Black Diamond Heavies
Alive as Fuck
buy the album here
By now, most of you should know who in the hell the Black Diamond Heavies are, being that they are quite possibly one of the biggest and most electrifying forces to be reckoned with on the rock and roll circuit today. They are the messiahs of all that is loud and rowdy as they bring the good news to the masses with their own blend of "punk ass blues", causing heavy alcohol consumption and an ass load of sweat all around the world. As it stands now, the Black Diamond Heavies will be our exclamation point to the 2009 year in music with their latest release, Alive As Fuck.
A strong point for the Heavies has always been the fact that they can pull off live material that far surpasses what they can lay down in the studio. Don't get me wrong, the studio albums are phenomenal, however it would be nearly impossible to recreate what these two, yes I said two, lads can bring forth on a dim lit stage in a smoky bar. The thick sludge of emotion, grit, and soul that spills from their gear out onto the crowd is full of road tested material that blends everything that is good about Muddy Waters, Tom Waits, and Mahalia Jackson if they all joined together with the MC5 backing them up. With two members, the Black Diamond Heavies bring a bigger sound than any other band that boasts five or six members and continue to push the boundaries as far as what a drumkit, Fender Rhodes (run through a Big Muff mind you), and Hammond organ can do. Alive As Fuck is the majority of material from a live show that was recorded on July 24th in Covington, Kentucky at the Covington Masonic Lodge. This album finds the Black Diamond Heavies with their eye on the prize and the pedal to the metal, giving the crowd amped up and energetic versions of songs from both previous studio albums including "White Bitch", "Take a Ride", and "Fever in My Blood." The band sounds tighter than ever, John Wesley Myers' voice is as mean as a pole cat, and the groove seems to be growing into its own beast as Myers and drummer Van Campbell continue to spread the word of what might possibly be the best live band in the world.
Thank God that the Black Diamond Heavies and Alive records have given us an early Christmas gift, making sure that 2009 won't fizzle out but end with a damn punch in the face. Alive As Fuck is the perfect stocking stuffer for those who love blues, punk, and just plain old rock and roll in its rawest form. Try and keep still while listening to this one. My bet is that you won't be able to. -Andrew Bryant
Monday, December 7, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Del McCoury live instore this Friday
Live in-store Friday, November 20th at noon
Vince Gill says it simply, and maybe best: "I'd rather hear Del McCoury sing ‘Are You Teasing Me' than just about anything." For fifty years, Del's music has defined authenticity for hard core bluegrass fans-count Gill among them-as well as a growing number of fans among those only vaguely familiar with the genre. And while the box set Celebrating 50 Years of Del McCoury, like its distilled companion, By Request provides an opportunity to look back on a unique legacy, it's also one that Del McCoury's rolling past with a wave and a grin and some of the best music he's ever made.
"Del epitomizes the bluegrass musician from the previous era, and also this one," says acclaimed resonator guitarist Jerry Douglas, a member of Alison Krauss + Union Station and producer of several of McCoury's 90s albums. "You can finally make a living playing bluegrass, and a large part of it is because of Del McCoury; he became like the new Bill Monroe..."
Del McCoury will be performing at the Bijou at 8:00pm.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Skeletonwitch-Breathing the Fire
Skeletonwitch
Breathing the Fire
purchase here
Whenever a curious customer requests something new and exciting from the world of thrash/death/black metal, I always head straight for Skeletonwitch. Each and every time, these individuals are satisfied and join the growing masses who are singing this band's praises and spreading their music like wildfire. Hailing from Athens, Ohio, they are undoubtedly one of the strongest heavy outfits on the market, with a sound that transfers flawlessly from the recorded material to the live setting, creating one of the most outstanding musical experiences that one can find these days. In fact, for romantic weekend getaways, my wife and I opt away from the spa retreats and cozy mountain inns in order to travel to see the mighty Skeletonwitch anywhere and everywhere we can. Trust me, they are just that good.
With their new album, Breathing the Fire, Skeletonwitch brings forth a sound that expands their already massive brutality, at the same time remaining in the same stride that all fans have come to love. Their sound IS brutal, but not too overwhelming. Like the first album, Breathing the Fire is loaded with epic heavy metal that will satisfy fans ranging from Iron Maiden to Venom, to even Gorgoroth. With this record, Skeletonwitch aren't quite thrash, nor are they straight ahead, meat-head death metal or corpse paint-wearing, unholy black metal. They are simply a great, great heavy metal band. Vocalist Chance Garnette delivers both the growls and the throaty rasp that serves as your master of ceremonies during this musical journey. It is grand to hear a vocalist today who can do both well, giving the low rumble without the mind-numbing, Cookie Monster vocals entirely and the higher, faster register without losing all that he is saying. Trust me, the lyrics are meant to be heard on this one. Guitar wise, both Nate "N8 Feet Under" Garnette and Scott "Scunt" Hedrick pull off the double lead lines smoothly and lay tons of meaty, tasteful licks into the mix, keeping those long-haired heads bobbing. Both N8 and Scunt have a great ear for original hooks and appropriate placement, thus this guitar work and harmonies will have you humming these songs for days. The rhythm section brings the horsepower throughout the entire record and is the driving force behind these new songs. Drummer Derrick "Mullet Chad" Nau is a beast, whose double kick drum work ventures far beyond 32nd and 64th notes blast beats, giving a great sense of groove to the low end with tons of half and double times shifts, triplets, and straight 4/4 count single grooves. His tom fills and snare attacks set up the different tempos perfectly and can turn the mood of a song on a dime. Bass wise, Evan "Loosh" Linger reminds me a great deal of a player much like Steve Harris who can and does hold his own with the shredding guitars, while keeping things filled in down below. For me, highlights on this record include the uber epic, "Stand Fight and Die" and dark sounding "Released from the Catacombs" and "Gorge Upon My Soul."
Breathing the Fire is the total package, complete with great and synergistic artwork, lyrics, music, and attitude . From front to back, beginning to end, it is a strong album and another beacon added to the fog of heavy music in the future. Skeletonwitch is just getting started and the world should beware!-Andrew Bryant
Breathing the Fire
purchase here
Whenever a curious customer requests something new and exciting from the world of thrash/death/black metal, I always head straight for Skeletonwitch. Each and every time, these individuals are satisfied and join the growing masses who are singing this band's praises and spreading their music like wildfire. Hailing from Athens, Ohio, they are undoubtedly one of the strongest heavy outfits on the market, with a sound that transfers flawlessly from the recorded material to the live setting, creating one of the most outstanding musical experiences that one can find these days. In fact, for romantic weekend getaways, my wife and I opt away from the spa retreats and cozy mountain inns in order to travel to see the mighty Skeletonwitch anywhere and everywhere we can. Trust me, they are just that good.
With their new album, Breathing the Fire, Skeletonwitch brings forth a sound that expands their already massive brutality, at the same time remaining in the same stride that all fans have come to love. Their sound IS brutal, but not too overwhelming. Like the first album, Breathing the Fire is loaded with epic heavy metal that will satisfy fans ranging from Iron Maiden to Venom, to even Gorgoroth. With this record, Skeletonwitch aren't quite thrash, nor are they straight ahead, meat-head death metal or corpse paint-wearing, unholy black metal. They are simply a great, great heavy metal band. Vocalist Chance Garnette delivers both the growls and the throaty rasp that serves as your master of ceremonies during this musical journey. It is grand to hear a vocalist today who can do both well, giving the low rumble without the mind-numbing, Cookie Monster vocals entirely and the higher, faster register without losing all that he is saying. Trust me, the lyrics are meant to be heard on this one. Guitar wise, both Nate "N8 Feet Under" Garnette and Scott "Scunt" Hedrick pull off the double lead lines smoothly and lay tons of meaty, tasteful licks into the mix, keeping those long-haired heads bobbing. Both N8 and Scunt have a great ear for original hooks and appropriate placement, thus this guitar work and harmonies will have you humming these songs for days. The rhythm section brings the horsepower throughout the entire record and is the driving force behind these new songs. Drummer Derrick "Mullet Chad" Nau is a beast, whose double kick drum work ventures far beyond 32nd and 64th notes blast beats, giving a great sense of groove to the low end with tons of half and double times shifts, triplets, and straight 4/4 count single grooves. His tom fills and snare attacks set up the different tempos perfectly and can turn the mood of a song on a dime. Bass wise, Evan "Loosh" Linger reminds me a great deal of a player much like Steve Harris who can and does hold his own with the shredding guitars, while keeping things filled in down below. For me, highlights on this record include the uber epic, "Stand Fight and Die" and dark sounding "Released from the Catacombs" and "Gorge Upon My Soul."
Breathing the Fire is the total package, complete with great and synergistic artwork, lyrics, music, and attitude . From front to back, beginning to end, it is a strong album and another beacon added to the fog of heavy music in the future. Skeletonwitch is just getting started and the world should beware!-Andrew Bryant
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Left Lane Cruiser All You Can Eat
Left Lane Cruiser
All You Can Eat
purchase album here
Left Lane Cruiser is the real deal. They are blues at its best, filth at its finest, with just two men who are evoking enough inner demons to populate an entire circle of hell. Raising a ruckus, punching throats, and blackening eyes all the way from Ft. Wayne Indiana, Left Lane Cruiser makes a bigger and louder racket than most five-man operations, never once sacrificing songwriting or musicianship for the sake of bombasity.
Their third album, All You Can Eat, released on mighty Alive Records, is a great reality check for 2009; a raw, unabashed boogie and boot-stomp feel where everything sounds better when turned up loud, with a glass full of elixir. Deemed as "punk blues" by many, LLC lays it all out on the table from the word go with this release, with some of the most intense, in-your-face, and aggressive music out there today. With guns ablaze, guitarist/vocalist Frederick "Joe" Evans IV and drummer/noise-maker Brenn "Sausage Paw" Beck roll out of the gate with "Crackalacka" featuring squealing, overdriven slide guitar lines and a stuttered, "train" drum beat. Sending it straight to the bayou, "Ol' Fashioned" finds Evans falling back to his trusty old International resonator guitar with the perfect soundtrack for a hot and sticky, front-porch sittin', sweet tea-drinkin' southern Mississippi evening. Another highlight is "Black Lung" which takes a song that is somewhat reminiscent of the early Black Keys work, adds two tons of smoke, grit, and dirt to the mix, and brings forth a sound that is much thicker and heavier than any material that the Keys ever could imagine.
It's always great to see bands like this still releasing great music in a time such as this when laptops and ironic, hipster haircuts are flooding the mainstream of American music. Make no mistake of it, I doubt that you will ever see these boys in girl jeans and pastels, collaborating with Danger Mouse or Justin Timberlake. I suspect that they will keep getting meaner and nastier every time we see them. Thank God for that! -Andrew Bryant
All You Can Eat
purchase album here
Left Lane Cruiser is the real deal. They are blues at its best, filth at its finest, with just two men who are evoking enough inner demons to populate an entire circle of hell. Raising a ruckus, punching throats, and blackening eyes all the way from Ft. Wayne Indiana, Left Lane Cruiser makes a bigger and louder racket than most five-man operations, never once sacrificing songwriting or musicianship for the sake of bombasity.
Their third album, All You Can Eat, released on mighty Alive Records, is a great reality check for 2009; a raw, unabashed boogie and boot-stomp feel where everything sounds better when turned up loud, with a glass full of elixir. Deemed as "punk blues" by many, LLC lays it all out on the table from the word go with this release, with some of the most intense, in-your-face, and aggressive music out there today. With guns ablaze, guitarist/vocalist Frederick "Joe" Evans IV and drummer/noise-maker Brenn "Sausage Paw" Beck roll out of the gate with "Crackalacka" featuring squealing, overdriven slide guitar lines and a stuttered, "train" drum beat. Sending it straight to the bayou, "Ol' Fashioned" finds Evans falling back to his trusty old International resonator guitar with the perfect soundtrack for a hot and sticky, front-porch sittin', sweet tea-drinkin' southern Mississippi evening. Another highlight is "Black Lung" which takes a song that is somewhat reminiscent of the early Black Keys work, adds two tons of smoke, grit, and dirt to the mix, and brings forth a sound that is much thicker and heavier than any material that the Keys ever could imagine.
It's always great to see bands like this still releasing great music in a time such as this when laptops and ironic, hipster haircuts are flooding the mainstream of American music. Make no mistake of it, I doubt that you will ever see these boys in girl jeans and pastels, collaborating with Danger Mouse or Justin Timberlake. I suspect that they will keep getting meaner and nastier every time we see them. Thank God for that! -Andrew Bryant
Monday, September 21, 2009
Nathaniel Mayer Why Won't You Let Me Be Black?
Nathaniel Mayer
Why Won't You Let Me Be Black?
purchase album
If I was a bettin' man, I could make a wager that most lovers of R&B music haven't the slightest notion as to who Nathaniel Mayer is. A cult icon and legend in the garage and soul communities around his home in Detroit, Mayer's biggest break came in 1962 at the age of 18 with "Village of Love." With a gritty,gravel throated voice and a raucous stage presence, his name remained in the underground rock and soul scenes throughout the country, only occasionally releasing an album on small, obscure record labels. As he reached his sixties, Mayer began to make more music and tour more frequently, eventually signing a record deal with Alive Records, a perfect fit for his eclectic sound and appeal. Before his death in 2008, Mayer and many of the Alive alumni, including members of Outrageous Cherry, The Black Keys, and the Dirtbombs, booked two sessions that would indeed be has last. Alive released the first of these installments, Why Don't You Give it To Me?, in 2007 and now has given us the second.
Like the first session, Why Won't You Let Me Be Black? is not crisp, clean, or polished. This session captured exactly what Nathaniel Mayer was all about: the moment and the emotion. The production for Why Won't You Let Me Be Black? is extremely lo-fi with rough edges, giving this album a laid back, improvisational sound. The contributing musicians match the grit and sass that literally drenches every syllable that emits from Nathaniel Mayer's mouth, making this album a statement in raw emotion where what you hear is what you get. When his voice wains and stretches to finish a line or hit a certain note, it strikes a chord deep within and you know exactly what is on his mind and in his heart at that particular moment. Musically, things are sparse and never overpower Mayer's vocal delivery. The right touches are added in just the right places whether it be simplistic percussive rhythms or an almost out-of-tune upright piano, exhibiting the strength and quality of musicians on hand. On a more somber note, knowing that this will be the last we will hear from Nathaniel Mayer makes this album even more of an emotional blast than it already is. -Andrew Bryant
Why Won't You Let Me Be Black?
purchase album
If I was a bettin' man, I could make a wager that most lovers of R&B music haven't the slightest notion as to who Nathaniel Mayer is. A cult icon and legend in the garage and soul communities around his home in Detroit, Mayer's biggest break came in 1962 at the age of 18 with "Village of Love." With a gritty,gravel throated voice and a raucous stage presence, his name remained in the underground rock and soul scenes throughout the country, only occasionally releasing an album on small, obscure record labels. As he reached his sixties, Mayer began to make more music and tour more frequently, eventually signing a record deal with Alive Records, a perfect fit for his eclectic sound and appeal. Before his death in 2008, Mayer and many of the Alive alumni, including members of Outrageous Cherry, The Black Keys, and the Dirtbombs, booked two sessions that would indeed be has last. Alive released the first of these installments, Why Don't You Give it To Me?, in 2007 and now has given us the second.
Like the first session, Why Won't You Let Me Be Black? is not crisp, clean, or polished. This session captured exactly what Nathaniel Mayer was all about: the moment and the emotion. The production for Why Won't You Let Me Be Black? is extremely lo-fi with rough edges, giving this album a laid back, improvisational sound. The contributing musicians match the grit and sass that literally drenches every syllable that emits from Nathaniel Mayer's mouth, making this album a statement in raw emotion where what you hear is what you get. When his voice wains and stretches to finish a line or hit a certain note, it strikes a chord deep within and you know exactly what is on his mind and in his heart at that particular moment. Musically, things are sparse and never overpower Mayer's vocal delivery. The right touches are added in just the right places whether it be simplistic percussive rhythms or an almost out-of-tune upright piano, exhibiting the strength and quality of musicians on hand. On a more somber note, knowing that this will be the last we will hear from Nathaniel Mayer makes this album even more of an emotional blast than it already is. -Andrew Bryant
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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