Tag Archives: Broken Jukebox Media

Album Review- Megan Bee- Fiction

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A woman in a brown tank top and print skirt, sitting down with a guitar on her lap. She appears to be deep in thought.

Courtesy of Adam Dawson and Broken Jukebox Media I had the good fortune to be able to preview this album which is set for an official release on October 10th (radio date October 1st).  The information that came along with the details on Fiction included references back to her prior albums which have received much positive recognition.  As I was unaware of all of that I decided to jump backward first and started with 2017’s A Sense of Place.  That is a solid set of songs that range from the bluegrass sing-along styled “Carry Me Away” to the slightly sassy alt-county feel of “Cincinnati.” Like a Canyon also is listed as an earlier 2017 release that has more good songs on it although I found it lacked a little of the stylistic range that was present on A Sense of Place.  Of course, I also found “Little Birdie” (which is the notable change-of-pace song on Canyon) to be just too darn happy of a song for me so who I am to complain about  stylistic range?  Bee’s 2020 album Waiting was the last one I made it all the way through before writing this post and you can hear the development of her talent and voice on every track.  The songs are stark in composition but the instruments are right on-point, adding harmony and background that let you into every story.  “Back Home Again” and “Dreams I Don’t Remember” are the stand-outs tracks for me on that album. 

After two times listening through Fiction I was struck by the strength of the lyrics which are so poignant and sung with real feeling.  They tell stories with a clarity and simplicity that make the message in each song all the more powerful.   That songwriting ability was present on the other albums I mentioned above but it is really in full force here.  The songs remain generally simple in form with mostly acoustic instruments that are handled masterfully and add to the intimate, in-person feeling of this album.  “Now I Know” and the title track struck me as especially noteworthy.  Fiction is definitely worth waiting for so keep an eye out for this one to drop.  

I am not sure if this is a complete list of musicians on the album but the info available listed (in addition to Bee on guitar, piano and Wurlitzer); Kate Wakefield (cello), John Borchard (pedal steel), Ammed Solomon (drums) and Chris Justice (bass).  

You can keep up-to-date and also purchase her music here:

https://meganbeemusic.com/home

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Song Review- C. Daniel Boling “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” (featuring Tom Paxton) from the album IT MATTERS

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Smiling, bearded man playing an acoustic guitar

It is good to swing back to some good old folk music sometimes and this release (on Berkalin Records) is an instant classic.  If you take the time to listen through the entire album you will find it full of straight-forward heartfelt lyrics, some well-aimed humor, a nice collection of instruments (most of them from the string family) and an overall tone of classic American folk.  It was quite an enjoyable listen.  

Although the most recent press release from Broken Jukebox Media was about a different song from the album (“We’re Not happy” – video link below) I found “What Could Possibly Go Wrong” to be my own favorite.  It is a clean guitar song with Boling and Paxton deftly trading lines and coming together for the chorus.   Plus, any message about the creeping nonsense of AI is going to get applause from me every time.  

Musicians on this are: C. Daniel Boling (guitar, vocals) and Tom Paxton (vocals)

If you want to check this album out out I found it at Tom Paxton’s Bandcamp page here:

https://tompaxton.bandcamp.com/album/it-matters

That video for “We’re Not Happy” – link below: : 

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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!