The idea that the poetry of Ireland's William Butler Yeats could be set to rock music and captured adequately (let alone eloquently) by Mike Scott and his Waterboys sounds pretentious at the least. Yet, they proved it possible with "Stolen Child" on Fisherman's Blues, then with "Love and Death" off Dream Harder. Yeats and Scott share not only iconic status among their followers, they are also regarded as iconoclasts. The former was born a Catholic, became an atheist, and eventually found spirituality in nature and the occult. He was a celebrated poet and playwright but became a hard-willed, even ruthless politician in his defense of Irish freedom and unity. The latter is a controversial rocker and producer who has aspired to be a mystic, a social and political raconteur, a poet, and a traditional and postmodern balladeer. Also like Yeats, Scott's art has been adventurous: he's taken chances that have not always netted him critical -- or commercial -- ...
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To the uninitiated, the title Stadium Blitzer is more likely to conjure up images of German metal music than Americana by way of Texas. Americana, however, complete with accordions and mandolins, is what the Gourds are all about. Originally recorded in 1997, this album received a wider 2001 release, thanks to the folks at Sugar Hill. Stadium Blitzer is a shambling, loose, slack-jawed mess. And, my, what a beautiful one. "I like drinking," the boys stammer on the song of the same name, and it's not hard to believe that much of this album was written under the influence on some hot-summer, mosquito-infected porch, an alcohol infused acoustic hootenany. Rambling guitars, wandering accordians, meandering mandolins--and don't forget the handclaps, grinder wheels, sizzles, chest thumps and "accidental noises"--mesh with Claude Bernard's boozy vocals and suggest a mix that lies somewhere between bluesy Americana and New Orleans' stomp. While the Gourds sound achingly tender and lost on slow ...
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The way this CD starts out, you might not want to listen to it alone in the woods on a moonlit night, when the Loup Garou might be on the prowl. So real are the sound effects on the title cut of Loup Garouthat one may begin to believe in the legendary werewolf of the bayou country. Bruce Sunpie Barnes has created a colorful rendition of the folktale -- if it is just a story. There are bloodcurdling howls and scary laughter, courtesy of Barnes' voice, along with his atmospheric harmonica riffs and screeches and wails from Jerry Embree's saxophone. After they get the blood pumping with a good scare, Bruce Sunpie Barnes & the Louisiana Sunspots set about the business of producing blues and zydeco for dancing. Most of the tunes are written by the bandleader of multifarious talents. He sings and plays many instruments, he used to be a pro-football player with the Kansas City ...
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2011 release, the 23rd solo album from the award winning English singer, songwriter and actress. Horses And High heels, which was recorded in the New Orleans French Quarter in September and October of 2010, features eight cover versions and four original new songs co-written by Marianne, four songs which feature the virtuoso guitar playing of John Porter, a musician/producer friend most noted for his work with Roxy Music, Eric Clapton and The Smiths. The Hal Willner, produced album also includes one song with lyrics specially written for her by Irish playwright Frank McGuiness (the evocative `The Old House'), two cameo appearances on guitar from another old friend, Lou Reed, plus further cameos from Dr. John and MC5's Wayne Kramer.
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ROLAND'S OPINON; Very calming melodies with a perfect flow from one song to the next. Tusk is the 12th album by the British/American rock band Fleetwood Mac. Released in 1979, it is considered experimental, primarily due to Lindsey Buckingham's sparser songwriting arrangements and the influence of punk rock and New Wave on his production techniques. Bassist John McVie has commented that the album sounds like "the work of three solo artists" (Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie), whilst Mick Fleetwood later proclaimed that it is his favourite and the best Fleetwood Mac studio album created by the group. Costing over one million dollars to record (a fact widely noted in the 1979 press), it was the most expensive rock album made up to that point. Tusk peaked at #4 in the US and was certified double platinum for shipping two million copies. The album gave the group two US top-ten hit singles, with the Buckingham-penned title track, and the Stevie ...
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“Glossy, lush, loud and proud: maybe the best conjunto rock album ever.” 4 stars (out of 4) Q Magazine “A terrific comeback showcasing all The Mavericks can be.” 5 stars (out of 5) Country Music People Forget the Grammys, the CMA and ACM Awards for prestigious things like Vocal Group and Album of the Year. Never mind the sold out shows in England's Royal Albert Hall or taking country to places the genre had never been. With a Cuban-American lead singer, garage band ferocity, an intense live show and a deep love of both romance and pure country to go with the polyrhythmic beats the Mavericks were raised on, they were unlikely superstars. Yet, the Mavericks distilled country's essences, bulked them up with a big, raucous sound, then broke ground for the format that saw people from all walks of life, many cultures and some surprising places lining up for hits like ...
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2013 two CD set. Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys furthers a long line of extraordinary projects from producer Hal Willner. In 2006, he offered up a supreme example with the first volume of Rogues Gallery, hatched up on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead ManÝs Chest with actor Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski, who serve as executive producers of both volumes. The idea was to revive traditional folk songs of the sea, from pirate ballads to sailorÝs work songs, sung by artists whose spirit of independence matched the material. True to this vision, this double CD offers master musicians from Tom Waits and Patti Smith to Michael Stipe and Broken Social Scene and one-of-a-kind pairings, including lead single 'Leaving for Liverpool'" with Shane McGowan teamed with Johnny Depp; the haunting 'Shenandoah' pairing Tom Waits with Keith Richards (2 of Roland's faves on ...
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Released on August 28, 2012 in Canada by Six Shooter Records. One year after their debut, Whitehorse returns in epic fashion with The Fate of the World Depends on this Kiss. The classic tale of musical romance continues for Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland, the husband and wife duo behind Whitehorse. Individually, Luke and Melissa have been recognized with awards and nominations from the Juno Awards, the Canadian Folk Music Awards, the Hamilton Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards and Polaris. Together, Luke and Melissa create music that cascades forth, rushing like currents fluid and electric. More than the sum of considerable talents, Whitehorse showcases true give and take in creative partnership.
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Uncut is a monthly British musci magazine that always comes with a FREE sampler CD. The current issue on sale at Cheeky Monkey has Tom Waits as the cover story with the CD "Heart of Saturday Night'. These CD's are always well done with some being familiar bands, the rest are new discoveries. It's like a smorgesbord of music! This edition includes 15 great tracks of 2013's best new music, including Richard Thompson, Villagers, Matthew E White, Caitlin Rose, Arbouretum, Wooden Wand and Endless Boogie
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Because of her high soprano vocals, Lindi Ortega is often compared to Dolly Parton, but her style couldn't be more different. Parton imbues everything she sings, even her most poignant songs, with an almost breathless optimism. Ortega's stock in trade is the darker side of life, specializing in love songs full of heartache, betrayal, and depression. Even when she sings happy songs like "Cigarettes & Truckstops" and "Every Mile of the Ride," her voice seems to be coming from a place where uncertainty and insecurity spin together in a hopeless and melancholy dance. Colin Linden's production emphasizes the music's despondent vibe by combining deep, throbbing bass tones with the wide-open, twangy sound of spaghetti Western guitars. It's a thick atmospheric sound perfectly suited to Ortega's aching tales of love gone awry. Most of the songs are taken at a funeral pace that befits the desperate subject matter. The obsessive lover in "Lead Me On" longs to be free, ...
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