Category Archives: Uncategorized

Song Review- The Last Revel –  “Static” from the album Gone For Good 

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Having been patiently waiting for the release of this album the moment finally arrived last week!   This group has long been a favorite of mine and I definitely consider them as a top Americana / alt-county operation (..and awesome live…check them out if you can as they bring some really good energy to every show:).

I have listened through the entire album several times and there are good songs throughout.  Although I picked “Static” for this review I also really liked “Go On” (a feisty, quick-paced number), “Simple Wheel” (great, punchy rhythm and crafty lyrics) and “Tall Grass” (just a perfect example of how these three musicians can blend their instruments together to create memorable music).  

“Static” has a subtle dreaminess to its tone right from the start, leading off with guitar that is joined after about 30 seconds by a gentle fiddle and soon after by a nice banjo melody line.  The lyrics here tell a familiar story but have some nice turns like, “”Break a day, get fixed at night, you always say we’re doing it right.”  

Musicians on this are:  Vinnie Donatelle (fiddle, vocals), Lee Henke (vocals, guitar) and Ryan Acker (banjo, vocals)

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://thelastrevel.bandcamp.com/

Remember to support your awesome community 🙂 

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Let me know you think! 

Song Review- Stay The Course – “Post Traumatic”

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I just head about the early release of this lyric video (available on YouTube of course) via an Earshot Media press announcement and was intrigued by this outtake:  

“Serving as the second single from Red Flag, the song marks a sharp left turn from Stay The Course’s usual mix of melodic breakdowns and punchy hooks. This time, they set aside distortion in favor of acoustic instruments, added string accompaniment courtesy of Meador’s wife and eldest daughter, and handed lead vocal duties to Munn.”

When bands step away from their usual sound I always have respect, regardless of the results, as just taking that action requires some guts and helps keep music fresh for all of us.  The results here are quite good with those aforementioned strings (cello + violin = very cool) really setting a slow, reflective tone.   The vocals are a an interesting mix of pleading and sentimental.  Songs like this sometimes end up feeling fragile but this one retains strength throughout – a good listen with a message. 

Musicians on this are: Colby Munn (vocals, guitar), Kylie Meador (cello), Londyn  Meador (violin), Joseph Meador (backing vocals). 

Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂   They also have an album coming soon (Red Flag) so keep an eye out. 

https://found.ee/staythecourse_posttraumatic

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

As always – remember to support all your locals – community is powerful! 

Song Review- Mike Ward  –  “Left To Ourselves” from the album The Time That Remains

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A standing man in a red long sleeve shirt facing to the left and playing acoustic guitar.

Having decided that I was in the mood to cruise though some recent Americana / Folk releases I came upon this album from Mike Ward that was just dropped at the beginning of the month.  The twelve songs that I heard were quite remarkable, both in their lyrics / message and composition.  Ward is a straight-forward storyteller with a clear voice and the ability to distill large ideas into heartfelt songs.   I was especially impressed with the hopeful message that he manages to convey even when it is wound up in songs about difficult subjects.  

“Left To Ourselves” comes in on a muted acoustic guitar that is picked up by a nice mandolin melody line.  Those two instruments are prominent throughout and provide a peaceful vibe supported by a subtle piano and some soft percussion that it took me a few minutes to sort out.  There is a nice bridge that kicks the beat up for about twenty seconds before transitioning back again.  This song, which for me has a message of “give your better nature the first chance” is a notable composition and worth a listen.  

Musicians on this are: Mike Ward (acoustic guitar, vocals), Jason Dennie (mandolin), David Roof (percussion and piano).

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://psychosongs.bandcamp.com/album/the-time-that-remains

Remember to support your local community 🙂 

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…

Let me know you think! 

Song Review- KRÖNA- “Take ‘Em All”

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This Caribbean punk group just started a tour in North America and “Take ‘Em All” dropped right before they were heading out.  This is a new group to me and I was impressed by the energy that comes bursting through on the track.  The press release from Earshot Media put it this way: 

“Blending breakneck punk, hardcore fury, and syncopated reggae grooves, KRÖNA brings an unmistakable Dominican flair to the global punk scene.”

PSA: Before you push play on this one brace yourself if you are faint of heart…

Heavy drums and bold, squealing guitars hit right from go and kick you along for about 30 seconds before the strong, defiant vocal roars in.  Other than a rather long fade out at the end, there are no moments of peace and quiet on this track – it rips all the way through.  

It sounds like we can expect another single to drop soon which will be followed later in the year by their debut album Dead Air Diaries.  I have to check these guys out live also as I fully expect that to be quite the event.  

You can give this one a listen here: 

If you go out and give “Take ‘Em All” a listen…think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

And support your locals – community is powerful! 

Song Review- Len Price 3 – “Emily’s Shop”

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Ok, so sometimes I do stop the train and just take in a little scenery from a different land.  I have taken this particular stop, parked next to a nice British Pub in my mind, before with The Len Price 3.  That was back around February 2023 when I gave their Ip Dip Do album a go around and was impressed with the sound.  Songs like “Waiting for the Trouble to Come” and “She Came From Out of the Sun” have a kind of dreamy vibe offset by poignant guitar sounds.  On a different side of the coin are songs like “Charlie” which manages an anti-drug message over very loud guitars and a hammering drum beat.   I think some folks put them in the “garage rock” genre, I tend more toward “Brit Power Pop Revival” but I supposed we can argue about that later.   

This track (with a b/w called “I’m a Fake”)  is  a bit of a preview for their upcoming Wicked Cool Records release Misty Medway Magick.  Starting off on a little “Do, Do, Do…” vocals that will give you some nostalgic feelings, “Emily’s Shop” builds up to a nice volume with guitars and bass to the front and a slightly subdued drum in most places.  As they have in the past, The Len Price 3 show us again how much power three instruments & accomplished musicians can bring to the party.  

The Len Price 3 are: Steve Huggins (bass), Glenn Page (guitar & vocals), and Neil Fromow (drums).

You can check this out on streaming here – let me know your thoughts!  

https://orcd.co/lenprice3emily

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

Also – in case you want a cool addition to your vinyl collection they have a limited edition 7” you can pick up here: 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/136031435566?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=hW9BmIpPS_W&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=hW9BmIpPS_W&stype=1&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

And support your locals – community is powerful!

Song Review- Record Thieves- “Cause and Effect”

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When Jim Wilcox left Authority Zero back in 2012 I was definitely disappointed as I was a big fan of his work on the drums for that band.  Songs like “Revolution (off Andiamo) and “Memory Lane” (12:34) are marked by his controlled but still feisty playing.  At the time he left I was not sure (or had missed a memo) on what his next stop might be and was pleasantly surprised when he popped up with Record Thieves.  That was back in 2020 (at least when I found them) and they had just released their strong debut Wasting Time.  Some notable tracks there are “Sacrifice” and “Daily Revolver.”  Currently, the other members of Record Thieves are: Allen White (guitar), Michael Waterhouse (vocals), Chad Gilbert (bass) and Christopher Livesay (guitar).

The vocals from Waterhouse lead off here with a nice distorted guitar riff in the background.  A punchy, thumping drum joins soon after as the lyrics weave a story about trying to break loose from our usual processes and patterns (…”if I could just get out of my own way”).  The bass line here is just a little bit subtle and adds some really interesting texture to the track, kind of a hopeful yet melancholy vibe.  This song is a promising teaser for their upcoming album release which will also be on Thousand Island Records. 

Check it out on your favorite streaming channel (link below) – and let me know your thoughts about it – music makes for good conversation 🙂

https://bfan.link/RT-cause-and-effect

And if you have the inclination …think about purchasing it if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

And support your locals – community is powerful! 

Song Review- Dan Murphy & High On Stress  –  “Tethered” 

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When I saw this post from Nick Leet on Instagram:

“This is a public service announcement with guitar…and piano.  Today we are releasing our first new song in 2 years. Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum / Scarlet Goodbye) & I wrote this song to share our frustrations.”

… I knew I had to check it out right away…which ended up meaning five days later…but life, ya know.    

This track starts with a simple elegance; a fairly straight-forward rhythm and melody offset by a few discordant moments…that I suspect are on purpose.  It is like anger layered over thoughtfulness.  That background makes the message in the lyrics stand out well and you can definitely hear the mentioned frustrations coming through clearly.   There is also a poignant piece about midway through, full of climbing guitars and bass, that gets you like a scream from a rooftop.  In my opinion this song, in tone, lyrics and arrangement does a great job of delivering the message I believe Leet, Murphy and High On Stress meant for it to convey.  

Musicians on this are: Dan Murphy (vocals, electric guitar, piano, keys and bass), Nick Leet (vocals, acoustic & electric guitar), Chad Wheeling (electric guitar, backing vocals, engineering & mixing), Mark Devaraj (drums) and Kayla Wheeling (backing vocals).

You can check out more of the music and information on the Bandcamp page https://highonstressmpls.bandcamp.com/album/dan-murphy-high-on-stress-tethered.

Your community – us and you and everyone else – is powerful…remember to support and engage.

And please think about purchasing this song after you listen – streaming music does not pay much even times a thousand…( side note – per the release posting all proceeds here will be donated to the ACLU).

Let me know you think! 

Album Review- From The Dirt – Colored Edge of Memory

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The press release from Broken Jukebox Media about this new album hit my inbox near the end of June and I was unfortunately a little too busy to jump on it right away.  What a revelation the songs on this album turned out to be as I listened to them over the past week.  This is definitely not a one-trick pony bluegrass band as they cover a range from folk & county to Americana & yes, bluegrass…and there is even a song that is distinctly Celtic in style and tone.  Let’s start with that gem.

“Silver Maple Spinners” begins on rippling tribal strings and a dark rhythm that weaves along throughout the song, set off by a slightly breathless vocal.  It left me with a sense of tension, or maybe anticipation of something…unknown.  Another stand-out for me is “Angeline” which has all the great interplay of stringed instruments you expect from country-tinged bluegrass.  The mandolin and fiddle on this track are really exceptional.  You can get a nice change of pace on “Afterwards, on the Greyhound” which has a smooth melody and atmospheric vibe as the lyrics bring you along with a motley cast of lonely characters.  The chorus line, “Did you even know that I was leaving you,” is more thought provoking than you think at first listen…quite haunting actually.   

Overall this is a great set of ten songs that keep you interested and engaged, set a range of moods and vibes, have great musicianship and definitely deserves your time.   You can check it out on your usual streaming places of course (one link below) and I believe that hard copies may soon be available.  

You can stay up-to-date with the band (and maybe those hard copies) at 

http://www.fromthedirtband.com

If you go out and give this album or any of the tracks a listen…think about purchasing some or all if you can as steaming music does not pay well even times a thousand. 

And support your locals – community is powerful!