Favorite Albums from April 2019

OK, I think I like this format of posting what I've been listening to over the past month. So, we'll see how this goes.

There was a lot of good stuff to come out in April, but these three albums really stuck with me.

First up is Rod Melancon's Pinkville. It's at times manic, laid back, country, rock, punk and uncatergorizical (I may have made that word up). Melancon has a unique voice that one could either love or hate. A few times, there is more narrative telling than singing, but it works. The closest comp I can come up with is John Mellencamp deep tracks. Here is "Westgate":




I've been a Melissa Etheridge fan since her first self-titled album came out in 1988. Her latest release, The Medicine Show, may be my favorite since that debut. For this listener, this album seems to recapture the feel of her first two albums. It's not as raw as those first two, but for whatever reason, the edge is back.




The third album is the self-titled debut from Jade Bird. This was not even on my radar until my fellow blogger Megan clued me in. And I'm so glad she did. The 21-year-old singer/songwriter from the UK weaves together a perfect amalgam of country, roots rock, folk and young angst. Think of an Amanda Shires/Lucie Silvas/Alanis Morisette mashup. Yeah, it's diverse and interesting, if you're into that.

Album Spotlight: Sari Schorr - Never Say Never

Sari Schorr's 2018 release Never Say Never is the kind of blues-infused hard rock that I love. Schorrr's raspy, powerful, badass vocals are definitely the star. But if you've been reading my blog at all, you know it's all about the music first.

Never Say Never reminds me most of an album that not many have heard: When The Blackbird Sings by Saraya. That is a compliment.

Schorr evokes the best of the 80s. Reminiscent of Bonnie Tyler, Stevie Nicks and bluesy hard rock, in the best way. It also has a 70s vibe to it.

Forget what you've heard about rock being dead. It's just being repackaged.

Here's a live clip of "Valentina". Enjoy.

Some Personal Stuff

For those of you that actually read this blog, thank you. And I think I owe you all an explanation.

2018, personally, has been a trying year. A couple of major life events. Some heartache and loss. I won't burden you with the details.

Due to life stuff happening, I have not been able to write as much as I would have liked. Rest assured that I have been listening to music, just not writing.

Music is healing. Music is cathartic. Music is always there when you need it. Sometimes I didn't feel like writing, but I was always listening.

I will do a year end list early after the new year. In the past I've only considered albums I've written about. This year, there is so much good stuff that I never got around to writing about, I'm not following that rule.

I also will not do it typical list style; it will come in the form as a narrative.

2018 was a good year for music. I thank you all for following along and wish I had done more writing.

Here's to a fantastic 2019.

Album Spotlight: The Amorettes - Born to Break

We all listen to music for different reasons at different times because of different circumstances or moods. Maybe something takes you back to a distant memory that you don't want to forget. Maybe a song or album is something you really relate to and helps you get through a difficult time. Maybe the lyrics speak to you and make you think. Maybe it's a gloomy February day and some mood music is what you need. Maybe it's a sunny spring day and you want something light and peppy. Music can inspire, music can heal, music can fit any situation you find yourself in. That is the beauty and power and magic of music.

Why did I waste so many words on that? Because sometimes music just needs to be fun. And enjoyable.

The Amorettes' latest album Born to Break is fun. It's, to me, AC/DC meets the Go-Go's. That sounds fun, right?

This Scottish trio is unapologetically rock. And they tug at my heartstrings because they do it late 70s/early 80s style. Guitar, bass and drums. No frills. Straight up hard rock.

Don't look for any deep meaning in the lyrics. As Eric Church once penned "that's damn rock n roll".

There is not much variety on Born to Break. It's twelve in your face songs rock songs. That's not a bad thing. AC/DC made a hell of a career out of doing just that. I respect artists who know who they are/want to be and just go for it.

And, just a head's up, with newish bands like the Amorettes making killer rock music, rock ain't dead in reality, it's just dead on mainstream American radio. It's alive and well and flourishing elsewhere.

Enough words, here is "Everything I Learned - I Learned From Rock and Roll":

Album Spotlight: Ashley McBryde - Girl Going Nowhere

Ashley McBryde's latest album Girl Going Nowhere has a lot to like. There is some straight up country, some Americana (however the hell you want to define that), some heartland rock (mid 80s style) and some swamp.

The lyrics on the album are chock full of personal stories, imagery, and nostalgia. Lyrics are for each listener to interpret for themself, which is why I rarely go in depth on that front. For me, the lyrics are irrelevant until the music grabs me.

Speaking of the music, Girl Going Nowhere is a collection of 11 very well crafted songs, both instrumentally and lyrically. "Radioland" is a fun. nostalgic, John Mellencamp-type heartland rocker. "Southern Babylon" is dark and swampy and something I'm sure prime Tanya Tucker would have been eager to record. If I did "Song of the Year" type stuff, this song would be the early frontrunner.

There is a cool Tom Petty vibe on "The Jacket", which is another nostalgia song. I don't know, but I hope "Livin' Next To Leroy" is based on a true story, even if not McBryde personally. This song is also the closest McBryde comes to Southern rock. Especially that guitar solo, which I'll get back to later.

"A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega" is simply a great country song. As is "Tired of Being Happy", which has the added bonus of a great play on words. Self-deprecating and clever lyrics.

The songs and songwriting on this album are exquisite. I need to see Ashley McBryde live, because I think all the songs would pop. My thing on this blog is to promote stuff I like, so you won't see very much criticism here, but there is one element on this album that warrants it.

While I appreciate that the vocals are up in the mix (I hate when I can't understand the vocals), the instrumentation is buried on this album. That solo on "Livin' Next To Leroy" should have been brought way up in the mix. And that's not the only one.

I don't know who in the camp was scared, but someone was and it hurts the album as a listening experience. Fortunately, the quality of the songs overcome the poor mixing judgement.

Anyway, here is my favorite song:

Album Spotlight: Danielle Nicole - Cry No More

Danielle Nicole's sophomore solo album Cry No More is a sweaty, sultry blues rock album that is the epitome of my definition of "swamp". The Kansas City native would be right at home in the blues scene of her hometown as well as as the Mississippi Delta, or Memphis, or Texas.

Pulling double duty as not only lead vocalist but also bassist for her band, you know the music is going to feature the bass prominently, and that's a good thing. Too often, the bass gets buried in the mix, not here.

Danielle Nicole started playing bass in order to keep her former band, Trampled Under Foot, a family affair. When she ventured out on her own, no way she was giving up the bass, for the betterment of us all as fans of music.

Is there anything particularly innovative or unique on Cry No More? Not necessarily. But that's not a bad thing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with knowing your wheelhouse and going with it and making kickass music. In fact, that's what I love about the album. It knows what it is and it's going to be as good as or better than anything else you hear.

Her voice is not going to blow you away. It has some Bonnie Raitt qualities, maybe some Melissa Etheridge. However, her voice is perfect for the type of music she plays. It just fits like a glove.

If you start listening and don't like the first song, "Crawl", then stop. But if you do, you're in for a treat. Not a bad song on the album.

I'm going to post a live version of the song "Save Me", because as good as the studio version is, this is better. Which I think every song would be.

How We Can Listen to the Same Song and Hear It Differently

Recently, it has fascinated me how two people can listen to the same song and come away with wildly different perspectives. Zackary Kephart, who runs the blog The Musical Divide, was kind enough to indulge me in proving this.

I chose Dorothy’s latest album 28 Days in the Valley for this experiment. Both of us wrote about it on our respective blogs and both liked it. With a few exceptions, we did not exactly line up on which songs we thought were the strongest.

Zack is a 21 year old New Yorker (not NYC) whose main focus is on country music, go figure. I’m a Texan in my 40s who grew up listening to George Strait and Guns n’ Roses, Alabama and ZZ Top.

While Zack’s blog is primarily country and Americana, he has legitimate rock bonafides, thanks to his mother and the game Guitar Hero. While he mostly writes about country and Americana, he also covers rock sporadically.

Since you’re reading this, you probably know what I write about, so I won’t go into detail.

So, we each listened to 28 Days in the Valley and wrote down/typed up one, two, three sentences on each song. What follows below is our reactions to each song while listening through the album. I mixed up the order of the responses, but you can figure out some of them. Others, maybe not.

Know that we have both listened to the album several times before. This is not initial reaction, but yet just an experiment in how people can listen to the same song and hear it differently.


Flawless
Reminds me of early 90s Sheryl Crow musically. That kind of lilting, laid back rock vibe. Lyrically, people thought she was flawless as she was broken, now that she’s in a better place, she’s gonna own that term.

I don't like these types of meaningless empowerment anthems that are made to sound like well … empowerment anthems. It comes across as cloying and cheesy. I don't like this.


Who Do You Love
This track is a bit too heavy and compressed to really click for me, especially when she's shouting meaningless one-liners during the verses. It's a lot of flair for nothing much.

This is an homage to late 60s/early 70s semi-psychedelia. Starts out as a hard driving rocker then the break down comes and serves up, what we used to refer to as the “pot smoking section”, though much shorter than those songs of that era. It just has that vibe before it ramps back up to the finish.

Pretty When You’re High
Just a laid back California rock song about some surfer dude who, probably, lives out of his VW van and looks pretty. When he’s high. No deep meaning, just a fun song.

Beyond the really odd hook (who says someone is pretty when they're high?), I do like the swampy, electric blues feel to this. I just wish that guitar that creeped up after the uttering of the title was louder in the mix.

Mountain
This is the first glimpse we get into the spiritual themes of the album. Almost gospel-like at times.

In my own review, while I did like this, it wasn't something I loved. I still wouldn't say it's something I love actually, but for some reason it clicked a lot better on another re-listen through this album. The gospel tinge to this coupled with the group harmonies give this a nice, lighter feel. This one seems to be the most Southern-Rock influenced track to me.

Freedom
From this point on it really clicked with me outside of one track. Everything just gets darker, heavier, and more groove heavy, and this is no exception. It's got a badass, punchy solo to it.

This is first time that the album shows that Southern Rock tinge. It’s more Allman Brothers than Lynyrd Skynyrd, but it has the Southern Rock vibe. Maybe throw in some Edgar Winter in the breakdown.

White Butterfly
I liked the group harmonies on “Mountain”, but I love them here. It's almost got a psychedelic feel to it, and I like how sinister the harmonies sound here. Another good element of this latter half is that the bass lines are more prominent and stronger, including here. I also enjoy how the track sort of slows down to catch its breath before coming back full throttle.

This one is hard to pigeon hole. The first part sounds a bit grungy. Then it goes into a Pink Floyd- like interlude. Not one of my favorites, but a good song nonetheless.


28 Days In The Valley
This short song just sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack of a Western. It sounds like tumbleweeds and dust.

There’s not much to say here given that this is more of a transitional track, but it's dark, dusty, and cool.


On My Knees
This song is about is about sex, pure and simple. It’s KISS meets 80s sleaze rock, from a woman’s perspective.

This one has a heavy Heart influence to me, and while I can rehash why I like this, again, everything is just darker, edgier and more alive from here on out. Yeah, it's nothing more than a sex song, but frontwoman, Dorothy Martin's delivery is incredibly fierce and well-executed.


Black Tar & Nicotine
I honestly don't know what to say about this. It's not bad, but it's not a favorite cut here.

The Stevie Nicks is strong in Dorothy. This is first time we really hear it. Not much in voice, but in style. The strongest song lyrically, in my opinion. It’s a dark song full of alcohol and drugs and addiction.

Philadelphia
This is prime early MTV. Evokes Bowie, Blondie. But also has some Doors vibe. Or maybe Fleetwood Mac, especially on the chorus, channelling her inner Stevie Nicks again.

While the second half is known for being darker, edg … oh nevermind, this track takes things in a different direction by being spacey and more alluring. It's my favorite track here for sure. Dorothy's frailer vocal performance helps to add a creepy, ominous mood to this. Plus, that chorus is a dang earworm.

Ain’t Our Time To Die
This is the one track in the second half that I don't like, mostly because if you strip away the sound and leave only the words on paper, it reads out like a bad Country song, like say, The Band Perry's “Live Forever.” Again, there's nothing wrong with fantasy, but it's trying to be badass and ends up being about nothing.

The song has a strong Tom Petty vibe to it with Grace Slick on vocals. Wouldn’t that have been a good combination to have heard?

We Are STAARS
Honestly, this track is hard to dislike, and you really don't need to say much else other than it's fast, fun, punchy and overall a nice upbeat change of pace for the album. That recurring riff that crops up everytime they repeat the title is a treat for the ears.

I don’t have much to say about this one. It’s alright. A fun song. High energy. I won’t skip it when listening to the album.

We Need Love
If you’re a fan of early Heart and/or Jefferson Airplane, this song. Love. If you take nothing else away from this album, take this away: We need love. Love and healing is what this album is about. Well, there’s the sex and fun, but you know.

What I love about this album is that it's a love letter to classic Rock, but it's a love letter that pays homage to literally any kind of Rock you can think of. Here, we have a cool Surf-Rock inspired track that ends things off on a high note. This album also has a thing for implementing cool riffs after they sing the titles. I dig it.

"Flawless" is probably where we had the most differing opinion:



And finally a live version of one we both really liked, "Freedom". Also just to show that there are no studio tricks on the album. Dorothy is the real deal.

Album Spotlight: India Ramey - Snake Handler

India Ramey's third studio album Snake Handler takes listeners on a very personal journey through Ramey's formative years and beyond.

The songs on Snake Handler explore the domestic abuse of Ramey's mother by her father, the angst of having her father's blood in her, Pentecostal church experiences, a dead end town; murder, sex and corruption in a small town; a town ruined by flood, and finally, a visit to her estranged father in a coma on his deathbed.

None of it is light fair. It's all pretty heavy and heady. I don't want to put words in her mouth, but to this listener, it seems like an album bent on exorcising demons and coming out the other side in a better frame of mind.

As any regular reader here knows, I usually don't spend that many words on the the lyrics/themes of any album. For me it's mostly about the music. However, once the music draws me in, and the subject matter is worthy, I like to point it out.

Snake Handler has been described as Southern Gothic because of some of the darker subject matter. Mostly it's just a swampy record describing real things, exploring grown up subjects, It leans country, sometimes more than others, but it's real instruments played by real people.

Here is the title track "Snake Handler":



And here is a live acoustic version of"Devil's Den", probably my favorite song:

Album Spotlight: Danielia Cotton - The Mystery of Me

For anyone who doubts Spotify as a music discovery device, you're not using it correctly. While it is The Mystery of Me just blew me away.
not my main music discovery vehicle (I rely on blogs and social media for a lot of it), it can be very effective. Spotify recommended for me Danielia Cotton. Never heard of her before from anywhere. Her latest album

The Mystery of Me is a rock album akin to the rock albums I grew up listening to. Rockers, ballads, swamp, blues, Motown and soul all rolled up into something interesting and entertaining. Think a funkier, bluesier Southern Rock with a Lzzy Hale/Janis Joplin vocal mashup.

If you like diversity in an album, The Mystery of Me has it. If you need lyrical depth in an album, this one has it as well.

There is not going to be any in-depth analysis here, words just get in the way of listening to good music.

Here is "Set Me Free" from the album. Enjoy.

Album Spotlight: Sass Jordan - Racine Revisited

About a month ago I wrote about Sass Jordan's Racine when I found out she was releasing a newly recorded album of the original songs on the 25th anniversary of the original album entitled Racine Revisited.

I'll admit, I was skeptical. Why re-record such a good album? What can you possibly do to make it better?

I'll also happily admit that my skepticism was vehemently slapped away. What Jordan and her hand-picked group of musicians did on Racine Revisited is fantastic.

Racine Revisited is fuller, warmer, swampier and better played than the original. It was recorded old-school. All the musicians in the same room, nothing digitized, over a two day period, by professional musicians.

After 25 years, Jordan's voice is a bit road weary, but she doesn't miss a note. And the road-weariness actually adds to the sound of the record. And, dammit, you can just hear the fun on the record, like everyone there was having a great time. I know that can't be quantified, but it's one of those things that you know it when you hear it.

Here's the recreational bass player in me coming out. What really struck me about this album is that it is a clinic in bass/drums locking in and being spot on every single time. With Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, etc.) on bass and Brent Fitz (most notably Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators) on drums, this is just a well done, tight album.

Twenty five years later, good music is still good music. When you make it better, that is impressive.

Album Spotlight: Janet Gardner

Janet Gardner released her first solo album a few weeks ago.

A little history is in order here. Gardner was the lead vocalist for the band Vixen. While following trail blazers like Heart and Pat Benatar and Joan Jett and others, Vixen followed that trail and trudged forward in the realm of 80s hard rock, or, as many know it, hair metal.

Vixen, one of the few all female or even female-fronted bands of that time, resided on the pop side of the hair metal explosion. Big hair, big choruses. Tight clothes, tight melodies. Just like the guys.

They had the misfortune of coming on the scene in the late 80s/early 90s when that style of music was being phased out by grunge.

Gardner's debut solo album is much harder than anything Vixen ever put out. Not to compare bands, just sounds, much closer to Halestorm than Vixen. It's aggressive and at times angry. It's also a great hard rock album. If you're looking for 80s era big rock, big choruses, well, it's got some of that, but mostly it's just a good hard rock record.

And here is "Rat Hole". Enjoy.



And for those without context, here is Janet Gardner in Vixen:

Album Spotlight: Elles Bailey - Wildfire

I don't have expectations that cannot be met. That seems to be a healthier way to live life. I'm not saying to lower the bar, but don't make your expectations beyond the realm of probability. Maybe I was a little too excited for the new Elles Bailey album. Her 2016 EP The Elberton Sessions had my hopes up.
After hearing that, I couldn't help myself.

Then she drops her first full-length album, Wildfire.

Well, my expectations, as high as they were, turned our to be low. Wildfire is a great bluesy rock album with some country elements. It's bluesy and swampy. Bailey's voice is smokey and torchy and powerful. The instrumentation and production are impeccable. It's true to course and also diverse.

Here's the thing. It's pretty much a modern 70s rock album coming from a current British female artist. Not so much in lyrical content, but sound.  There's a cover of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" that I didn't recognize until the second spin because it is so different.

Though rooted heavily in the blues, Wildfire is so much more than just blues. There is something to be appreciated for fans of any genre that values real instrumentation and vocals over electronics and autotuned vocals.

Album Spotlight: Lilly Hiatt - Trinity Lane

I was alerted to Lilly Hiatt about a year ago. I listened to her stuff and thought that it was pretty good, someone to keep an ear on for future projects. So when Trinity Lane came out, I was definitely going to give it a listen. However, I was not prepared to be  blown away.

As I've said before, there never has been, nor do I foresee there ever being a perfect album, and Trinity Lane is not, but damned if it doesn't strive to be. Not a bad song among the twelve on this album.

The natural twang in Lilly's voice could make some think this is a country album. It's not. Are there county elements? Sure. But there is also so much more. Some rock, some blues, some soul, some swamp.

Trinity Lane takes on real adult themes and Hiatt pulls them off with wit, camp and maturity. What makes this album great to me is that there is no pandering to anything. It's just real stories with great music and smart lyrics.

We still have a few months left in 2017, but I can't see enough good stuff coming out that knocks this out of my top five. It's that good.

If you are reading this, you have access to the Google machine and can read about the history of Lilly Hiatt, however since I wrote about him recently, she is the daughter of singer/songwriter John Hiatt. Not relevant to this post or her music because each piece of music stands on its own, but just an interesting note.

Probably my favorite song from Trinity Lane, though that may change tomorrow:



And the title song.

Retro Album Spotlight: Sass Jordan - Racine

One of the great things about fantastic music is that it doesn't have an expiration date. Music made that plays to the trends is usually disposable after a few years, but if an artist makes a great album, it will stand the test of time. That's what Sass Jordan did 25 years ago with Racine.

On the 25th anniversary (not to the day, but the year) of Racine's debut, Sass Jordan is releasing Racine ReVisited on September 15, which is a total re-recording of the album with hand picked musicians. You can read more about that on Jordan's website, and you should.

Here's a short teaser of said album.



Being totally transparent, I readily admit I was not aware of the original album until I ran across something about Jordan doing a 25th anniversary remake. Sure, I was aware of Sass Jordan, have heard a few songs, but never really spent any time with her music. Like I said in the opening, there is no expiration date on good music. So listening to Racine was like listening to a brand new album. And what an album it is, very worthy of a remake, if only the remake can hold up to the original.

Racine is a rock album, borrowing heavily from the blues with a sprinkling of country and honky tonk thrown in. For those that read regularly, yes, there is swamp. Jordan's vocals are in the vein of Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, Janis Joplin. And for a British born Canadian, there seems to be some inexplicable twang at times.

I don't know Jordan's influences, but there is a heavy Rolling Stones vibe to a lot of the songs.

Racine ReVisted will be her first album since 2009's From Dusk til Dawn. And I understand why established artists don't spend the money to record new music with the way the industry is nowadays so this will be an interesting study because Racine ReVistied is not just a remastering or remix, it's a full fledged re-recording of the album.

I'm also very compelled by Racine ReVisited because it wasn't re-recorded to be current, it was re-recorded 70s style, according to Jordan.

In the meantime, get to know the 25 year old original. Here are a couple of my favorite tracks.

New Video: Jane N' The Jungle - Killed Someone

Great song, great video by Arizona-based Jane N' The Jungle. If you don't get it, you need to get more in touch with what is going on in the real world.

Album Spotlight: Robyn Ludwick - This Tall To Ride

Texas music artist Robyn Ludwick's latest album This Tall to Ride was released on May 9. It took me a while to come around on this one. Not because I didn't like it upon first listen, but I kept getting distracted and never had the chance to go on a deep dive. And it's not easy to write about.

It's an adult album dealing with adult subjects. Nothing about it is hooky or catchy. The vocals don't soar. The instrumentation is not unique or out of this world.

The album title, This Tall to Ride, serves as warning: Don't get on if you're not ready for the experience. Hookers. Drugs. Debauchery. Love. Redemption. Bars. Alcohol. (Not in that order.)

Tangentially, this album would have hit me harder earlier if it had been released in November or February. It's not a fun summer album. However, it's still great. It just took me a while to get there.

Album Spotlight: Sunny Sweeney - Trophy

There's not a lot I can write about Sunny Sweeney's latest album Trophy that hasn't already been written. But I'll do my best anyway.

Sweeney dabbled in Nashville in few years ago and had a bit of a radio hit with "From A Table Away" from her 2011 album Concrete. Now shes' with the indie artist friendly label Thirty Tigers and back in Texas recording the songs she wants.

She had quite the co-writers on the Trophy, but the one constant is Sunny Sweeney herself. She co-wrote all but two of the ten songs on Trophy, one being a cover.

Sweeney's previous effort, 2014's Provoked is very good, but on Trophy, she seems to put everything together to give listeners the full Sunny Sweeney experience. The biting sarcasm and humor is there. The introspection is deeper and more pointed.

I have been quite critical of the trend lately to put 13-16 songs on an album, and then it seems like there is too much filler when a nine to eleven song album would have been great and leaving the listener wanting more. Sweeney does this. Trophy is ten excellent songs and then when it's over, you want more. I'm an album guy, so this is perfect for me.

As far as the songs themselves on Trophy, there is traditional country, there is some swamp, some Southern rock influence, but what resonates throughout is that it seems to be all Sunny Sweeney all the time. Sweeney is never going to be known for soaring vocal prowess, but her voice and vocal stylings fit perfectly in the context of her songs. That authentic Texas twang is not forced. It's the way she talks as well. Full of sass and vulnerability at the same time.

Go buy the album, whether by download or a physical copy. Support the people who make good music.

Album Spotlight: Beth Hart - Fire on the Floor

Grammy-nominated and doing vocals for the likes of Jeff Beck, Joe Bonamassa and Slash, Beth Hart is not the kind of artist you are accustomed to seeing spotlighted in this space. That being said, how many of you are actually familiar with her work?

I'll admit, I was not until I stumbled upon a video a couple of months ago on YouTube. Then I dropped the ball on the February 3 release date of Fire on the Floor.

Fire on the Floor is not a straight up blues album, though the blues threads heavily throughout, along with jazz, pop and rock. Doesn't really matter though as Hart's sultry, smokey, alluring voice carries the album from start to finish.

Beth Hart can sing anything if she wanted, I'm convinced. On Fire on the Floor, she almost does. Where her voice really shines is when she booms the lower register. So powerful.

This is thirteen songs for grown-ups, with grown-up subjects, dealt with in grown-up ways. No pettiness, no fluff, just real songs about life.

Fire on the Floor is not for everyone, and that's okay. All music is not for everyone, but all music is for someone. But for those that get it, this album is fantastic. Beth Hart has outdone herself with this one.

Official Lyric Video for "Fire on the Floor"


Live version of "Fat Man"

Album Spotlight: Eliza Neals - 10,000 Feet Below

There is no such thing as a perfect album. But there are good albums and great albums. Eliza Neals' 10,000 Feet Below falls into the latter category.

Neals' latest record is 11 songs of fantastic music. 10,000 Feet Below is a rocking blues album with more texture and nuance than you would expect. Neals' powerful, sexy, sultry voice is complemented by a wide array of excellent musicians to make a cohesive yet diverse album of musical genius.

If you even only think you might like blues, check this record out.

This was one album I was genuinely looking forward to this year. So many times, I'm disappointed. 10,000 Feet Below exceeded all expectations. Seriously, I don't know what songs to choose to put here, so I'm just gonna put out a couple that resonate with me the most (and of course, they won't be the traditional ones).

Album Spotlight: Cris Jacobs - Dust to Gold

A veteran of the Baltimore music scene with his former band The Bridge and then as a solo artist, Cris Jacobs is no newcomer. My fist introduction to Jacobs was his most recent album Dust to Gold, released in late 2016 and finding my ears in early 2017.

Jacobs' smooth vocals compliment perfectly his musical style that is reminiscent of The Guess Who and a laid back Allman Brothers.

The big take away from this album? It's good songwriting combined with excellent vocals and fantastic instrumentation.