Album Spotlight: Blackberry Smoke - Find a Light

There are going to be a lot of words written about Blackberry Smoke's new album Find a Light. I'm going to save some bandwidth.

If you're a fan of Blackberry Smoke, you'll be pleased. If you've never heard Blackberry Smoke and you like Southern Rock, you'll be pleased. If you don't like Southern Rock, skip.

It's really that simple. Go buy the album, download or pay for your streaming.

So here's some pirate metal from Alestorm:

Album Spotlight: Vandoliers - The Native

From the first line of the first song, "I was born September 1st, in a little town outside Fort Worth" to the album closer "Weclome Home" the new Vandoliers album The Native is Texas through and through.

If you want to know what Texas music is all about, this album is a crash course. It takes snippets of Red Dirt, Southern Rock, Tejano, mariachi, Rockabilly, Texas swing, honky tonk, country, 80s pop rock, punk and beach/island music to create a diverse 10 song journey. Some of it may be a bit too inside baseball to resonate with everyone, such as the song "Pantego", but hell, if Cairo, IL can get a couple of songs recently, why not Pantego?

The Vandoliers are self aware and The Native never takes itself too seriously. Sure, there is some introspection and some nostalgia, but all in all, it's just fun summer fare with a perfect release date, the Friday before Memorial Day, which kind of indicates the beginning of summer in the United States.

The Native may not be for everyone, and frontman Joshua Fleming's vocals are unique, but they fit perfectly in the context of these songs.  The instrumentation and playing is spot-on throughout the album. This is just a fun album and these guys sound like they'd be great live.

Album Spotlight: Biters - The Future Ain't What It Used to Be

Everybody reading this has access to the Google machine. If you want history and context, look it up.

The new album from Biters is great. The Future Ain't What It Used to Be is 70s British glam, 80s Sunset Strip sleaze and Southern Rock all rolled into a fairly eclectic package.

Biters hail from Georgia, so the Southern Rock connection is easy to digest. The British glam ala The Sweet, T-Rex, Ziggy Stardust is not a natural connection. Then there's the 80s sleaze reminiscent of L.A. Guns and Faster Pussycat.

Somehow, it all works.

And here's the thing. There is no one song that makes me perk up and say "That is great!" On the other hand, there is not one bad song on the album, no filler. It all just flows.

Because of where my wheelhouse is, I'm going with my favorite 80s influenced song here: "Vulture City".

Album Spotlight: Whiskey Myers: Mud

Mud is the perfect title for Whiskey Myers' fourth album release. Mud is dirty, it's gritty, it's grimy, it's greasy and it's swampy. So, yeah, it's muddy. Mud is not slick and polished, it's not saccharine and glossy, it's not good times and parties. It is real and raw and hard times and making do and living in the good times.

Although honing their skills on the Texas Red Dirt scene, Whiskey Myers is not a country band. They are a Southern rock/hard rock band with country leanings. They recently wrapped up the Carnival of Madness tour with Shinedown, Halestorm and Black Stone Cherry. They are another entry into my "Rock Ain't Dead" campaign.

The torch of Southern Rock is in good hands with Whiskey Myers, who, along with Blackberry Smoke, have re-lit it and have it burning brighter than it has since the early 80s. Just as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, The Allman Brothers, etc. all had their own unique sound within Southern Rock, Whiskey Myers borrows heavily from the pioneers while still sounding uniquely Whiskey Myers.

Produced by Dave Cobb, as was the previous album Early Morning Shakes, Mud seems to have Whiskey Myers and Dave Cobb hitting  the sweet spot together. Mud is, in my opinion, the best Whiskey Myers album yet, edging out 2011's Firewater by a slim margin.

The album closes with "Good Ole Days", a collaboration by Cody Cannon with Brent Cobb. It's a fun acoustic song, but what got me was the baseball allegiances revealing themselves in the final verse.

Here are couple songs that show the diversity of the album, "Mud" and "Stone".

Album Spotlight: Blackfoot: Southern Native

Blackfoot has a new album called Southern Native. Rickey Medlocke.

That sentence and that name probably mean nothing to 99% of Americans. Probably 99.9999% of the world.

Blackfoot was a 70's Southern Rock band, heavy on the rock. Contemporaries with Lynyrd Skynyrd, though never nearly as popular. Blackfoot co-founder Rickey Medlocke is now the touring lead guitarist for Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Medlocke put together a new Blackfoot with four new musicians. He produced the album and wrote or co-wrote much of it and played on it. But he's not a member of the band (Gene Simmons, take note).

However they got to this point, and whatever convoluted thread they hold with the original Blackfoot, Southern Native is a good album. In fact, if you grew up with 70s rock and Southern Rock, it's a great album.

I don't know if the new Blackfoot has legs going forward, but if you like Southern Rock with a harder edge, check this one out.

Album Spotlight: The Temperance Movement: White Bear

Southern psychedelic grunge rock. It took me a while to find the right descriptors for The Temperance Movement's new album White Bear. This is another in my quest to prove that rock is indeed not dead.

Living on the harder edge of Southern Rock (yes, I know they from the UK, but Southern Rock has been around for 40+ years and is a fairly ubiquitous term that can be applied regardless of locale of origin), White Bear takes you on a psychedelic rock journey that makes a lengthy stop in Seattle for some Soundgarden/Alice in Chains inspired 90s rock.

Here is the song "White Bear" from the album:



While the album is chock full of rockers like "White Bear", when you get to last song the nuance and depth increases dramatically. "Time Won't Leave" reminds me of a song that would not be out of place on any of the Eagles iconic records. Have a listen to this live acoustic version.

Whiskey Myers: Concert Review

I went with my sister and daughter to see Whiskey Myers in New Braunfels, TX at the River Road Ice House with Band of Heathens opening.

While not that familiar with Band of Heathens before, they were really good. Hard to explain, but if you like 70's California rock, you'd like them.

I had seen Whiskey Myers a couple of years ago at a small club. They were good then. Now, they are a rock and roll tour de force.

The east Texas band cut their teeth on the Texas/Red Dirt Country circuit, honing their brand of Southern Rock. They are a jam band at heart. At least live. It doesn't come through as much on their recorded material.

Whiskey Myers is going out on the Carnival of Madness tour with Shinedown, Halestorm and Black Stone Cherry. If the other three aren't on their game, they will be out-rocked by some East Texas boys.

Whiskey Myers would be right at home in the '70's. With either the Southern Rock crowd or the hard rock crowd. They would have fit in the '80's with Cinderella, Tesla and the Black Crowes. You could even argue that they would have been at home in the late '60's with Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, and the Rolling Stones. Oh, and they could also hold their own playing with Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson.

Visually, Whiskey Myers is an amalgam of of many things. Guitarists Cody Tate and John Jeffers could not look more like they belong in different bands. Tate could walk onto a ZZ Top stage and trade licks with Billy Gibbons. Jeffers could step onto a stage with Cinderella and not look out of place. And both shred on guitar. Early and often.

Drummer Jeff Hogg may be Mick Fleetwood reincarnate.

Bassist Gary Brown looks like he belongs on the Texas Country scene, replete with cowboy hat. Then he breaks out the bass line for "7 Nation Army" and you know this ain't your dad's country.

Lead singer Cody Cannon is a combination of Jim Morrison, Billy the Kid, Johnny Depp, Johnny Van Zant and Jon Bon Jovi. Both in looks and sound. I leave that for you to figure out.

Whiskey Myers played a high energy set that rocked more than the last Bon Jovi show I saw. If you go expecting country, you'll be disappointed, it you go wanting some good rock music, you'll leave impressed.

Here is a live version of "Home" recorded in England:

Album Spotlight: Jonathan Tyler: Holy Smokes

This record has been out for a couple of weeks. I have been remiss in not spotlighting it up until now.

Holy Smokes, Jonathan Tyler's latest offering, is Southern Rock, the Stones, the Black Crowes, the Doobie Brothers, The Band, Butch Walker, Ryan Adams, country, alternative, rock, etc.

But it's none of that. It's all Jonathan Tyler. Or maybe it's all of that, which is Jonathan Tyler.

Judge for yourself. Here is "Hallelujah".



And now, "Riverbottom".

Album Spotlight: Chris Hennessee: Greetings From Hennessee

If you like any combination of country, Southern Rock, blues,Texas country, gospel, Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Allmans, Alabama, Jerry Reed, the Eagles, Marshall Tucker, the Bellamy Brothers, etc., you might just find something you like in Chris Hennessee's latest record Greetings From Hennessee.

Classify it how you want. As regular readers of my blog know, I've given up. Just say it's good music.

Here is "Long Way Gone" from the new record.

Album Spotlight: Koritni: Night Goes On For Days

Koritni's latest record Night Goes On For Days could have come straight out of the 80's. And that's a good thing. This Australian band with a French guitarist sounds like they grew up on the Sunset Strip, or Indiana or Mississippi. Confused yet?

Koritni could have easily come out of the mid to late 80's LA sleaze rock scene. Or feel right at home with the Mississippi Delta blues inspired Southern Rock of the 70's. Even touches of American heartland sentiment a la John Mellencamp.

Whatever, they make it all work in a sound that I find refreshing. Mostly it's just good, fun, 80's style hard rock. If you're a fan of that era, these guys do it right.

And they self-aware of what they are doing. Enough to make fun of themselves as is evident in this track, "Rock'nRoll Ain't No Crime":

Album Spotlight: A Thousand Horses: Southernality

I was a little leery of A Thousand Horses after hearing the two lead singles from their Southernality record. Whoever is choosing the singles for them is making a huge mistake, as "Smoke" and "(This Ain't No) Drunk Dial" may be the two worst songs on the album.

The entirety of Southernality is a lot closer to the Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers brand of current Southern Rock than the bro-tinged pap of the lead singles.

The record starts out with the seriously Black Crowes influenced "First Time". Maybe a little too Black Crowes influenced, "Jealous Again" anyone? I can forgive them for that one because it's a good song and the rest of the album is not derivative.

Coming in with 13 songs, Southernality is about three songs too long. It's marketed as country, but nowadays what isn't? It's not country, it's Southern Rock. But where do you market that now?

Where A Thousand Horses goes from here will be interesting. The best thing that could happen would be for the ill chosen singles to flop so they will concentrate on the music they are good at.

Here's a live acoustic version of "Sunday Morning":

Album Spotlight: Chris Stapleton: Traveller

The new Chris Stapleton album has arrived. And it was worth the wait.

Traveller has elements of more traditional country along with Southern rock sensibilities. Stapleton's smoky voice soars throughout.

Of the fourteen songs on the record, there are none that I would skip. I love it when you can put on a record and just let it play all the way through and enjoy everything. That doesn't happen often.

Traveller immediately vaults into my top two albums of 2015. Right now I don't know if it is one or two.

Here's the title track. The record just keeps getting better from there.

Album Spotlight: Will Hoge: Small Town Dreams

I held off on this one until after a few spins. It grew on me. Then I listened to it on the car stereo while driving by myself. I was convinced.

The new Will Hoge record Small Town Dreams is good. It's good if you like Southern Rock, Bob Seger, John Mellencamp and Tom Petty.

There are lot of good songs, but the one that resonates the most with me is "Guitar or a Gun".  It's Southern Rock through and through. And it tells a story.

"Middle of America" could come right out of a John Mellencamp record in the late 80s.

Maybe the reason I like this record so much is because it reminds me of 80s, classic and Southern rock with a bit of honky tonk and country thrown in the mix.

Here's the official video for  "Middle of America".




And the audio for my favorite song, "Guitar or a Gun".

Album Review: Kid Rock: First Kiss

Is the new Kid Rock record First Kiss great? Groundbreaking? Nope and nope. But you know what it is? Full of catchy tunes and a lot of fun.

It's full of nostalgia, It's reflective. It's cliche-laden. It's a little bit country, it's a little bit Southern Rock. It's a little bit classic rock. It's a little bit 80s pop. And it's better than anything being played on mainstream radio right now.

This comes out at the perfect time as we get out of the February doldrums and look forward to (hopefully) warmer weather. It's an easy listen. Sittin' on the deck or the porch drinking an adult beverage music. Cruising down the road with the windows open and/or top down music. Sing-along-chorus music. Don't want to/have to think kind of music.

There is no "Bawitaba" or "Cowboy" on this record. None of the rap/rock that Kid Rock did earlier in his career.

If you like the first single "First Kiss" below, there's more of the same throughout the album.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

February is almost over and I had to get out of my singer/songwriter melancholy funk. Not that I don't enjoy that, it just seemed to be encompassing my music. So I go back to when music was fun. A little Sunset Strip 80s rock. This comes from RATT's Dancing Undercover album, which I think is their best and by far most underrated record.



The next song was recommended to me specifically from one of my tweeps. (I love twitter). A band out of California called Walking Tall. Since hearing this song, I have delved into more of their music. Good stuff. County tinged Southern Rock with a hint of 80s pop. What's not to like.



I don't know where the new Kid Rock fits into today's musical landscape. I had the chance to listen to his latest record ,First Kiss, all the way through today. There is no "Bawitdaba" or "Cowboy" on it. It's very reflective and nostalgic. I wouldn't say it's great, but every tune is catchy. If this is what he decides to do, I'm all for it. Here's the title track from the album. It reminds me of a cross between Bryan Adams and .38 Special. Whatever, it's better than anything played on mainstream radio. My 14-year-old daughter, who used to love country, but got bored with all the sameness, digs this song.



I know a lot of people won't get this, but I'm in love with Lzzy Hale's voice. From their upcoming album, here is Halestorm with "Mayhem".



The last thing I'll leave you with is Chelle Rose. I can't believe I haven't heard of her before. Expressing that sentiment on twitter, she tweeted back that we find music at the right time in our lives. I can't argue with that. Swampy and sultry, she's good.

Album Spotlight: Blackberry Smoke: Holding All The Roses

You know when you are looking forward to a new record release and then it comes out and you're so disappointed? Yeah, I do too. But with Blackberry Smoke's Holding All The Roses that didn't happen.

Charlie Starr and the boys bring their country fried southern rock tinged with country to a new level. I'm not sure if there is a bad song on the album.

The vocals are not stellar, no blazing guitar solos, just a fantastic band locking into what they do. And doing it well.

Blackberry Smoke, along with Whiskey Myers, are doing Southern Rock the right way. Are they Skynyrd? Nope. Are they Marshall Tucker? Nope. Are they the Allmans? Nope. What they are is Blackberry Smoke. And that's a good thing.

I could try to break it down song-by-song, but that would be futile. There are heavy doses of Southern Rock, there is honky tonk, there is country. And it's all good.

I know it's expected to post a vid of my favorite song. I don't know that I have a favorite yet, so I'll go with this one.

Southern Rock is Alive and Well

OK. So we are all annoyed by the guys yelling out "Play some Skynyrd" or "Freebird". And, yeah, that still goes on. The band doesn't appreciate it. Most of the patrons don't either.

But, you know what? There are plenty of bands out there keeping Southern Rock alive. Do they all play "Freebird"? Nope. Do they rock in the spirit of Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchet, ZZ Top, the Allmans, Charlie Daniels, etc.? A resounding yes to that.

In the past I've been more than willing to say "Today's music sucks".  Well, yeah, some of it does. But some of it is really good. Here are some bands doing Southern Rock justice.

Whiskey Myers: My personal favorite. And, as a caveat, I can be swayed by the fact that they hail from Texas. Their latest record Early Morning Shakes is pure, unadulterated Southern Rock, no matter how it's categorized now.




Blackberry Smoke: I have to give them proper credit.  They were my gateway into looking for more modern Southern Rock. I first heard them and was intrigued. Are there really still Southern Rock bands out there? Yes, yes there are. And Blackberry Smoke is at the pinnacle.




Preacher Stone is pretty unknown but they bring it. Although they don't want to be known as a Southern Rock band, but rather a rock band from the South I'm including them anyway.



There are many more. And that excites me. Search, dig and find the music you like. Don't let anyone else dictate what you listen to.

Album Spotlight: Preacher Stone: Paydirt

Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina's Preacher Stone does not want to be identified as a Southern Rock band, but a "rock band from the South." Okay. Whatever. I'll roll with it.

Their latest record Paydirt, released in March of this year, borrows liberally from other "rock bands from the South" such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker, the Allman Brothers, Charlie Daniels and Georgia Satellites. There are also hints of Classic Rock bands like Bad Company and Edgar Winter. There's also some very Country-like tendencies on the record.

Throw that all together and, in Preacher Stone, you get a very familiar yet unique sounding band. With Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers, Preacher Stone is doing Southern Rock the right way. Even if they're just a rock band from the South.

Here is "Me and Mine" from the Paydirt album.

Preacher Stone on Amazon.

Follow theCheapSeats on Twitter.

Album Spotlight: Tyler McCumber Band - Saracene Sessions: Tape 1

Listening to Saracene Sessions: Tape 1 by the Tyler McCumber Band, I hear southern rock and country. I hear Merle Haggard and Bob Seger. I hear Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top. That's all good.

But what I hear mostly is Tyler McCumber. And that's even better.

Saracene Sessions is not going to be anyone's go-to summer feel-good record. No party anthems to be found. There's nothing wrong with that, this just isn't one.

Sometimes dark and brooding, this record has remarkable songs in the almost lost art of storytelling. And stories, it does tell.

You're not going to put this on the playlist for your BBQ or crab boil party. This is the record you put on while sitting on your deck/balcony/etc. with a glass of wine or bottle of craft beer and just take it in.

Here is "Don't Blame the Gun".


Dont Blame the Gun from Tyler McCumber Band on Myspace.

Tyler McCumber Band on Amazon

TheCheapSeats on Twitter

Southern Rock is Alive and Well: Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers

I grew up in the 80's. I was (and still am) a fan of 80's hard rock. Or glam metal, hair metal, pop metal. Whatever term you want to use. I don't apologize for that.

I also listened to a lot of classic rock. Zeppelin, Aerosmith, the Who, Hendrix, ZZ Top, Heart, etc., etc. Also included in classic rock was what was known as Southern Rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, Molly Hatchet, etc.

I thought Southern Rock was a thing of the past, only to be heard on classic rock stations. Wow, was I wrong.

There are a lot of artists that people tout as Southern Rock. But really, right now, there are two that are head and shoulders above everyone else and the only ones that I really consider Southern Rock.

Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers.

One is considered a rock band, the other a country band. Which I find quite amusing. But that's a conversation for another time.

In the mean time, here are a couple of tunes to enjoy.

Blackberry Smoke:

Whiskey Myers