Tab Benoit – Power of the Pontchartrain

Jan 312008

A post last week on songs:illinois about Eric Lindell got me to thinking about this album. I spend a lot of time talking about various bastardized versions of the blues, but do not spend much time just talking about plain ol’ Blues.

Thanks to my Dad’s repeated recommendations, I picked up Power of the Pontchartrain a few months back and it has pretty much been a staple for my morning work commute ever since. To describe the sound of this cd, I’m just gonna quote others: “grooves where Benoit’s distinctive, grainy voice and tough Telecaster leads bring soul, grit, and intensity to a sound already infused with an earthy sensibility. There’s more of the same on this disc, but that’s no criticism…He touches on a variety of Americana styles, yet always keeps part of himself planted firmly in the wetlands of his roots.”

Tab Benoit – I’ve Been Good To You Baby
Tab Benoit – Sac-au-lait Fishing
Tab Benoit – Midnight and Lonesome

Tab Benoit’s Official Site, Tab Benoit on myspace, Buy Power of the Pontchartrain

Twilight Hotel – Highway Prayer

Jan 302008

Winnipeg lovers Brandy Zdan and Dave Quanbury, also known as Twilight Hotel, return with the follow up to their 2006 debut, Bethune. Highway Prayer is 12 tracks ranging from alt.country to cabaret, and just a little rockabilly thrown in for good measure. While they share the vocal duties, I think Twilight Hotel is at it’s best when Brandy takes the lead, as is the case with the Concrete Blonde-esqe track, “Iowalta Morningside”. You get the feeling that once Brandy fully realizes herself as a singer we will hear great things from her.

Highway Prayer also features guest appearances from Stephen Hodges (Tom Waits), Dave Roe (Johnny Cash), and Richard Bell (Janis Joplin, The Band). In fact, this album was the last thing Richard Bell ever recorded before passing away last year.

Twilight Hotel – Shadow of a Man
Twilight Hotel – Viva La Vinyl
Twilight Hotel – Sometimes I Get A Little Lonely

Twilight Hotel’s Official Site, Twilight Hotel on myspace

Gnarls Barkley leak:

Jan 292008

So, Mission Freak dropped what appeared to be a track from the new Gnarls Barkley on their blog today. I listen, I like, I think about posting and decide against it due to that whole ceist and desist thing. Then, Gnarls Barkley says:

“Hey. Run was not an official leak, but we’re not sweating it.

If you happen to see any homemade videos on YouTube using Run, let us know so we can check ‘em out. Might as well see if anyone’s had fun with it.”

and I think…hell, if they aren’t sweating it I may as well post it. Being a Ceelo fan from the Goodie Mob, Soul Food, days I can pretty much say I love every thing he does. What do you think of the song? One of the Mission Freak commentors posted this:

This is the type of song you play on Friday at 5pm, right after you got paid! Ha haa haa haa! Time to party!

So true.

There was a song here but apparently GB’s label was sweating it.

psst: record label; if you want this post to disappear just drop me and email.

Check out what Rolling Stone had to say when they heard a few cuts from the album:

The new Gnarls Barkley disc won’t be released until April, but we got the chance to hear a few new cuts early. The verdict: Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse have produced another album of super-catchy tunes that veer between retro-soul shakedowns, tricked-out psychedelic rock and trunk-rattling hip-hop. While nothing sounds as indelible as “Crazy,” the first two tracks that the pair are considering for a lead single are pretty ace: one is a funked-up organ groove complemented by French horns, a chorus of “la la la”s and Cee-Lo crooning in his throaty rasp, “Here it comes/Say it loud!” The other track, which we’re told is the duo’s favorite, is drastically different: a sinister ballad featuring intricately strummed acoustic guitar chords. Cee-Lo’s mood turns dark as he repeats over and over, “Who’s gonna save my soul?/I know I’m out of control.” It’s a stylish, spooky take on Robert Johnson’s delta blues—and even that suits them just fine.

Swedish Rockabilly blows me over (or: Miss T-Bones – Voodoo Doll)

Jan 292008

I like elements of Rockabilly in my music, but as a rule I am not really a fan of Rockabilly itself, and I think I’ve already mentioned the lack of female-fronted bands in my record collection.

None of that mattered about 2 minutes into the first track from Miss T-Bones’ debut cd, Voodoo Doll. This album smashed through all of my prejudices and made me like it. Over the past few days I’ve been making people to listen to the album just to see other people’s reactions, and they’ve all been pretty much the same…from the swing dancer to the rocker, everyone seems to be loving it. If that isn’t a sign that this is Essential Listening, then I don’t know what is.

I wish I could tell you more about the band, but what little there is on the internet is in foreign languages and I can’t seem to get any translators to work, so you’ll just have to listen to the music and make up your own back story.

Miss T-Bones – When I Get You
Miss T-Bones – Midnight Train
Miss T-Bones – Voodoo Doll

Miss T-Bones’ myspace profile, Buy Voodoo Doll

Drag the River & The Dents – Found All Parts Split EP

Jan 282008

A couple of weeks back while doing a little research for the piece about the new Drag cd I stumbled across the fact that they had done a split EP with a Boston punk band called The Dents. The premise appears to have been pretty simple….take two pop:punk songs from The Dents add two songs from Drag the River…each record their take on the song and put them back to back on an 8 track EP. The results are a mixed bag but the closer, Trainwreck, makes the cd worth owning. As a whole I think Drag won this battle 4-0 but I might be a tad biased.

Drag the River – Trainwreck
The Dents – Trainwreck

Drag the River’s Official Site, The Dent’s Official Site, Buy Found All Parts

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