CD Reviews & downloads

Since recording the album, they MISNER & SMITH about an album of new material South-western rhythms, with an development of this band with a sound mix, which further makes contemporary definitions of that in the listener, pop generally have added a fourth member, Seven Hour Storm as I wouldn’t know what I would eerie and sexy quality that quickly interest. One fan describes them the music sound more rock than term or, at least, the play-lists plunges straight in with a drummer George Duron, but the  get for my money. On the other got under my skin. This would on their website as “Sex. With country. of pop and rock radio stations description of a feeling, with little drums on the album are played hand, if I had put my money make a wonderful soundtrack for death shortly thereafter.” Wish Whitey Morgan even manages where to be a female artist today narrative context. by Jimmy Smith (apart from three into this project, I would have a David Lynch movie, or even I’d thought of that. They have to make Johnny Paycheck’s is less about song-writing than, On a country album you’d tracks where Dave Pennington received 10 good songs in an From Dusk Till Dawn. I could certainly charmed me. Cocaine Train sound tedious. On to quote Meghan Trainor’s All know what all the songs were sits behind the kit). attractive package with full lyrics imagine any of the tracks offering Duncan Warwick the 1979 original we have a real About That Bass, having “all the about. On this record I didn’t Smith, Bernard and Creaney but admittedly with no photo of the an interesting juxtaposition to vocal, sung like the singer has right junk in all the right places.” know what any of them were share the songwriting and the band. some intense on-screen violence. WHITEY MORGAN AND gone through an ordeal, whereas But while Jewel and Crow about. lead vocals and Creaney’s vocal I love the harmonies of Lovers If you’d just driven through the THE 78’S the new version sounds sloppy, have made excursions into I’m not saying that makes it and songwriting skills compare Like Us and the fun of The Upside desert for eight hours and pulled Born, Raised And Live even for a live show. For a live country, Jewel has never wholly a bad album. But if Martin and well to his more experienced and Bird Street, which sounds into a roadside bar in the middle From Flint album Born, Raised And Live fitted in and Crow had to change others like her are looking for a band members. Dying Trying is like demos from the Byrds with of nowhere you’d want this band 1/2 From Flint has little life in it: it’s her style considerably. Martin, label to define them now that pop an attractive song with interesting different time signatures like Eight to playing to a bunch of barflies, empty, flat, boring, predictable, by contrast, has never sounded no longer fits, I’m afraid country wordplay and a title that forms a Miles High. The delightful Next bikers and weirdos. risk-free and very dated, in a bad country to me, and certainly isn’t it. catchy chorus, What’s Coming Seven Hour Storm / Calling / Time Around reflects their love The band are a trio consisting way. Listening to this CD drains doesn’t on her latest where Douglas McPherson has a poetic turn of phrase and Miles Away (instrumental) / Lost for Woody Guthrie. If you look at of Carrie Shepard on vocals and the pleasure from music, sadly she’s made a concerted effort Nobody Up Drinking (But Us) And Found / The Upside / Lovers YouTube, you will find that they acoustic guitar, Lawrence Daversa there is nothing here to excite or to step away from the traditional ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL has inventive imagery. Creaney Like Us / Bird Street / 15 Months have a tougher side as there is a on lead guitar, lap steel, and engage the mind. singer-songwriter sound to a Still The King: delivers his song with a voice / Tamalpais / Next Time Around / version of The Weight performed harmony vocals, and Brian Ferriby Paul Riley bright pop style characterised by Celebrating the Music of that has a combination of smooth Miles Away (vocal) at a house concert. on drums and this is their debut tight, jangly electric guitar and and His Texas upper range and throaty croak that Producer: Jeff Kazor Spencer Leigh release. Funded on Kickstarter - synthesisers. Playboys reminds me of Bobby Bare Jnr. Self Release they even offered an option that as CHRISTINA MARTIN There are sounds here, from  Smith’s songs, such as 46:35 THE WHISKEY well as a house concert included It’ll Be Alright the rock guitar solo on I’ve Got A Ain’t Gonna Have It, Fidel’s CHARMERS dinner cooked by the band for the  Gun to the soft drum loop of Take Parking Lot and The Original Although Misner and Smith have The Whiskey Charmers more generous investors – the Buick City / Cocaine Train / Crazy / Me Back, that might be heard on Bloodstained Five have a quirky toured the UK and played small  band have certainly invested Cheatin’ Again / Bad News / Prove an album by Lady Antebellum character in both their melody venues and house parties, I had wisely. The quality of the recording It All To You / Turn Up The Bottle or Little Big Town. But as much and lyrics. Particularly enjoyable not heard of the Californian duo is spot-on, and Carrie Shepard’s / Another Round / I’m On Fire / I as Nashville borrows from pop is the funky soul of Mount before and this album has been sometimes dream-like vocals not Ain’t Drunk / Honky Tonk Queen / and rock, there are usually at Bullshit (with trumpet from guest around for a while but is now being only perfect, but perfectly in the Where Do You Want It / Mind Your least some elements that keep musician Kullen Fuchs) where promoted in the UK, presumably mix. I found myself wondering Own Business a record country, be it a vocalist the band somehow weaves in because of their visits. They met what C Blues might sound like with Producer: not listed with a southern accent, lyric a reference to Edvard Grieg’s at a Shakespeare festival in 2002 a Patsy Cline-type arrangement, Bloodshot references to pickup trucks, small Hall Of The Mountain King. and then appeared in a tribute but undoubtedly the most 49:57 towns and beer, or a clarity to the Claude Bernard contributes a show to Woody Guthrie. They straightforward country track is the writing, particularly with regard to Intro-Texas Playboy Theme (with couple of songs: Cockroaches Of realised that they had something closing, and simply titled, Waltz. Cult outlaw, Ameripolitan, and old- story-telling and picture-painting, Leon Rausch) / I Hear Ya Talkin’ Staymore has a distinctive rock special together and they now It reminded me of something style country act Whitey Morgan It’ll Be Alright / Reaching Out / that remains unique to the writers (with Amos Lee) / The Girl I Left rhythm and well-organised lyrics, work as a duo, both singing Emmylou might have recorded. and The 78’s return with a live CD, I’ve Got A Gun / Lines / Puppet of Music City. Behind (with The Avett Brothers) / but less successful is the turgid and with Sam playing acoustic Elevator / Vampire / Straight & Much of the material has a recorded in 2011, and released Museum / You Ran From Me / This album has none of those Trouble In Mind (with ) nature of Where’s The Pub. guitar and Megan double-bass, Narrow / Neon Motel Room / C ‘noir’ feel to it, most notably and late in 2014. The delay could be Take Me Back In A Dream / You country anchors. Martin was born / Keeper Of My Heart (with Merle Budget Cuts is slightly rough though there are a few additional Blues / Parlor Lights / Can’t Leave not surprisingly Vampire, but my caused by how dire the music is, Don’t Have To Leave Tonight / in Florida, but having grown up in Haggard and Emily Gimble) / I around the edges, which suits the instruments on this album. / Sidewinder / Waltz favourite track is Can’t Leave – with the release as a lazy after Things You Can’t Tell By Looking Canada and spent time in Europe Can’t Give You Anything But Love southern rock/Americana vibe Their strength is in Sam Producer: The Whiskey Charmers Shepard seems to like a song title thought. The CD is packed with Her Way / Somewhere With You she has not a hint of the south in (with Kat Edmonson) / Tiger Rag and adds to the charm, but the Misner’s songwriting and they Self Release that is to the point! – however, tired cover versions, all inferior to Producer: Dale Murray her accent or vocal style. (with Old Crow Medicine Show) / discipline fails towards the end of perform like an early Simon and 37:27 some listeners might like a bit the originals. The worst of these is Come Undone There are no references to What’s The Matter With The Mill the album and the last two tracks Garfunkel. They also remind me of more variety. I almost felt as a version of Bruce Springsteen’s 39:07 life below the Mason-Dixon line, (with Pokey LaFarge) / Navajo are just too messy. Overall it is a Gillian Welch and David Rawlings The Whiskey Charmers are from though you could take the rhythm I’m On Fire, which certainly isn’t, but cosmopolitan mentions of Trail (with and The solid debut with good songwriting, although they sound warmer than Detroit but you’d think it would be track from almost any song and and raises the question, why is There’s a tendency to lump Paris, New York and Venice, and Quebe Sisters) / Silver Dew On enjoyable performances and that duo. They never lose track of more likely be Arizona. Formed in overlay it on any of the others. This an act playing rock any guitar-strumming singer- drinking French tea at De Oude The Bluegrass Tonight (with The bags of potential with Mark the melody and the opening cut, 2013, they say their music is hard wasn’t really a problem for me, music? Most of this new release songwriter into the box marked Remise (which is a restaurant in Del McCoury Band) / Faded Love Creaney injecting fresh ideas and Seven Hour Storm, is especially to classify and they’re not kidding. as even the five minute numbers however, sounds more rock than ‘folk’ or, in the case of Christina the Netherlands). (with ) / South excellent playing. It will please strong. Not what you’d traditionally enticed me with their groove, but country. Whitey Morgan, who is Martin, alternative country. Most of all, there’s nothing Of The Border (Down Mexico Gourds fans and The Hard Pans This is their fourth album and it call country, and certainly not just saying. almost shouting at times, tries to The reason is that artists like country about the song Way) (with ) / I Had might begin to build their own has been funded by Kickstarter. traditional country, rather it is a This self-titled release is copy his hero Waylon Jennings, her, Jewel and Sheryl Crow, structures. Whereas country Someone Else Before I Had following. I’ve yet to invest in a Kickstarter blend of Chris Isaak and early perfect for late night listening who definitely didn’t do it this-a- who would once have been tends to tell a story, which You (with ) / My Michael Hingston project and I would be dubious Calexico that is strong on laid-back and I’ll certainly be following the way. Then we have the dull thud of identified as pop no longer fit into creates an emotional response Window Faces The South (with

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