band prone to jamming, which helped earn them the tag as leaders of L.A.'s paisley underground movement.
Released in 1984, Medicine Show was met with mixed response by the college crowd. By this time, Smith had left the band and was replaced by Dave Provost on bass and Tom Zvoncheck on keyboards. Wynn took his cues from Neil Young & Crazy Horse on the record rather than Lou Reed (who was considered a preferable source at the time), and the rootsier sound caused a backlash with the fan base. As the band label-hopped, a new lineup and falling morale spawned Out of the Grey (Big Time) in 1986 and the Elliot Mazer-produced Ghost Stories (Enigma) in 1988. The band had realigned to include Mark Walton on bass and Paul B. Cutler on guitar. They recorded Live at Raji's in 1989 as their swan song.
Wynn has since recorded albums as a leader and with Gutterball (featuring the House of Freaks and Silo Bob Rupe) and is continuously collaborating with other musicians. His 1996 solo record had him backed by the Boston band Come. Smith went on to work in Opal with David Roback, a prototype version of his Mazzy Star, and has since recorded solo albums as well. After a long hiatus from music, Karl Precoda reappeared in 1997 fronting the Last Days of May, a neo-psychedelic instrumental trio. Duck continued to work with Wynn as a touring drummer and bassist Mark Walton played with the Continental Drifters. A documentary of Dream Syndicate's last tour, Weathered and Torn, has been released on DVD.

DoWnLoAd

3866 - JEREMY - Love Explosion (2012)

JEREMY
''LOVE EXPLOSION''
2012
52:25

1 - Love Explosion/4:01
2 - Save Me From Myself/2:57
3 - Rise Above The Clouds/3:33
4 - Radiant Future Days/5:21
5 - Hearts On Fire/7:21
6 - Breaking Out Of This Cage/4:13
7 - Not Of This World/4:15
8 - New Creation/6:08
9 - Miracle Mile/3:01
10 - Best Is Yet To Come/3:47
11 - Street Called Straight/5:11
12 - Love Is Alive/2:07

REVIEW
By Beverly Paterson
Prolific is one thing, but being prolific and maintaining a high level of excellence in the process proves to be an entirely different kettle of fish. Jeremy Morris, however, is blessed with both attributes.

For the past couple of decades, the Michigan-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has been producing several albums a year, which never fail to contain all killer and no filler. And if creating his own music so often isn’t enough to keep him occupied, not to mention his legions of fans happy, he also operates JAM Recordings, a universally respected label promoting various hues of pop rock.

Here on Jeremy’s latest effort Love Explosion, his own distinguished brand of pop rock is vaulted into thrilling new dimensions. Twinkling twelve-string riffs rest bumper to bumper with blistering rhythms, while smartly sculpted arrangements and a surplus of fertile melodies add extra weight to the already strong material.

Positive messages are transmitted in droves throughout Love Explosion, managed by an emphasis on faith in a better and brighter tomorrow, be it the psychical consciousness we now inhabit in or the afterlife.

The spirit of the Byrds is continuously resurrected, most notably on tunes like the super catchy “Save Me From Myself,” the absolutely euphoric “Rise Above The Clouds” and the utterly infectious “Radiant Future Days,” which sneaks snippets of sizzling psychedelic angles into the jingling jangling jamboree.

A paisley-papered presence further arrives on the fat and crunchy “Not Of This World,” and on “Street Called Straight,” loping blues licks are dispatched with clarity and finesse before culminating into a distorted mass of freaky feedback.

The title track of the record soars and shimmers with earnest exuberance, where “Breaking Out Of This Cage” booms belligerently to a harsh tenor pointing towards a flair for classic heavy metal.

Rippling with lucidity, Jeremy’s vocals are as vibrant as a summer morning, and his guitar work is simply astounding. Blazing power chords alternate nicely between subtler pluckings, resulting in some of the finest and nimblest finger-picking imaginable. The influences of George Harrison, Roger McGuinn, Pete Townshend and Ritchie Blackmore are definitely evident.

Not a single man show, Love Explosion (JAM Recordings) includes the invaluable talents of bassist Todd Borsch and drummer David Dietrich, and Alison Gruner plays cello on “Love Is Alive,” which closes the record on an elegant note.

Fusing big pop hooks with hard rock applications has been done many times in the past, but it takes a special musician to pull the practice off properly. Jeremy certainly has the drive, passion and intuition to bring the elements together, and “Love Explosion” observes just how skilled he is at accomplishing such a goal.

Surging onward and upward with great songs aimed to move the body and the soul, Love Explosion is truly a rewarding listen.

DoWnLoAd

3865 - BOBBY CHARLES - Last Train To Memphis, Disc Two (2004)

BOBBY CHARLES
''LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS, DISC TWO''
APRIL 20 2004
131:00

DISC ONE
1 - Last Train To Memphis/2:58
2 - The Legend Of Jolie Blonde/5:53
3 - I Spent My Money Lovin' You/4:41
4 - String of Hearts/3:36
5 - I Wonder/5:27
6 - Everyday/2:00
7 - Don't Make A Fool Of Yourself/3:56
8 - Homesick Blues/3:24
9 - Forever And Always/6:04
10 - The Sky Isn't Blue Anymore/2:54
11 - Full Moon On The Bayou/3:12
12 - What Are We Doing/3:05
13 - Sing/3:55
14 - Goin' Fishin'/3:08
15 - See You Later Alligator/3:46
All Tracks By Charles

DISC TWO
1 - I Can't Quit You/3:42
2 - Secrets/3:25
3 - Angel Eyes/3:14
4 - But I Do/4:20
5 - Party Town/3:53
6 - I Don't Want To Know/4:53
7 - Love In The Worst Degree/3:21
8 - Why Are People Like That/3:08
9 - I Believe In Angels/6:15
10 - Les Champes Elysee/3:37
11 - Not Ready Yet/3:00
12 - The Jealous Kind/4:06
13 - I Want To Be The One/3:55
14 - Walking To New Orleans/Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino, Robert Guildry/3:09
15 - I Remember When/2:58
16 - Ambushin' Bastard/3:03
17 - I Don't See Me/5:44
18 - Wish You Were Here Right Now/2:22
19 - Clean Water/3:08
Tracks By Charles Except 14

REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Not quite a new album and not quite a compilation, Bobby Charles' 2004 release Last Train to Memphis is closer to a clearing-house for little-heard recordings than a proper album. Billed as a single-disc release paired with a bonus disc, the two-CD set contains a total of 34 songs, and since there is no distinct difference between the two discs, it only seems appropriate to treat it all as a sprawling double album. Jim Bateman says in his perfunctory, largely biographical liner notes that this album "fills in the years between his critically acclaimed 1972 Bearsville release and today," which is certainly true, since all 34 songs on the two discs were recorded sometime between 1971 and 2001. The liners do detail the individual recording dates and lineups for the tracks, but it's hard to tell when and where -- or even if -- these songs came out prior to this release. This is particularly true because not only does the sequencing make no chronological sense -- the first disc hopscotches from 1999 to 1979 back to 1975 then leaps ahead to 1997 before going back to 1984 -- but because Charles' music is so consistent in both tone and quality it's hard to tell when these recordings are from, based on the production or performance. Of course, there's a certain charm to that. Very few artists could have such a patchwork assembled and make it sound cohesive, which this certainly does. This all flows from his brilliant eponymous 1972 album for Bearsville, which blended his signature spin on New Orleans R&B with an Americana bent borrowed from his friends in the Band. Overall, it's a little slicker and smoother than the loose-limbed, rustic Bobby Charles -- plus, its sprawling nature means it's not nearly the compulsive listen as that underappreciated gem -- but it's consistently satisfying, filled with satisfyingly modest new Charles originals and friendly, engaging reworkings of warhorses like "See You Later Alligator." So, even if Last Train to Memphis is frustrating when closely inspected, if it's taken as just a collection of 34 fine Bobby Charles recordings, it's very pleasurable, and not in the least because there are so few Charles recordings that it only seems right to savor every one.

BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Huey
More successful as a songwriter than a singer, Bobby Charles was nonetheless an important contributor to Louisiana music in both respects. He authored several hits for key artists in the early days of rock & roll (including Bill Haley and Fats Domino), and although he recorded mostly in obscurity, he emerged as one of the founding fathers of swamp pop.
Robert Charles Guidry was born February 21, 1938, in the Cajun-country town of Abbeville, LA, and grew up listening to traditional Cajun music. As a teenager, he discovered rock & roll and rhythm & blues, and began singing with a band called the Cardinals, who performed at local dances. During this period, he wrote a song called "See You Later, Alligator," which particularly impressed a Crowley, LA, record-store owner who happened to know Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. The young singer auditioned over the phone and was rewarded with a recording session at the legendary Cosimo's studio in New Orleans. After hearing the single version of "See You Later, Alligator," Chess signed Guidry (by some accounts, not realizing he was a white Cajun) and soon shortened his name to the less regional Bobby Charles. Chess released "See You Later, Alligator" as Charles' debut single in 1955, and he toured behind it after graduating from high school. While it connected with R&B audiences, the song didn't become a big pop hit until 1956, when Bill Haley covered it for a national best-seller. Charles scored another minor hit that year with "Time Will Tell," and stayed with Chess through 1957, recording R&B singles that even at this stage were already infused with a Cajun musical sensibility.
In 1958, Charles moved to Imperial and cut several more singles through the next year. Although he was silent for a few years after cutting a one-off cover of "Goodnight Irene" for Farie in 1959, Charles' reputation as a songwriter continued to grow. In 1960, Fats Domino took "Walking to New Orleans" into the Top Ten, and Clarence "Frogman" Henry did likewise early the following year with "(I Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do." Charles subsequently recorded sides for Hub City (1963), Jewel (1964), and Paula (1965), by which time he was experimenting with country music.
With little commercial success of his own, Charles drifted away from the music business for a while. He returned in 1972 on the Bearsville label and cut a self-titled album (his first full-length) that was co-produced by the Band's Rick Danko. In fact, the majority of the Band appeared on the record as supporting musicians, as did Dr. John, David Sanborn, and Amos Garrett. In spite of considerable critical acclaim, Bobby Charles didn't sell very well, and after recording with Paul Butterfield in 1973, a disenchanted Charles again retreated from music. He appeared with the Band in their 1976 concert film The Last Waltz, joining them on-stage for one song of their final performance. The following year, he returned to Bearsville and recorded another album with Spooner Oldham on piano, but the project was never released.
Charles kept quiet for most of the next decade, returning in 1986 with a couple of singles on the Rice n' Gravy label, plus a European-only album called Clean Water in 1987. In the meantime, his songs had been recorded by numerous artists from the worlds of blues, rock, country, and soul; a partial list includes Joe Cocker, Delbert McClinton, Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Etta James, Junior Wells, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Bo Diddley, David Allan Coe, and even UB40. In 1995, Charles signed with the Canadian blues and roots label Stony Plain and released a new album, Wish You Were Here Right Now, which consisted of sessions from 1992-1993 plus selections from a 1984 jam session at Willie Nelson's studio. In addition to Nelson, guests included Neil Young, Fats Domino, and slide ace Sonny Landreth. A follow-up, Secrets of the Heart, appeared in 1998, but Charles returned to rural Cajun country to live the quiet life, supported by his songwriting royalties; he also became a local environmental activist. His excellent Bobby Charles album has been reissued several times (including once in 1988 under the title Small Town Talk, its most famous composition). Finally, in 2008, Charles issued a new album, Homemade Songs. Early in 2010, however, he collapsed at his home in Abbeville, LA, and died.

DoWnLoAd

3864 - BOBBY CHARLES - Last Train To Memphis, Disc One (2004)

BOBBY CHARLES
''LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS, DISC ONE''
APRIL 20 2004
131:00

DISC ONE
1 - Last Train To Memphis/2:58
2 - The Legend Of Jolie Blonde/5:53
3 - I Spent My Money Lovin' You/4:41
4 - String of Hearts/3:36
5 - I Wonder/5:27
6 - Everyday/2:00
7 - Don't Make A Fool Of Yourself/3:56
8 - Homesick Blues/3:24
9 - Forever And Always/6:04
10 - The Sky Isn't Blue Anymore/2:54
11 - Full Moon On The Bayou/3:12
12 - What Are We Doing/3:05
13 - Sing/3:55
14 - Goin' Fishin'/3:08
15 - See You Later Alligator/3:46
All Tracks By Charles

DISC TWO
1 - I Can't Quit You/3:42
2 - Secrets/3:25
3 - Angel Eyes/3:14
4 - But I Do/4:20
5 - Party Town/3:53
6 - I Don't Want To Know/4:53
7 - Love In The Worst Degree/3:21
8 - Why Are People Like That/3:08
9 - I Believe In Angels/6:15
10 - Les Champes Elysee/3:37
11 - Not Ready Yet/3:00
12 - The Jealous Kind/4:06
13 - I Want To Be The One/3:55
14 - Walking To New Orleans/Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino, Robert Guildry/3:09
15 - I Remember When/2:58
16 - Ambushin' Bastard/3:03
17 - I Don't See Me/5:44
18 - Wish You Were Here Right Now/2:22
19 - Clean Water/3:08
Tracks By Charles Except 14

REVIEW
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Not quite a new album and not quite a compilation, Bobby Charles' 2004 release Last Train to Memphis is closer to a clearing-house for little-heard recordings than a proper album. Billed as a single-disc release paired with a bonus disc, the two-CD set contains a total of 34 songs, and since there is no distinct difference between the two discs, it only seems appropriate to treat it all as a sprawling double album. Jim Bateman says in his perfunctory, largely biographical liner notes that this album "fills in the years between his critically acclaimed 1972 Bearsville release and today," which is certainly true, since all 34 songs on the two discs were recorded sometime between 1971 and 2001. The liners do detail the individual recording dates and lineups for the tracks, but it's hard to tell when and where -- or even if -- these songs came out prior to this release. This is particularly true because not only does the sequencing make no chronological sense -- the first disc hopscotches from 1999 to 1979 back to 1975 then leaps ahead to 1997 before going back to 1984 -- but because Charles' music is so consistent in both tone and quality it's hard to tell when these recordings are from, based on the production or performance. Of course, there's a certain charm to that. Very few artists could have such a patchwork assembled and make it sound cohesive, which this certainly does. This all flows from his brilliant eponymous 1972 album for Bearsville, which blended his signature spin on New Orleans R&B with an Americana bent borrowed from his friends in the Band. Overall, it's a little slicker and smoother than the loose-limbed, rustic Bobby Charles -- plus, its sprawling nature means it's not nearly the compulsive listen as that underappreciated gem -- but it's consistently satisfying, filled with satisfyingly modest new Charles originals and friendly, engaging reworkings of warhorses like "See You Later Alligator." So, even if Last Train to Memphis is frustrating when closely inspected, if it's taken as just a collection of 34 fine Bobby Charles recordings, it's very pleasurable, and not in the least because there are so few Charles recordings that it only seems right to savor every one.

BIOGRAPHY
by Steve Huey
More successful as a songwriter than a singer, Bobby Charles was nonetheless an important contributor to Louisiana music in both respects. He authored several hits for key artists in the early days of rock & roll (including Bill Haley and Fats Domino), and although he recorded mostly in obscurity, he emerged as one of the founding fathers of swamp pop.
Robert Charles Guidry was born February 21, 1938, in the Cajun-country town of Abbeville, LA, and grew up listening to traditional Cajun music. As a teenager, he discovered rock & roll and rhythm & blues, and began singing with a band called the Cardinals, who performed at local dances. During this period, he wrote a song called "See You Later, Alligator," which particularly impressed a Crowley, LA, record-store owner who happened to know Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. The young singer auditioned over the phone and was rewarded with a recording session at the legendary Cosimo's studio in New Orleans. After hearing the single version of "See You Later, Alligator," Chess signed Guidry (by some accounts, not realizing he was a white Cajun) and soon shortened his name to the less regional Bobby Charles. Chess released "See You Later, Alligator" as Charles' debut single in 1955, and he toured behind it after graduating from high school. While it connected with R&B audiences, the song didn't become a big pop hit until 1956, when Bill Haley covered it for a national best-seller. Charles scored another minor hit that year with "Time Will Tell," and stayed with Chess through 1957, recording R&B singles that even at this stage were already infused with a Cajun musical sensibility.
In 1958, Charles moved to Imperial and cut several more singles through the next year. Although he was silent for a few years after cutting a one-off cover of "Goodnight Irene" for Farie in 1959, Charles' reputation as a songwriter continued to grow. In 1960, Fats Domino took "Walking to New Orleans" into the Top Ten, and Clarence "Frogman" Henry did likewise early the following year with "(I Don't Know Why I Love You) But I Do." Charles subsequently recorded sides for Hub City (1963), Jewel (1964), and Paula (1965), by which time he was experimenting with country music.
With little commercial success of his own, Charles drifted away from the music business for a while. He returned in 1972 on the Bearsville label and cut a self-titled album (his first full-length) that was co-produced by the Band's Rick Danko. In fact, the majority of the Band appeared on the record as supporting musicians, as did Dr. John, David Sanborn, and Amos Garrett. In spite of considerable critical acclaim, Bobby Charles didn't sell very well, and after recording with Paul Butterfield in 1973, a disenchanted Charles again retreated from music. He appeared with the Band in their 1976 concert film The Last Waltz, joining them on-stage for one song of their final performance. The following year, he returned to Bearsville and recorded another album with Spooner Oldham on piano, but the project was never released.
Charles kept quiet for most of the next decade, returning in 1986 with a couple of singles on the Rice n' Gravy label, plus a European-only album called Clean Water in 1987. In the meantime, his songs had been recorded by numerous artists from the worlds of blues, rock, country, and soul; a partial list includes Joe Cocker, Delbert McClinton, Lou Rawls, Ray Charles, Tom Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Etta James, Junior Wells, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Bo Diddley, David Allan Coe, and even UB40. In 1995, Charles signed with the Canadian blues and roots label Stony Plain and released a new album, Wish You Were Here Right Now, which consisted of sessions from 1992-1993 plus selections from a 1984 jam session at Willie Nelson's studio. In addition to Nelson, guests included Neil Young, Fats Domino, and slide ace Sonny Landreth. A follow-up, Secrets of the Heart, appeared in 1998, but Charles returned to rural Cajun country to live the quiet life, supported by his songwriting royalties; he also became a local environmental activist. His excellent Bobby Charles album has been reissued several times (including once in 1988 under the title Small Town Talk, its most famous composition). Finally, in 2008, Charles issued a new album, Homemade Songs. Early in 2010, however, he collapsed at his home in Abbeville, LA, and died.

DoWnLoAd

3863 - CHARLIE WHEELER BAND - Line 'Em Up (2012)

CHARLIE WHEELER BAND
''LINE 'EM UP!''
SEPTEMBER 2012
39:24

1 - Line 'Em Up/3:50
2 - Triangular Lovestruck/4:20
3 - The Same Thing/3:19
4 - When The Eagles Fly/4:43
5 - Try A Whisper/3:54
6 - Sallie Mae/3:30
7 - I'll Drive/4:52
8 - Why O' Why/4:15
9 - Gone Are The Days/3:18
10 - Dark Canyons/2:59

Greek Cheronis/lead vocals, harmonicas
Charlie Wheeler/guitars, backing vocals
Anthony Brown/keyboards, backing vocals
Andy Baker/bass, backing vocals
Rad Akers/drums, backing vocals

REVIEW
By Matthew Forss
Pennsylvania-based, Charlie Wheeler Band, is not your typical rock band from the North. In fact, the music is jam rock with Southern rock elements and a tad of blues. The new album, Line 'Em Up!, is a classic ode to Southern rock sounds with original material written by guitarist and vocalist, Charlie Wheeler. Charlie is joined by Greek Cheronis on lead vocals and harmonicas; Anthony Brown on keyboards and backing vocals; Andy Baker on bass and backing vocals; and Rad Akers on drums and backing vocals. "Why O' Why" is a gritty, political tune with big guitars and big vocals that reverberate with class and charisma. "Dark Canyons" opens with a rock guitar solo and drum-kit with roots elements and Southern B3 sounds. "Gone Are The Days" showcases a little harmonica action and a bluesy, rock-guitar medley and wild vocals clearly steeped in rock with a little piano notes on a keyboard. "The Same Thing" is an upbeat, classy, Southern rock song with burly vocals and a bluesy ambiance. "Line 'Em Up!" seems like a classic, thrash-rock anthem that is steeped in Southern soul. Overall, Line 'Em Up! is a great album of Southern blues-rock for today's generation.

BIOGRAPHY
The critically-acclaimed Charlie Wheeler Band is known for its blend of brawny riffage, fluid and soulful bluesy lead guitar, and reflective, salt of the earth lyrics. With plum coverage in blues-rock’s finest publications, and an impressive live-career resume, CWB is poised for a rapid-rising, high-profile career. But guitarist-songwriter Charlie Wheeler has more humble aspirations. “The goal from day one has been just to share the music with people,” says Wheeler. True to his word, Wheeler is treating fans to a free digital download of CWB’s second release, the steamrolling, Line ‘Em Up!.

The quintet’s sophomore album is an album-oriented album—in the most classic rock sense—of good old fashioned blues-based rock n’ roll with imaginative arrangements, virtuoso musicianship, wooly riffs, and driving grooves. It’s A Southern fried masterwork by a Ridgway, Pennsylvania powerhouse.

The Charlie Wheeler band has been favorably compared to the Allman Brothers, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The esteemed music-first publication, Relix, chose CWB to be on one of its compilation samplers—a huge boost for an indie band, considering the mag’s 360,000 subscriber reach, and that past artists on the comp have been Dave Matthews, The Black Crowes, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, and Ben Harper. The CWB song “I Got to Ramble” was included in the Freak Films, Inc. release American Artifact, a film exploring the history and evolution of rock n’ roll poster art. The quintet’s debut, Highway Run, hit #21 on the Jambands.com radio chart, alongside the likes of Blues Traveler, Warren Haynes, Mike Gordon, and Buddy Guy. American Airlines Radio has been spinning tracks from Highway Run to its 4.5 million daily flyers. The bible of blues-based hard rock, Hittin’ The Note, praised: “Wheeler’s savage guitar and singer ‘Greek’ Cheronis’ gutsy vocals.” Rock-is-Life.com, which averages 100,000 visitors with each installment, reviewed CWB thusly: “Highway Run is chock-full of hard rocking blues guitar and soulful and passionate vocals. I was shocked at how accomplished a band that I never heard of was.”

The Charlie Wheeler Band is Greek Cheronis, lead vocals, harmonicas; Charlie Wheeler guitars, backing vocals; Anthony Brown, keyboards, backing vocals; Andy Baker, bass, backing vocals; and Rad Akers, drums, backing vocals. Charlie Wheeler writes the band’s music and the lyrics. His compositions deftly fuse the cathartic musicality of blues heroes such as Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Herring, Warren Haynes, and Kenny Wayne Sheppard with the clever wordplay and heartfelt introspection of writers like Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter.

CWB came together in 2007 when Wheeler decided to go into the studio and “make a proper recording.” He enlisted the talents of engineer/producer/arranger/keyboardist Anthony Brown. Brown was so impressed with the music that he signed on as Wheeler’s keyboardist/arranger/producer, and helped assemble some of the region’s finest musicians to form the band. CWB plays with nuanced dynamics, as an ensemble sensitive to space, power, and precision that can flawlessly navigate Anthony Brown’s adventurous arrangements.

The burly “Line ‘Em Up!” and “I’ll Drive” showcase the expressive fluidity of Wheeler’s guitar playing and the ruggedly honeyed pipes of vocalist/harmonica player Greek Cheronis. The expansive, mid-tempo “Why O’ Why” features some finely crafted stinging political commentary. Here Wheeler’s lyrics are both poetic and biting, he writes: “He Rode In On A Horse/Like A Knight In Scarlet Colors/And He Stood Up In The Square/And The People Gathered Around/He said In God’s Name/I Won’t Treat You Like The Others/The People Had No Idea/What Kinda Deal Was Goin’ Down.” Wheeler reveals: “That was a political tune written during Bush era. Many societies go through what that story tells: A leader comes in with a smile on his face, promising to make changes. Society becomes enamored with him, and then he turns out be exactly what he said he wouldn’t be.”

The elegantly elegiac “When The Eagle Flies” is a touching tribute to Wheeler’s deceased father in law with emotively melodic Dickie Betts-style guitar solos. The rockabilly guitar tour de force, “Sallie Mae,” recalls classic signature pieces like Jeff Beck’s “Beck’s Bolero” and Satriani’s “Satch’s Boogie”—those transcendent moments where a master musician hot rods a cherished early rock n’ roll style.

The album was produced by Charlie Wheeler and keyboardist/engineer Anthony Brown at Graphite Studios in Warren, Pennsylvania. “If it were up to me, we would be a three piece band with a crappy singer like me,” Wheeler says chuckling. “Anthony brings organization, professionalism, refinement, and real depth to the songs.”

Besides the sharply crafted songs, pristine-but-vibey production, Charlie Wheeler’s nimble, bluesy solos and intricate-but-earthy riffs frame a musician who’s logged a lot of hours perfecting his craft. Wheeler picked up the guitar in college, and within the first 24 hours of playing, could strum competent rhythm guitar. He thrust his all into his music, and eventually practiced himself out of the University Of New Hampshire. Wheeler later got married and started a family, but always maintained his passion for guitar. “I’m a practice hound, a living room hero,” he says laughing heartily. Wheeler recorded that first CWB band album for spiritual purposes, with no grand scheme other than to capture the music in his head and give it to others to enjoy.

Nationally and internationally CWB has racked up spins on respected classic rock radio stations such as Williamsburg/Virginia Beach, VA’s WRRW-FM; San Francisco, California’s KSFS; Syracuse, NY’s WAER-FM; Houston, Texas’s KPFT- FM; and Brisbane, Australia Honky Tonk Blues’s 101.1 FM, among many others. CWB has gigged all over the Northeast and Midwest, at legendary venues and festivals with such notable acts as the Edgar Winter Group, Jefferson Starship, The Gin Blossoms, Devon Allman, and Ekoostik Hookah.

“Playing BB Kings at Times Square was a big thing for a Western Pennsylvania rural guy. And playing these festivals, meeting famous people…” Wheeler says, trailing off, reflecting on the band’s five-year run. It’s been almost a surprise career for a man who just wanted a well-produced recording of his music to give to his fellow blues enthusiasts. “For me, the whole thing is not about monetary gain. I’d rather giveaway 10,000 copies of the record then have 1,000 purchased. The goal is to share the music with the people.”

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3862 - CHARLIE WHEELER BAND - Highway Run (2008)

CHARLIE WHEELER BAND
''HIGHWAY RUN''
JULY 8 2008
52:15

1. Highway Run/4:50
2. New York City Night/5:46
3. I Got To Ramble/3:41
4. No One's Gonna Save You/5:20
5. My Mama Cried/4:11
6. In A Daydream/6:48
7. When The Lord Comes To Get You/4:20
8. Protect You/4:30
9. Recess Of His Mind/4:19
10. Take Your Love From Me/4:25
11. Dreamin Of You/4:05

Greek Cheronis/lead vocals, harmonicas
Charlie Wheeler/guitars, backing vocals
Anthony Brown/keyboards, backing vocals
Andy Baker/bass, backing vocals
Rad Akers/drums, backing vocals

BIOGRAPHY
The critically-acclaimed Charlie Wheeler Band is known for its blend of brawny riffage, fluid and soulful bluesy lead guitar, and reflective, salt of the earth lyrics. With plum coverage in blues-rock’s finest publications, and an impressive live-career resume, CWB is poised for a rapid-rising, high-profile career. But guitarist-songwriter Charlie Wheeler has more humble aspirations. “The goal from day one has been just to share the music with people,” says Wheeler. True to his word, Wheeler is treating fans to a free digital download of CWB’s second release, the steamrolling, Line ‘Em Up!.

The quintet’s sophomore album is an album-oriented album—in the most classic rock sense—of good old fashioned blues-based rock n’ roll with imaginative arrangements, virtuoso musicianship, wooly riffs, and driving grooves. It’s A Southern fried masterwork by a Ridgway, Pennsylvania powerhouse.

The Charlie Wheeler band has been favorably compared to the Allman Brothers, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The esteemed music-first publication, Relix, chose CWB to be on one of its compilation samplers—a huge boost for an indie band, considering the mag’s 360,000 subscriber reach, and that past artists on the comp have been Dave Matthews, The Black Crowes, Eric Clapton, Jerry Garcia, and Ben Harper. The CWB song “I Got to Ramble” was included in the Freak Films, Inc. release American Artifact, a film exploring the history and evolution of rock n’ roll poster art. The quintet’s debut, Highway Run, hit #21 on the Jambands.com radio chart, alongside the likes of Blues Traveler, Warren Haynes, Mike Gordon, and Buddy Guy. American Airlines Radio has been spinning tracks from Highway Run to its 4.5 million daily flyers. The bible of blues-based hard rock, Hittin’ The Note, praised: “Wheeler’s savage guitar and singer ‘Greek’ Cheronis’ gutsy vocals.” Rock-is-Life.com, which averages 100,000 visitors with each installment, reviewed CWB thusly: “Highway Run is chock-full of hard rocking blues guitar and soulful and passionate vocals. I was shocked at how accomplished a band that I never heard of was.”

The Charlie Wheeler Band is Greek Cheronis, lead vocals, harmonicas; Charlie Wheeler guitars, backing vocals; Anthony Brown, keyboards, backing vocals; Andy Baker, bass, backing vocals; and Rad Akers, drums, backing vocals. Charlie Wheeler writes the band’s music and the lyrics. His compositions deftly fuse the cathartic musicality of blues heroes such as Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Herring, Warren Haynes, and Kenny Wayne Sheppard with the clever wordplay and heartfelt introspection of writers like Bob Dylan and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter.

CWB came together in 2007 when Wheeler decided to go into the studio and “make a proper recording.” He enlisted the talents of engineer/producer/arranger/keyboardist Anthony Brown. Brown was so impressed with the music that he signed on as Wheeler’s keyboardist/arranger/producer, and helped assemble some of the region’s finest musicians to form the band. CWB plays with nuanced dynamics, as an ensemble sensitive to space, power, and precision that can flawlessly navigate Anthony Brown’s adventurous arrangements.

The burly “Line ‘Em Up!” and “I’ll Drive” showcase the expressive fluidity of Wheeler’s guitar playing and the ruggedly honeyed pipes of vocalist/harmonica player Greek Cheronis. The expansive, mid-tempo “Why O’ Why” features some finely crafted stinging political commentary. Here Wheeler’s lyrics are both poetic and biting, he writes: “He Rode In On A Horse/Like A Knight In Scarlet Colors/And He Stood Up In The Square/And The People Gathered Around/He said In God’s Name/I Won’t Treat You Like The Others/The People Had No Idea/What Kinda Deal Was Goin’ Down.” Wheeler reveals: “That was a political tune written during Bush era. Many societies go through what that story tells: A leader comes in with a smile on his face, promising to make changes. Society becomes enamored with him, and then he turns out be exactly what he said he wouldn’t be.”

The elegantly elegiac “When The Eagle Flies” is a touching tribute to Wheeler’s deceased father in law with emotively melodic Dickie Betts-style guitar solos. The rockabilly guitar tour de force, “Sallie Mae,” recalls classic signature pieces like Jeff Beck’s “Beck’s Bolero” and Satriani’s “Satch’s Boogie”—those transcendent moments where a master musician hot rods a cherished early rock n’ roll style.

The album was produced by Charlie Wheeler and keyboardist/engineer Anthony Brown at Graphite Studios in Warren, Pennsylvania. “If it were up to me, we would be a three piece band with a crappy singer like me,” Wheeler says chuckling. “Anthony brings organization, professionalism, refinement, and real depth to the songs.”

Besides the sharply crafted songs, pristine-but-vibey production, Charlie Wheeler’s nimble, bluesy solos and intricate-but-earthy riffs frame a musician who’s logged a lot of hours perfecting his craft. Wheeler picked up the guitar in college, and within the first 24 hours of playing, could strum competent rhythm guitar. He thrust his all into his music, and eventually practiced himself out of the University Of New Hampshire. Wheeler later got married and started a family, but always maintained his passion for guitar. “I’m a practice hound, a living room hero,” he says laughing heartily. Wheeler recorded that first CWB band album for spiritual purposes, with no grand scheme other than to capture the music in his head and give it to others to enjoy.

Nationally and internationally CWB has racked up spins on respected classic rock radio stations such as Williamsburg/Virginia Beach, VA’s WRRW-FM; San Francisco, California’s KSFS; Syracuse, NY’s WAER-FM; Houston, Texas’s KPFT- FM; and Brisbane, Australia Honky Tonk Blues’s 101.1 FM, among many others. CWB has gigged all over the Northeast and Midwest, at legendary venues and festivals with such notable acts as the Edgar Winter Group, Jefferson Starship, The Gin Blossoms, Devon Allman, and Ekoostik Hookah.

“Playing BB Kings at Times Square was a big thing for a Western Pennsylvania rural guy. And playing these festivals, meeting famous people…” Wheeler says, trailing off, reflecting on the band’s five-year run. It’s been almost a surprise career for a man who just wanted a well-produced recording of his music to give to his fellow blues enthusiasts. “For me, the whole thing is not about monetary gain. I’d rather giveaway 10,000 copies of the record then have 1,000 purchased. The goal is to share the music with the people.”

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3861 - SOUTH MEMPHIS STRING BAND - Home Sweet Home (2010)

SOUTH MEMPHIS STRING BAND
''HOME SWEET HOME''
JANUARY 19 2010
43:52

1/Jesse James
Traditional/4:22
2/Deep Blue Sea
Traditional/2:43
3/Old Hen
Traditional/3:23
4/Worry 'Bout Your Own Backyard
James H. Mathis/2:51
5/Things Is 'Bout Coming My Way
Traditional/3:58
6/Let Your Light Shine On Me
Blind Willie Johnson/3:41
7/The Carrier Line
Traditional/5:01
8/Bloody Bill Anderson
G.E. Hart/4:31
9/Eighteen Hammers
Jonny Lee Moore / Traditional/2:00
10/Bootlegger's Blues
Mississippi Sheiks/4:39
11/Dixie Darling
A.P. Carter/2:48
12/Home Sweet Home
Traditional/3:55

REVIEW
by William Ruhlmann
With their 2010 debut album, Home Sweet Home, the members of the South Memphis String Band -- Luther Dickinson, Alvin Youngblood Hart, and Jimbo Mathus -- have succeeded in producing a recording that sounds like it could have been made at least 80 years earlier. The trio members, each of whom has had other affiliations and recording projects, play acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, Dobro, and other string instruments, along with the occasional harmonica and kazoo, plus plenty of heavy foot-tapping for percussion, as they make their way through a series of songs credited to "Traditional" as songwriter (as well as occasional covers and originals), trading off roughly sung vocals on matters of rural concern including livestock, bootlegging, and other criminal activity. The murder of outlaw Jesse James by "that dirty little coward" Robert Ford leads things off, and other selections include "Eighteen Hammers," which sounds like it would work fine for a chain gang on a Southern highway, and the self-descriptive "Bootlegger's Blues," borrowed from the repertoire of the Mississippi Sheiks. Dickinson, Hart, and Mathus give the impression they have just gotten together in a studio to trade tunes and then released the first-take results, including count-ins and stray spoken remarks, with the musical arrangements sounding as if they were invented on the spot. It's a devoted act of preservation to seem this spontaneous.

BIOGRAPHY
By William Ruhlmann
Contemporary blues group the South Memphis String Band consist of Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars and the Black Crowes, Grammy-winner Alvin Youngblood Hart, and Jimbo Mathus of the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Their debut album, Home Sweet Home, featuring songs by Blind Willie Johnson, Jonny Lee Moore, the Mississippi Sheiks, and A.P. Carter, as well as originals, was released by Memphis International Records on January 19, 2010.

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3860 - SCRAPOMATIC - I'm A Stranger (And I Love The Night) (2012)

SCRAPOMATIC
''I'M A STRANGER (AND I LOVE THE NIGHT)''
JULY 31 2012
45:53

1/Alligator Love Cray
"Funky" Paul Olsen/3:44
2/I'm a Stranger (And I Love the Night)
"Funky" Paul Olsen/3:13
3/Rat Trap
Mike Mattison/3:07
4/Night Trains, Distant Whistles
Mike Mattison / "Funky" Paul Olsen/4:58
5/Don't Fall Apart On Me, Baby
"Funky" Paul Olsen/3:23
6/I Surrender
"Funky" Paul Olsen/4:12
7/The Mother of My Wolf
Mike Mattison/2:36
8/Crime Fighter
Mike Mattison/5:34
9/Malibu (That's Where It Starts)
Mike Mattison / "Funky" Paul Olsen/3:18
10/How Unfortunate for Me
"Funky" Paul Olsen/4:37
11/The Party's Over
"Funky" Paul Olsen/4:14
12/Gentrification Blues
Mike Mattison/2:57

Tyler Greenwell /Drums
Mace Hibbard /Guest Artist, Sax (Tenor)
Kevin Hyde /Guest Artist, Trombone
Mike Mattison /Vocals
"Funky" Paul Olsen /Guitar, Vocals
Ted Pecchio /Bass
Dave Yoke /Guitar

REVIEW
by Hal Horowitz
Considering that Scrapomatic had been in existence for 14 years as of 2012, the fact that I'm a Stranger is only the collective's fourth album is surprising. However, it says less about founding members Mike Mattison and guitarist Paul Olsen not taking the group seriously, than how busy they've been on other projects. Mattison in particular had a pretty grueling schedule as singer for Derek Trucks' various bands. Regardless, their previous albums have been rootsy, diverse explorations of gospel, rock, punk, funk, and country stitched together with a strong blues thread. This one is no different except that the duo adds a third official member, guitarist Dave Yoke, who helps them run through a dozen eclectic originals that traverse territory from the swampy, straight blues shuffle of the opening "Alligator Love Cry" to the twisted music hall Tom Waits-styled waltz (with horns) of "How Unfortunate for Me." The group is at their best when letting their oddest impulses shine, as when Mattison goes falsetto on the unusual and ominous blues stomp "Crime Fighter." They shift to easygoing country-pop on "Don't Fall Apart On Me Baby" and turn into rollicking garage rockers on "The Mother of My Wolf." As you can tell from the titles, Mattison and Olsen revel in bizarre lyrical twists that add vinegar to these songs. Even though printed words are included, they don't make a lot of sense, at least on the surface. But that enhances the mystique and a sense that there is more here than meets the ears. The band is also effective when they open up and rock as on "Rat Trap," but it's Mattison's natural, soulful growl that will keep you coming back for additional helpings. The title track is the most commercial entry, with a singalong chorus you'll be humming after the first spin, and showing that when pressed, these guys can swim in the mainstream. Thankfully, though, they prefer to hover on the edge, making this another terrific addition to a small but quality catalog of offbeat roots music that never panders to its audience or takes it for granted.

BIOGRAPHY
Scrapomatic have been at it for thirteen years. Four albums in, the duo are still flooring audiences with their uncompromising sound. “It’s like songcraft and the blues had unprotected sex,” says vocalist and co-songwriter Mike Mattison. “We’re not sure what it is, but it’s spreading.”

“Blues, roots, Americana, country, yeah, that’s us,” adds Mattison. “But we’re not just trying to update the sound so the kids will like it. In fact, fuck the kids.”

“The trouble with band bios,” says Mattison, “is that they become lists of influences. That’s well and good, as long as it stays that way. Nowadays, P.R. people just say: ‘These guys ARE the Rolling Stones or this singer IS Aretha Franklin.’ Metaphor has replaced simile. It’s disrespectful. I’ll give you a list of acts that inspired us to rip them off. I think that’s more honest. Taj Mahal, Nina Simone, Tom Waits, Dr. John. Apologies.”

Since meeting each other at a P-Funk concert in Minneapolis in 1994, Mattison, a recent Harvard grad with a degree in American Literature and Olsen, then completing his degree in music composition at the University of Minnesota, developed a rich creative relationship. “Immediately, collaborating was a snap. If one guy couldn’t finish a line or a musical idea, the other one would. I think we shared a Midwestern worldview: somewhat fatalistic, laced with dark humor. That’s what drew Paul and I to the blues. Howlin’ Wolf, Skip James, Charley Patton: Their musical and lyrical tone made sense to us. People think of the Midwest as the ‘Heartland,’ as a wholesome place. But it’s not. When you break it down it’s pretty bleak. We’re proud to be from the Midwest. But even prouder to have left.”

The duo moved to New York City, formed Scrapomatic and made a name for themselves on the singer-songwriter circuit. “We were playing the same joints as Norah Jones, Joseph Arthur, all of those early-2000s people. We developed quite a following, but I don’t think audiences knew where to file us. Bands were whisper-singing about their ex-girlfriends, then here comes Scrapomatic screaming about transvestite motels, spittle flying everywhere.”

Veteran producer John Snyder (Etta James, Ornette Coleman, James Cotton, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Chet Baker) found Scrapomatic through his son Ben, and understood where the boys were coming from. “Snyder got it. And we got him. He put together a crack band down in Maurice, LA, at Dockside Studios; the best of New Orleans: Johnny Vidacovich on drums, Bob Sunda on bass, Larry Sieberth on keys. Making that first album was like getting a funky Phd.” Scrapomatic’s eponymous debut was released on Snyder’s revamped Artist House label, and was eventually named one of the Boston Globe’s “Top Ten Hidden Gems of 2003.”

As Scrapomatic’s star rose, Mike was picked up by slide-guitarist Derek Trucks and began touring with the Derek Trucks Band in earnest. “It was fortuitous. Derek’s singer had left [Javier Colon, who would go on to win season one of NBC’s ‘The Voice] and he was in a jam. John Snyder, who produced Derek’s first three records, recommended me; so did Chocolate Genius [singer-songwriter Marc Anthony Thompson] who we had done some shows with. The apocryphal story is true. Derek received two Scrapomatic cds from two separate people at his hotel in New York. He recognized me on the subway from the album cover. We chatted.” Mattison would go on to win two Grammys with Trucks: 2009’s Best Blues Album for the Derek Trucks Band’s “Already Free,” and 2011’s Best Blues Album for the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s “Revelator.”

“Derek has been such a great friend and mentor. His wife, Susan Tedeschi has too. I’ve learned musicianship, professionalism, how to tour and how to navigate the music business. Invaluable stuff. And I’ve seen the world! We’ve played on five continents, played in every state (except Alaska); appeared on Leno, Conan. I’ve been blessed to sing onstage with legends like Taj Mahal, the Allman Brothers, Santana, Herbie Hancock, Solomon Burke. It’s mind-boggling.”

Yet in the intervening years, Scrapomatic still managed to produce four beloved albums: “Scrapomatic,” “Alligator Love Cry,” “Sidewalk Caesars” and this year’s “I’m a Stranger (and I Love the Night) — the latter three on Atlanta-based Landslide records. Paul forged ahead as an in-demand musical director for solo performers, and picked up two ASCAP songwriting awards in the process.

“Thankfully, Paul and I have the creative engine of Scrapomatic. It’s where we go to refuel. Paul’s ability to turn out song after devastating song still amazes me. And unlike so many in this business, Paul is musically generous. He’ll sit down and write a tear-jerking masterpiece in front of your face and then tell you that YOU wrote it. The fact that he is not a household name is disconcerting. Maybe Scrapomatic is holding him back?”

Another element holding Scrapomatic back is the Alabama-bred guitarist Dave Yoke, who joined the group in 2007. “We call him the ‘Douchetown Rambler.’ He’s sick.” Yoke has been a professional musician since his teens, mostly in the Atlanta area and, like Olsen, clocked time in Susan Tedeschi’s band. “Yoke is the missing ingredient. He’s not just a blues guy. He can go ‘Jazz Olympics’ or straight Chet Atkins if he feels like it. Plus, he and Paul have uncanny guitar intuition. You just press play and let them run.”

Scrapomatic is hitting Canadian folk and jazz festivals this summer in anticipation of the August 2012 release of “I’m a Stranger…” Mattison pauses to explain the band’s growing momentum. “I used to say coy stuff about how we honor roots music while looking to the future. But now I just say: ‘What’s not to love?!’”

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