Alex Chilton and the Hi Rhythm Section - Boogie Shoes: Live on Beale Street

This record is a joy, a coming-together of several true Memphis icons in 1999. At that time, musician and producer Fred Ford, co-founder of the Beale Street Music Festival, was diagnosed with cancer. Renowned Memphis music writer and entrepreneur David Less organized Fredstock, a fundraiser to help with Ford's medical bills and among others, he asked Alex Chilton, a Memphis legend in his own right (Big Star, Box Tops) to participate. Alex had been recording in New Orleans and apparently said he didn’t know who he would play with in Memphis. Less suggested that they had a band he might be able to sing with — the Hi Rhythm Section, the band behind the great work of Al Green's heyday, as well as a host of Memphis soul greats. Alex replied, “That will work.” 

This is a terrific document of a night that had to be just a knockout, with Alex Chilton, who always "should've been" a 70's radio star fronting a band that played on one Top 40 hit after another, both of them sounding like they're having a ball. Apparently they did not have time to rehearse, but of course they all knew the songs, and Chilton just calls out the titles and the band takes off. Most of it is pretty straight ahead, but there is definitely some soloing on the horns and guitars on a few of these songs. Here’s a trailer with some information and snippets of the music:

Here's the track list: 

1. Boogie Shoes 

2. Precious, Precious 

3. 634-5789 

4. Kansas City 

5. Lucille 

6. Big Boss Man 

7. Where Did Our Love Go 

8. Maybelline 

9. Hello Josephine 

10. Trying to Live My Life Without You 

 At the end of his set, Alex offers the last song and promises that Rufus and Carla Thomas will be on stage soon enough with "some real stuff". But of course, he and the Hi Rhythm Section had just run through about an hour's worth of real stuff together. 

This record will be available this Friday (5/7/21) in CD and vinyl editions from Omnivore, who we also have to thank for the Big Star retrospective soundtrack linked above. 

Boogie Shoes at Omnivore Recordings

REVIEW: Slow Club - Complete Surrender

Slow Club is a British soul duo consisting of Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor. Both are excellent vocalists and each play a variety of instruments. Since forming in Sheffield in 2006, they have released two EPs and two albums, the latest and current one being the delightfully soulful and wide-ranging Complete Surrender. From the opener, "Tears of Joy", which sounds a bit like a cross between the modern dance rock of Arcade Fire and classic 70's folk rock, to "The Pieces", a swinging, soulful combination of rock instrumentation, horns and lush vocal harmonies, the album is a joy to listen to all the way through.

Complete Surrender is, in essence, an exploration of five or six decades of radio-friendly sounds with a refreshing willingness to embrace modern (or post-modern?) production techniques that somehow makes the whole thing even better - anchored in classic soul and pop, but a few degrees off from the often-heard "retro soul" sound. Those horns, those vocal harmonies, the insistent drumbeats, it's all of a piece and makes for one of the best records you'll hear in 2014.





The vocals and guitar lines on the ballad “Not Mine To Love” are extremely well-done, classic guitar pop - nothing new, but a classic sound that is presented just about perfectly. As it should be, the song is a showcase for Rebecca Taylor's vocals. Her range and just the variety in presentation are impressive. As slow and evocative as this track is, she switches to a quicker, poppier sound on the title track and the contrast between the quickened drumbeat and the lush strings throughout the track, as well as her multi-tracked vocals in the chorus, are terrific touches.



There's a big, Motown-meets-British-soul feel to "Suffering You, Suffering Me".



Watson has a few impressive vocal turns as well, and his quiet ballad "Paraguay and Panama" provides a nice counterpoint to the lush, full pop stuff.

Giving a bit of background to what drives their sound, Watson says: “We really didn’t want it to sound ‘retro,’ but we wanted it to have that grace and sort of respect for itself. I think it’s in the playing really. A lot of those old records they’re not coated in reverb and that’s what people tend to go for. It tends to just be really amazing players that have practiced and locked in. We just tried to practice the best we could.” And that, to me, is the point of Complete Surrender and where Slow Club have succeeded. They have clearly practiced, and certainly locked in. Like so much of the big radio rock we loved in days gone by (Fleetwood Mac, Hall & Oates, to name a few), these two are able to combine reverence and creativity in a delightful way. Take note of this record and these two musicians. They're at a very high level. The album is out now (released July 15) on Wichita Recordings.

Slow Club website
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Wichita Recordings

REVIEW: Diane Coffee - My Friend Fish

Diane Coffee is former Foxygen drummer Shaun Fleming, and he's made a very good psychedelic soul record. My Friend Fish is the product of a two-week sickness-driven apartment confinement immediately following Fleming's move to NYC from California. Fueled by homesickness, real sickness and nothing but guitar and drums as company -- like a fever dream or any other kind of altered state, the album's songs combine real-life stuff with flights of fantasy, most often not bothering to make clear distinctions. The lyrics make occasional reference to the circumstances:

I think that you’re cool
Yeah I’d catch a cold with you
It just seems like the right thing to do
Lord knows I can’t drink all this soup by myself



Then the soup metaphor is stretched - due in part to its fitness for the task, perhaps as much as the closed universe in which he was operating - in the last track, “Green”:

I think I finally understand
What it takes to be your man
I’ll bring you soup and I’ll hold your hand
I will never leave you baby

Diane Coffee "Green" from Western Vinyl on Vimeo.

Perhaps he's invented a new genre: Love songs by sick guys... There is a lot of sweetness to this album - there's a gentle swing to many of the choruses that wouldn't be out of place in '60's pop soul from Motown... but plenty of strangeness, too. “Tale Of a Dead Dog” brings to the party a bit of Pink Floyd influence, and along with the overwhelming doses of Beatles, Donovan, Beach Boys and Motown influences, it is more than welcome:



The song structures vary, and the recording techniques (drum tracks from iPhones, etc) just about guaranteed that the result would not be ordinary. However, they did not guarantee it would be such a great listening experience. That's where Fleming's talent comes in.

Foxygen's Jonathan Rado guests here, and Fleming claims they're still all on good terms. But really, if the band breaks up and they all go 'round making solo albums this good, I wouldn't miss Foxygen itself. But it'd be cooler if they did both. My Friend Fish is out today (Oct. 29) on Western Vinyl.

Diane Coffee at Western Vinyl
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REVIEW: John Paul Keith - Memphis Circa 3AM

John Paul Keith is a Memphis-based singer-songwriter with a great musical grounding and the kind of pop sense you don't see often. His new album Memphis Circa 3AM features guitar jangle, rockabilly boogie and soul, all over a country rock/Americana base. Keith is a Knoxville native, former member of the V-Roys, a stalwart of the E-Squared alt/country scene in the 90's who released three strong albums before breaking up. Having formed a band in Nashville, tried the major label route and several other options, he eventually settled in Memphis and connected with veteran Memphis producer Roland Janes. Keith and his band The One Four Fives (drummer John Argroves, organist/pianist Al Gamble, and bassist Mark Edgar Stuart) are making a racket that calls to mind some of the best of that city's rock traditions. Opening track features a rhythm line that put me in mind of Elvis' "A Little Less Conversation", and the next track "We Got All Night" is the kind of California country once put forth by the legendary Wrecking Crew (including some reverb-heavy guitar work by Keith). Producer Janes once played guitar for Jerry Lee Lewis, and on "True Hard Money" here, Keith certainly calls to mind the Killer's reckless boogie-woogie, rockabilly style (including a pretty decent take on his vocal style).

Here's an impeccable, perfectly-paced pop song, "Everything's Different Now":



Traces of British Invasion guitar pop, terrific organ fills - this is, to me, kind of at the intersection of country, rock and pure pop where artists like Tom Petty, Dwight Yoakam and The Mavericks have made their living. And here's a softer, sadder but every bit as catchy tune, "She's Almost You":



Keith has an impressive ability to change his vocal style to suit the song, and an impressive ability to write in several different styles - aside from the aforementioned variety, check out the full-on country song "Ninety Proof Kiss", the folky "Walking Along the Lane", the Tennessee Three rhythm in "There's A Heartache Going 'Round" and the deep soul of "New Year's Eve" (featuring big-time keyboards from Gamble and even a couple of different guitar sounds from Keith). From Knoxville to Nashville to Memphis, it's clear his decade-long journey across the state and around the world has led him to the right place. This is a terrific, big-sounding, rollicking album that just keeps on delivering. Out now (Sept. 17) on Big Legal Mess,

John Paul Keith website
Big Legal Mess Records

REVIEW: Don Cavalli - Temperamental

Don Cavalli is a French artist playing a combination of invigorating rock sounds on his second album, Temperamental. From psychedelic guitar rock to rockabilly to blues-rock to boogie, he travels far and wide in his quest to deliver an original sound. On the title track, I'm reminded of the spirit of joy that was present in Howlin' Wolf's best songs -- not to say he necessarily sounds like the Wolf, but there's something about his singing on this one that reminds me of the late great Chester Burnett.





This album is a most welcome combination of influences, tempos, styles and instrumental approaches - as unexpected as it is enjoyable. There's blues-influenced stuff like the title track, electro rock like “Santa Rita”, a bouncy R&B-influenced track like “Me and My Baby”, and some combinations that sound downright strange to my American ears: the rap and sitar combination featured in “Feel Not Welcome” and the banjo/Chinese rhythm of “The Greatest".



Most of the album is upbeat. Cavalli's clearly feeling pretty good, but he's not averse to delving into territory that sounds like it belongs in a Tarantino film on some of the stuff here: ‘Say Little Girl’ is a dialogue with Rosemary Standley, who warbles sweetly to offset Cavalli's guttural growl. The motorcycle tribute "Zundapp" must be heard to be believed - because why would you take my word for the fact that it is a combination of German motorik and American rockabilly?

I think this album is a fascinating trip into world music - both the influences rock and R&B have had throughout the world, and the influences that flow the other way. But on most of Temperamental, the sound rises above the level of mere influences or "soundalikes" to a level of bracing originality. I think Cavalli himself says it pretty well: “It sounds old, but not traditional. I do not follow; I just want to create my own thing.”

The album is out now (released Aug 13) on Everloving Records.

Don Cavalli at Everloving Records
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Reverberation Radio #75

The folks at Reverberation Radio have mined more musical gems for us.  This week's selection include 60's  psychedelic garage out of Kansas, contemporary garage rock from Milan, a Brasilian who has spent the past 50 years alternating between pop star and serious jazz artist, a cut from the Bee Gee's greatest album  - 1969's Odessa (listen to the entire album here), the godfather of Turkish rock, 70's Spanish diva a pop super star Jeanette, Eddie Grant's (Electric Avenue) first band the Equals, southern blue-eyed soul royalty Joe South.  Click on the links if you want to learn more about the individual artists.

LISTEN

1. The Blue Things - High Life

2. Bristols - She’s Gone Away

3. Chico Buarque - Funeral De Um Lavrador (Alt. Version)

4. The PeΔrls - Shine A Light

5. Bee Gees - Never Say Never Again (Demo Version)

6. Erkin Koray - Cumbar Cemaat

7.  Jeanette- Por Que Te Vas?

8. Equals - Can’t Find A Girl To Love Me

9. Arthur Joly - Os Sete Banditos

10. PEAKING LIGHTS - Hey Sparrow

11. Joe South - Untie Me

Performance: Humble Pie: Rockin’ The Fillmore – The Complete Recordings

It is Humble Pie weather. The soundtrack of the humid Midwest summer, sweltering days, expectant nights, conservation club corn and sausage roasts, backyard bbq's, dirt track concerts, V-8's and V-twins, bellbottom jeans and halter tops, outlaw biker wannabes (oftentimes the real thing) and more than an underlying possibility of sex or violence.  

An upcoming release by Omnivore Records gives me a good reason to remember those nights and post some of the finest rocking blue-eyed soul of the era.  When Steve Marriott left the Small Faces (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2012) to launch a new band in 1968, expectations were high. Marriott was creating a nascent Brit supergroup with 18-year old guitarist Peter Frampton, already a U.K star through his work with The Herd, along with bassist Greg Ridley from Spooky Tooth, and 17 year old drummer Jerry Shirley.  

Their U.S. breakthrough was 1971's double live album - Rockin' the Fillmore.  Omnivore is releasing a remastered 4 CD set including all songs from all 4 shows.  Included are the original seven songs plus 15 previously unreleased gems.  The songs were remixed and remastered under the supervision of the surviving members of Humble Pie - the kids Peter Frampton and Jerry Shirley.  "Performance: Rockin' the Fillmore - The Complete Recordings" will be released October 29.  

Start rockin' with some live performances. 

Omnivore Records Website

REVIEW: Delbert & Glen - Blind, Crippled and Crazy

"I ain't old, I just been around a long time" goes the joyous refrain to the opening track on Blind, Crippled & Crazy. It's the first duet recording between Delbert McClinton and Glen Clark since 1973's Delbert & Glen. And that IS a long time - 40 years! - but you wouldn't know it from the way these two play and sing together. This isn't one of those reunion tours for the money, as you would be hard-pressed to find many folks who remember those albums. This is a reunion for the joy of making music together, and it is a rousing success.

Here is a video of the pair, performing the lead track on Imus back in the fall:



Follow this link to check out the rollicking "Oughta No" - Delbert and Glen sing in harmony, and the guitars rock like a freight train, with some driving piano underneath it. Actually, you can (and should) listen to the whole thing at McClinton's website (link below).

From the Little Feat-style shuffling groove of "I Ain't Old" through the haunting, almost snarling guitars on "World of Hurt", and on just about every song here, the guitars, rhythm section and pianos mesh together perfectly. This record has an abundance of assured, technically strong but very heartfelt playing and singing, and there really isn't a weak cut on it. If you like Texas music, or any R&B or blues-based rock (say, The Meters, for example), it's a good bet you will enjoy this.

McClinton has certainly had the higher profile (including Top 40 hits like "Giving It Up For Your Love"), but Clark, whose voice is a perfect counterpoint to Delbert's, has spent the last 40 years as one of those great Texas troubadours who just kind of blends in. After he and McClinton moved on to their own careers, Clark moved from Texas to LA and has had an impressive career as a songwriter and keyboard player (including playing in one iteration of the Blues Brothers Band). During that time the pair, who started out together playing in bar bands in Ft. Worth, have never lost touch and, fortunately for us, they celebrated the 40th anniversary of their second album by getting together with McClinton's songwriting partner Gary Nicholson in Nashville to record this thing. Again, it's feel-good music, just pure joy.

The record is out this week (June 18) on New West Records.

Delbert McClinton Website

REVIEW: The Blank Tapes - Vacation

The Blank Tapes display impressive pop instincts and terrific chops on Vacation, their first release on Oakland's Antenna Farm Records. The Blank Tapes is LA resident Matt Adams, with D.A. Humphrey on bass and Pearl Charles on drums, with some sweet three-part harmonies. In the past, Adams has recorded at home or in a garage, and with a rotating cast of supporters. I look forward to hearing more of his music, because the fleshed-out songs on Vacation are just wonderful.

Here's "Coast to Coast", a great reminder of what I loved about the classic Kinks sound:





The album is chock full of wonderful, catchy guitar pop gems like opening track "Uh Oh", where the title becomes a chorus that is repeated, and repeated, over a soulful guitar line that keeps recycling until it fades out. It's an interesting way to build and to finish the song, and you will find several more examples of that type of thing here. There is psychedelic-leaning pop and indie guitar-leaning pop ("Tamarind Seeds"), often within the same track. It's completely enjoyable and never boring. Here's "Holy Roller", which has a bit of a country lean:



Adams shows a facility that is truly impressive. "Pearl" was something he apparently threw together the night he met Pearl Charles (the drummer, and his girlfriend). "Brasilia", a delightful bit of tropical psychedelia, was written while he was on tour down there - having discovered that his music was a big hit in that country.

On first listen, you may, like me, find the music quite pleasant... on repeated listens, it absolutely works its way into your heart. It's delightful. His vocals are, to me, a bit reminiscent of Ray Davies - but the three-part harmonies sound like pure California. Then again, there's a bit of blue-eyed soul in "Uh Oh", and that little Brazilian number... and it all works.

And don't miss a chance to see them recreate this sound live. With hundreds of home-recorded songs under his belt, I imagine Adams has quite a repertoire to draw from, and he might just write another song on the spot.

05.23.13 - Oakland, CA @ The New Parish
05.24.13 - San Jose, CA @ Cafe Stritch
05.25.13 - Leggett, CA @ Hickey Fest
05.27.13 - Pacifica, CA @ Winter's Tavern
05.29.13 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room 
05.30.13 - San Diego, CA @ The Void
05.31.13 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite (Album Release Party!)
06.04.13 - Phoenix. AZ @ the Trunk Space
06.06.13 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
06.07.13 - Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard
06.08.13 - Dallas, TX @ Bryan Street Tavern
06.09.13 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
06.11.13 - Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
06.12.13 - Chicago, IL @ Schuba's
06.13.13 - Detroit, MI @ Garden Bowl
06.14.13 - Toronto, ON @ NXNE
06.15.13 - Toronto, ON @ NXNE
06.17.13 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Wonder Bar
06.18.13 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool
06.19.13 - Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
06.20.13 - Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar
06.21.13 - Arlington, VA @ IOTA
06.22.13 - Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House
06.23.13 - Asheville, NC @ The Double Crown
06.25.13 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
06.26.13 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
06.27.13 - Chicago, IL @ Ace Bar
06.28.13 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
06.29.13 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
06.30.13 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
07.01.13 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
07.02.13 - Reno, NV @ Chapel Tavern

The Blank Tapes
Antenna Farm Records

CISAR release new track - "Figure It Out"

A while back, we featured Johnny Headband - an electronic rock duo (brothers Chad and Keith Thompson) with soulful vocals. Chad and Keith later reincarnated as CISAR, and we've featured their track "High Horses" (WYMA post here).

They've sent along a new track and we're happy to feature it - it's a nice slice of McCartney/Jeff Lynne-influenced pop:



Chad Thompson sings, produces and plays keyboards. He's getting help from Gregory McIntosh on guitar and Zach Shipps on bass.

CISAR on Facebook

New Single from Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - "If You Didn't See Me (Then You Weren't On The Dancefloor)" out now, EP due out for RSD

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (Detroit duo Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott) is playing fairly muscular dance music with some very melodic touches - weaving together all kinds of synths and vocal harmonies to keep it moving. None of that would matter much to me if they weren't really good singers, and they are. You can check out the new single - a declaration of purpose, for sure, here:



To tide you over until the upcoming release of the rest of the EP and an album later this summer, here's a really great video they released about a year ago, a super soulful cut that our man JD ought to enjoy:



You can get the EP, titled Patterns, April 16 online, or look for a limited edition physical in your favorite record store April 20.

Some upcoming tour dates:


4/20 - DETROIT - MAJESTIC THEATER (Record Store Day Show)
4/25 – DC – ROCK AND ROLL HOTEL
4/26 - BROOKLYN - MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG
5/10 – DALLAS – THE LOFT
5/11 - AUSTIN - THE PARISH
5/16 - LOS ANGELES - EL REY
5/17 - SAN FRANCISCO - THE INDEPENDENT
5/24 - CHICAGO - LINCOLN HALL

REVIEW: Hollis Brown - Ride On The Train

Hollis Brown is a group of native New Yorkers on the venerable blues/rock label Alive/Naturalsound, but their musical influences come from considerably south and east of there. On their debut album, Ride On The Train, they are playing a bracing mixture of something akin to blues-based Southern rock and pure British Invasion-influenced pop. Principal songwriters Mike Montali (vocals) and Jon Bonilla (lead guitar) grew up listening to blues-based classic rock, and claim that the combination of an urban upbringing and throwback musical influences of traditional blues contributed heavily to their sound.

So, the Stones, Springsteen... those are useful touchpoints. Philly soul, Southern rock... useful, too. But go ahead and listen. Here's the video for the title track:



See? like good classic rock fans, they feature the lead guitar often and prominently.

Here's the closing song, "Nightfall" - a great showcase of their sound. It features Montali's soulful vocals, really good piano and acoustic and electric guitar. In a way, I'm reminded of a Lynyrd Skynyrd ballad:



And here's the upbeat, rocking "Down On Your Luck" - tell me if you don't hear a little Latin twinge, reminiscent of some classic East Coast big city guitar rocker like "Rosalita", in some of the solos:



Among the stellar Alive/Naturalsound roster of bands, I'd probably place Hollis Brown somewhere between Lee Bains III and The Buffalo Killers, but lighter on the thrash, heavier on the melody. There really isn't much psychedelic component to their music, the vocals and guitars are prominent, and it is certainly blues-based (most of the tracks feature call/response type structure). While the music is heartfelt and explores many of the traditional pop themes -- unrequited love, jealousy, loneliness -- this is a good-time band for sure. The record is out today.

Hollis Brown at Alive/Naturalsound

Not So Guilty Pleasure - Steve Marriott

In a parallel universe  I post a daily acknowledgement and celebration of a musician's birthday.  Today was the birthday of one of the finest rock 'n rollers I ever had the pleasure of seeing in person.  Steve Marriott would have been 66.  As the front man of two hit bands - Small Faces and Humble Pie-  he was one of the exemplars of blue-eyed soul.  Each band was widely recognized as being among the tightest live bands in rock history.  Two musicians were recruited to replace him when he left Small Faces.  Ron Wood and Rod Stewart were the musical replacements for one man.  Get out the air guitar, turn  it up to 11 and enjoy one of the greatest RnR or R&B tenors/shouters.

With Small Faces:







With Humble Pie and Peter Frampton (yes that Peter Frampton.)



More Humble Pie: