Now Playing on Festival Radio
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Rhonda Vincent, Kathleen Edwards, James Keelaghan and More
Back to the folk music, because, after all, that's why you came.
New Adds:
Rhonda Vincent and the Rage: Ragin' Live
It's no wonder that Rhonda Vincent has won boatloads of International Bluegrass Music Association awards. Her band is tight, and on top of their game for this live recording, and everyone in the band gets a chance to shine individually as Vincent rips through a collection of tunes primarily drawn from her most recent CDs. Scheduled for release in late March, this concert will be released as both a CD and a DVD.
Kathleen Edwards: Back to Me
Kathleen Edwards took the alt-country world by storm with her debut CD, Failer. Her followup CD proves that the success of the first one was no fluke. " I got plots you've never seen/ I got moves I've never used/ I've got ways to make you come back to me" she sings on the bouncy title cut, and like the narrator of this tune, this album is brimming with confidence and swagger.
The opening track, "In State" features a narrator who sees through the man who's trying to put the moves on her: "I know where the cops hang out/I know where you'll be found/I know what you're all about/I know when you're going down" sings the narraror, then adds, "maybe twenty years in state will change your mind." The best tunes here are clearly the up and mid-tempo rockers, full of attitude, crunchy guitars and feedback. The slow songs are not nearly as successful, as Edwards' doesn't carry them as well vocally.
Dry Branch Fire Squad: Live at Newburyport Firehouse
This double disk set is as much worthwhile for what the band plays as for what Ron Thomason says between songs, as he tells some funny stories and makes some pithy observations about music and its place in society. The band is of course, outstanding, straddling the line between bluegrass and old-time with great proficiency and grace. It is particular notable here that of the 15 songs in this set, three are by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. This set truly characterizes what a Dry Branch Fire Squad concert must be like.
James Keelaghan: Then Again
One of Canada's national treasures, James Keelaghan is virtually unknown in the States outside of the folk music community, which is a shame. On this CD, Keelaghan goes back to some of his best-loved songs and re-records them. Any collection of James Keelaghan is worthwhile, and as this one functions as a self-selected greatest hits, essentially, it's a great CD to pick up to acquaint yourself with a really fine artist.
Pat Wictor: Waiting for the Water
If this album had only "Love is the Water" on it, I'd recommend that you plunk down the money for it. This tune is a mostly a cappella (some harmonica coloring and hand claps) gospel-flavored vocal throwdown: "Love is the water that wears down the rock/Love is the power that won't be stopped." Preach it, brother!
But that's not all - Wictor wraps his fine voice and some spiffy lap slide guitar work around 9 more tunes, mixing originals with well-chosen covers and traditional tunes in a really fine collection of old-timey acoustic and acoustic blues. This is the whole package.
Mark Abis - Changing Inside
I got this CD from the UK with a note that said "Dear Greg, Discovered you while looking for festivals. You play a wonderfull selection of music. Now you're on all the time. Best regards, Mark." And the press letter indicated that he'd written a song covered by Emiliana Torrini that appeared as a backing track on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Hee likes my little radio station, and he's had a tune on one of the hippest cult TV shows of the last decade. So he's got that going for him. And he also has an album that's a well-priduced folk/rock gem that is well worth tracking down. I hope Mark hears me playing his songs, because the rest of you deserve to be let in on this.
Also Added
All She Wrote: All She Wrote
Various Artists: Come to the Mountain - Old Time Music for Modern Times (Rounder)
New Adds:
Rhonda Vincent and the Rage: Ragin' Live
It's no wonder that Rhonda Vincent has won boatloads of International Bluegrass Music Association awards. Her band is tight, and on top of their game for this live recording, and everyone in the band gets a chance to shine individually as Vincent rips through a collection of tunes primarily drawn from her most recent CDs. Scheduled for release in late March, this concert will be released as both a CD and a DVD.
Kathleen Edwards: Back to Me
Kathleen Edwards took the alt-country world by storm with her debut CD, Failer. Her followup CD proves that the success of the first one was no fluke. " I got plots you've never seen/ I got moves I've never used/ I've got ways to make you come back to me" she sings on the bouncy title cut, and like the narrator of this tune, this album is brimming with confidence and swagger.
The opening track, "In State" features a narrator who sees through the man who's trying to put the moves on her: "I know where the cops hang out/I know where you'll be found/I know what you're all about/I know when you're going down" sings the narraror, then adds, "maybe twenty years in state will change your mind." The best tunes here are clearly the up and mid-tempo rockers, full of attitude, crunchy guitars and feedback. The slow songs are not nearly as successful, as Edwards' doesn't carry them as well vocally.
Dry Branch Fire Squad: Live at Newburyport Firehouse
This double disk set is as much worthwhile for what the band plays as for what Ron Thomason says between songs, as he tells some funny stories and makes some pithy observations about music and its place in society. The band is of course, outstanding, straddling the line between bluegrass and old-time with great proficiency and grace. It is particular notable here that of the 15 songs in this set, three are by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. This set truly characterizes what a Dry Branch Fire Squad concert must be like.
James Keelaghan: Then Again
One of Canada's national treasures, James Keelaghan is virtually unknown in the States outside of the folk music community, which is a shame. On this CD, Keelaghan goes back to some of his best-loved songs and re-records them. Any collection of James Keelaghan is worthwhile, and as this one functions as a self-selected greatest hits, essentially, it's a great CD to pick up to acquaint yourself with a really fine artist.
Pat Wictor: Waiting for the Water
If this album had only "Love is the Water" on it, I'd recommend that you plunk down the money for it. This tune is a mostly a cappella (some harmonica coloring and hand claps) gospel-flavored vocal throwdown: "Love is the water that wears down the rock/Love is the power that won't be stopped." Preach it, brother!
But that's not all - Wictor wraps his fine voice and some spiffy lap slide guitar work around 9 more tunes, mixing originals with well-chosen covers and traditional tunes in a really fine collection of old-timey acoustic and acoustic blues. This is the whole package.
Mark Abis - Changing Inside
I got this CD from the UK with a note that said "Dear Greg, Discovered you while looking for festivals. You play a wonderfull selection of music. Now you're on all the time. Best regards, Mark." And the press letter indicated that he'd written a song covered by Emiliana Torrini that appeared as a backing track on Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Hee likes my little radio station, and he's had a tune on one of the hippest cult TV shows of the last decade. So he's got that going for him. And he also has an album that's a well-priduced folk/rock gem that is well worth tracking down. I hope Mark hears me playing his songs, because the rest of you deserve to be let in on this.
Also Added
All She Wrote: All She Wrote
Various Artists: Come to the Mountain - Old Time Music for Modern Times (Rounder)
