December 2012 Playlist
Locust Honey String Band – He ain’t no good (2012) 4****
Terrific album of mainly old timey music played with fire, skill, energy and conviction!
http://www.reverbnation.com/locusthoney
(Full review to follow)
Billy Marlowe – Show me the steps (2012) 3.5 ***
Recorded 30 years ago, Billy died 16 years ago but this just released album is a taste of what might have been for a great singer songwriter who worked on the edge of country music. Unheralded during his lifetime but this album has something for most tastes.
http://www.newtexrecords.net/
(Full review may follow)
Caroline Herring – Camilla (2012) 3.5***
Beautiful album of powerful story songs. Gorgeous vocals that give every song an air of believability and with perfect instrumentation that includes steel guitar and banjo. http://www.carolineherring.com/
(Full review may follow)
Ghostowne – Rehab (2012) 3.5***
Deeply embedded in southern roots rock with a strong flavor of country rock, a really good album that is full of raw energy and drive as well as good songs, evocative vocals and some great playing.
http://www.ghostowne.com/
Added 15-12-12
J Shogren & Shanghai’d – God bless these crooked little songs (2013) 4****
A real mélange of roots styles that include blues, country, hillbilly, R ‘n’ B, a little vaudeville, but all blended, played and sung with a soulful flair, skill and originality!
http://jshogren.com/
(Full review may follow)
J.B. Beverley and the Wayward Drifters – Dark bar and a jukebox (2006) 4.5****
In a genre of ‘real country’ this is ‘real, real country,’ that shows the Nashville fashionistas the way! Great album that should have gone platinum on release but still not too late!
http://jbbeverley.com/
Some Dark Holler – Hollow Chest (2012) 4.5****
Beautifully stark, raw, sparse American old timey folk music played and sung with great skill and total commitment. Brilliant album!
http://somedarkhollermusic.wordpress.com/
(Full review may follow)
Added 31-12-12
Cameron Brothers Band – Ratios (2012) 4****
Tremendous album of atmospheric Canadian country rock that evokes the wide open prairies, with strong songs, vocals, harmonies and playing. Well chosen instrumentation that adds to the atmosphere
http://thecameronbrothersband.bandcamp.com/
(Full review to follow)
Brevard Busking Coalition – It will come back to you (2011) 3***
This is certainly roots music but those roots are in West Africa, Eastern European gypsy music even a
little Australian, as well as the U.S. and goodness knows where else from this pretty much unique band from Florida! There is musical quality as well as strong elements of humour. I’m guessing that seeing them live would be quite an experience!
http://brevardbusking.org/
The Devil Makes Three – Do wrong right (2009) 4****
Hugely talented band that blends folk, old timey, country, blues, ragtime and even a little vaudeville
into their very own genre played with tremendous skill and verve!
http://www.thedevilmakesthree.com
The Earl Brothers – Whiskey, women and death (2004) 4****
Mixes old time hillbilly and bluegrass into a potent blend of what modern Bluegrass really should be! Great
songs, superb playing and raw evocative vocals.
http://earlbrothers.com/
The Earl Brothers – Outlaw Hillbilly (2012) 4.5****
See above, but even better!!!
http://earlbrothers.com/
(Full review to follow)
Hillbilly Shakespeare – Well hell by golly gee whiz (2012) 3.5***
Obviously influenced and not outdone by the Byrds/Beatles sublime harmonies on an album that veers from
evocative 1960s pop psychedelia to excellent early country rock a la Byrds, even including a little bluesy rock. Quite diverse, beautifully sung and played.
http://hillbillyshakespeare.com/
The Give ‘Em Hell Boys – Barn Burner (2012) 3.5***
An entertaining hard driving punked up country, folk, blues brew that epitomizes and blends
the rawness and attack of the various genres!
http://giveemhellboys.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/thegiveemhellboys
(Full review may follow)
Ben Bedford – What we lost (2012) 3.5***
Excellent warm vocals on an album of powerful story songs in a folksy country genre that would probably sit
comfortable somewhere between Jay Farrar and Jackson Browne and with a nice sparse sound that never gets in the way of the stories.
http://benbedford.com/
(Full review may follow)