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CD
REVIEWS
(from
Texas Music Times) Bart
Crow Band - Desperate Hearts The
Bart Crow Band’s sophomore release is packed with great songs that
are sure to bring a smile to enthusiastic Bart Crow fans. The CD
contains 12 new tracks and a remake of “Driftin’ in the Wind”
with harmonies added by Fallon Franklin. Desperate
Hearts is the follow up record to the extremely successful Finally...,
which contains the Texas and Red Dirt mega-hit “Wear My Ring."
Of the 13 songs on Desperate Hearts the most notable tracks
are “Back Down,” “Hollywood,” “Understand,” “Sweet
Imitations,” and “Desperate Hearts.” The
CD is bound to take the Bart Crow Band to another level with their
brand of country rock supported via the foundation of Crow’s
exceptional songwriting.
Pear Ratz – Holier Than Thou
Jimmy
Baldwin
BThe
Cowboy & the Mermaid
(Diego
Bob Music)
NOT EVERYDAY AMERICANA: Jimmy
Baldwin approaches his brand of Americana music with a bucket full of
paintbrushes and an extra-wide palette. The Kentucky native, who was
raised in El Paso and currently calls Mineral Wells home, dabs pedal
steel, cello and even guitjo, a guitar-banjo combination, on the songs
gracing his second CD, The Cowboy & the Mermaid. He adds
piano and accordion, too, giving his sound a slightly lush yet still
organic tone.
BETTER TO EXPERIMENT: When
Mr. Baldwin turns creative, the results are intriguing, sometimes
stunning. "Dream Chaser," laced by gorgeous piano work,
plays like backyard picking meets concert-hall strumming. "Brown
Paper Koozie Blues," all beat-heavy drums and rhythmic guitars
and bass, feels like '60s rockabilly mingling with modern-day Texas
country. "Without You" combines folk, country and reggae,
while "Who Put the 'K' in Kountry" slips Buck Owens'
Bakersfield sound into the Lone Star music pantheon. The rest of Cowboy
is largely standard fare Americana – well-crafted and authentic,
but not particularly outstanding.
BOTTOM LINE: That said Mr.
Baldwin is worth checking out. In a state that delivers plenty of
same-sounding Americana, he takes more than a few chances.
Mario Tarradell
CD
REVIEW: Paula Nelson - Lucky 13 She may
have a famous name and famous father but Paula Nelson’s music and
voice stands tall on its own. If anyone had any doubt, her new project
Lucky 13 will soothe the most hardened of music critics.
Let’s face it, sometimes talent is in the genes, and Paula has
obviously gotten a good amount of whom and what her father is
musically. However, she is not Willie light or really even Willie-ish.
She has her own style and is different. In some of the guitar parts of
Lucky 13 it is obvious that Willie’s fingers are on the
frets but other than that this record is pure Paula. Paula
ranges from Blues to Beatles on Lucky 13 and the result is a
fun musical ride with a little yodel mixed with jazz, blues, country,
and kick butt rock and roll. Paula penned ten of the thirteen tracks
and two of the covers are duets with vocal and musical star George
Devore. The two collaborate on John Prine’s “Angel from
Montgomery” and the June Carter and John Cash made famous Billy
Wheeler and Jerry Leiber written “Jackson.” In both duets Devore
and Paula’s voice match up perfectly. Those two tracks alone are
worth the price of the CD and more. Devore can also be heard in many
of the arrangements with his silky acoustic guitar work. The
absolute greatest joy of Lucky 13 is Paula’s keyboard work.
She is a player of rare talent. The Keys are an instrument not used
enough in Texas music but Paula’s uses them with masterful elegance.
Keyboards are almost the backbone of Lucky 13. They are what
make the record so different and unique. Use of the various keys allow
Paula to move effortlessly through the genres while the listener is
graced with audible nuggets and treats that keep them listening for
more. In
addition to the duets with Devore the most notable tracks on the CD
are “Fire Below,” “Baby You're Mean,” “Find Your Way,”
“Standing Tall,” and “Day to Day Love.” In all Paula Nelson
delivers her own individual treat of a record in Lucky 13. At
times it is more like Delbert (McClinton) than Willie but nevertheless
it is a kick butt fun record and stands all on its own with or without
a famous name. A must have.
REVIEW In
an age when solo artists abound and lone singer/songwriters front mediocre
bands, the Heathens present three skilled vocalists with top-notch
musicianship. When many in Texas seemed concerned with becoming the next
Cross Canadian Ragweed, the Heathens offer up a more palatable dish of Lone
Star lonesomeness and Southern fried hospitality. And while most of
today’s acts wouldn’t even dream of doing the requisite (and often
unnecessary) live album until they’ve got two or three studio albums under
their belt, the Heathens have begun their careers with two back-to-back live
gems. The
band’s second album, Live at Antone’s, is a DVD/CD combo that
features tunes from their first outing, Live at Momo’s, as well
as a bevy of smartly written new songs. Presented in two different formats,
the Heathens are best when the air is light and electric, the metaphors
heavy and cheeky, and the groove rollicking. And while the audio version of
their spring 2007 show at Antone’s in Austin is richer and fuller (and
keeps the listener more engaged) than its video companion, both discs are
enjoyable in their own right. To
fully appreciate a Heathens album is to first understand the make up of the
band. The band sports three singer/guitarists in Gordy Quist, Ed Jurdi and
Colin Brooks. All three are talented songwriters and their many years of
playing alongside each other in the Austin music scene afford them certain
comfortability and ease whenever on stage. The rhythm section is anchored by
bassist Seth Whitney and drummer John Chipman. While each of the band’s
frontmen maintain respectable solo careers, they are best when harmonizing
and complimenting each other in the Heathens. Live
at Antone’s reprises many of the best tunes from the band’s first
CD, including “One More Step,” “Bumblebee,” “Judas ‘Scariot
Blues” and the fan-favorite cover of standard “Ain’t No More Cane,”
a song that recently showed up on Lyle Lovett’s new disc. (The Heathens’
version is way better.) Antone’s also debuts several new treats
in the ever-so-subtle “Cornbread,” the hard-driving “Unsleeping
Eye,” and the lonesome “Philadelphia” among others. Two
songs stand out as prototypical BOH: “Rehab Facility” and “Jackson
Station.” In “Rehab,” Quist intimately personifies redemption in the
form of his female savior. From the opening line “She’s my rehab
facility/For a wayward soul like me,” the listener is immediately engaged
in a tale of brokenness and longing that, like most Heathens songs, is
smartly crafted. In “Jackson Station,” the band is light-hearted, witty
and in lock-step with one another musically. The Heathens consistently offer
uncanny vocal harmonies and jam band, everyone-take-a-solo turnarounds that
energize their songs. If
the Antone’s CD captures the energy of the band’s live show,
the DVD, despite being well-produced, does more to dilute that in-person
experience. Filmed and produced by Austin’s ME Television, the DVD
captures the band’s live show in a classic MTV Unplugged format: dark
backdrop, limited lighting and votive candles galore. Certainly there’s a
sense of intimacy presented here wherein BOH seems at home. And the show –
edited down to about an hour and featuring mostly the “newer” songs not
found on the Momo’s disc – features the band in fine form and
at the top of their game. Spliced in between numbers are disjointed
behind-the-scenes shots and footage from the band’s summer 2007 tour to
Colorado and the Southwest. These scenes showcase the personality of the
band but distract from the “live” experience of the disc. In fact,
die-hard fans of the band may be disappointed with the lackluster way the
band’s sound and performance translates on TV. Although the DVD may not
completely deliver the true emotion of the live experience that dedicated
Heathens fans have become accustom, it is a wonderful addition to the live
CD. Additionally, the bonus materials on the DVD are fun and insightful and
include some live footage of the band’s Gruene Hall performances. For
those who may not have seen the band live or have the chance to see the
group any time soon, the DVD will give a solid visual to accompany the solid
live recording. All
in all, Live at Antone’s is a great second chapter in the Band of
Heathens’ already storied career. There are plenty of new songs to fall in
love with. And keen listeners can only imagine what’s in store on their
full length, Ray Wylie Hubbard-produced studio album when it drops later
this year. James
Dunning is a singer/songwriter who fronts Lost
Immigrants, a Texas-based
Americana band. You can contact our TMT writers from our contact
page
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If
you thought the Pear Ratz were just a garage band, well, you're right, but
these guys are a garage band in the most positive sense of the phrase, and
producer Bill Green captures the energy of one of the best live bands on the
scene with this studio recording. The Ratz have been working on their
songwriting skills since their critically acclaimed first album, Rat Now,
and it shows. Hell, Holier Than Thou even includes a love ballad,
"The Other You," which is, in fact, one of the best tracks on the
record. Don't be concerned that these former metalmeisters have abandoned their
roots, though, because they do bring on the noise, interspersed with some good
ol' honkytonk with a couple of assists from their good friend Jarrod
Birmingham.
Simply
put, the Band of Heathens defies convention.
Jay
Boy Adams - The Shoebox
