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There may not be many pickers in the world like Sam Bush, who plays both the fiddle and mandolin with equal parts attitude and fun. Critics have dubbed Bush’s music “Newgrass,” as it combines elements of traditional Bluegrass with today’s alt-country.The “pickin’” basically never stops but when Bush takes a breather and throws in a vocal, his lyrics are witty and he really can sing. There’s even a reggae-tinged tune in “Spirit is the Journey,” and “The Wizard of Oz,” which sounds like a standard
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Some songwriters write music to appeal to the masses and some do so to appeal to a select few, or maybe themselves. The latter is definitely the case with Michael Mangia’s The Invisible Wall. I hate to say that anyone’s record is not good, and Mangia is an okay songwriter. But really, there’s nothing compelling about his droning voice to save the mediocre writing and bland production.
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Put a jam band on stage with a brass band, and you’ve got the concert equivalent of a party. And a live record is where it’s bound to be captured at its improvisational best, as is the case here with Night of Joy. Widespread Panic lead singer John Bell’s voice is husky and solid amid some awesome playing. For the average listener, these songs are long but if you’re firing up a bowl or just chilling, this is some good stuff to have on in the background.
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The new Blondie record has a lot of the elements of what made this band great back in the day. Lead singer Debbie Harry fronts an assault of guitars and electronics, and does so with some of the band’s best songs in years. “Shakedown” is reminiscent of “Rapture,” one of the pioneer songs of modern rap music, but there are more gems, like the poppy “Good Boys” and driving rocker “Golden Rod.” There are some weird, dissident songs too, but they don’t detract from the overall appeal.
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This Seattle band has a little more going on than your average indie rock band. There is the flavor of Northwest grunge running through their debut, For Milking, and while it’s not catchy there’s something hauntingly addictive about it. Or maybe that’s because lead singer/guitarist Josh Bate sounds a lot like Kurt Cobain. All in all, Dope Smoothie’s music is the stuff that college radio is made of, and I’m guessing their live show packs energy far greater than what’s coming out of my computer speakers.
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If there’s anything this album proves, it’s that Gregg Allman and the boys still know how to rock. Recorded in 2003 at the Beacon in New York City, this is like a trip through time reminiscent of the Fillmore East recordings of the 1970s. The old stuff is still the best, with songs like “Statesboro Blues,” “Midnight Rider” and “Whippin’ Post,” but overall there are two CDs worth of kick-ass songs.
~Mike Farley
mfarley@bullz-eye.com